Tips for non-toxic house cleaning
I can't remember if I've tried any of these, but I'm going to give them a go. I know in a pinch I've tried 'kitchen' items. I want to get back to that b/c I hate chemicals, the stink, the cost....
I know it's nothing imaginative, but I've actually had trouble finding cleaning 'recipies' on the net...I'm a poor searcher
CBC Marketplace -------------------------------------------------
There are many ingredients in your own kitchen or bathroom cupboard that could easily be substituted for cleaners.
More and more people are looking for natural ways of cleaning as their concerns grow over chemicals in cleaners that can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and dizziness.
Many common household cleaners contain alcohol, ammonia, bleach, formaldehyde and lye, substances that can cause nausea, vomiting, inflammation and burning of the eyes and throat.
Environmentalists have linked these ingredients with neurological, liver and kidney damage, asthma and cancer.
There are hundreds of homegrown recipes for green cleaning, here are some of the basic ingredients and combinations you can try:
Five Basic Ingredients
Any of these ingredients can be safely mixed together. Experiment and find out what works best for you. Store mixtures in spray bottles and label them.
White Vinegar: Mix with water and you can clean windows, any glass, countertops and tile.
(SuperRoo -- We did this at McDonald's a lot but only for mirrors and glass. One location I was at had no windows, just mirrors.)
Baking Soda: Mixed with water this becomes an all purpose cleaner. Scour sinks, tubs and even sprinkle over carpets as a deodorizer.
Salt: great as an abrasive for cleaning pots and pans.
Lemon Juice: use as bleach in laundry and on kitchen surfaces. Combine with vinegar and water and you have a nice de-clogger.
Olive oil: Mix with vinegar and use as furniture polish.
Cook up some green cleaners:
Drain cleaner: Pour 125 ml of baking soda down the sink and add at least a cup of vinegar. Put the cover on the drain and wait a few minutes. Finish by rinsing through with a mixture of boiling water and salt.
Oven cleaner: Make a paste of baking soda and water. First, scratch off burnt spots with a scouring brush and then apply the paste and scrub.
Kitchen cleanser : Use baking soda on non-scratch surfaces and vinegar and water mixture on all others.
Window cleaner: Put 75 ml of vinegar for every litre of water in a spray bottle.
Glass cleaner: Blend 75 ml of vinegar, a spoonful of cornstarch and a litre of warm water. Apply with a sponge and wipe dry. No streaks!
Toilet bowl cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda around the inside of the toilet bowl and clean with toilet brush. Also drop some white vinegar into the bowl and let sit a few minutes before cleaning with the brush.
Tub and tile cleaner: Mix 400 ml baking soda, 125 ml liquid soap, 125 ml water and a few spoonfuls of vinegar. Apply, scrub and wipe.
Mildew remover: Vinegar and salt.
Silver polish: Put a sheet of aluminum foil into a plastic or glass bowl. Sprinkle the foil with salt and baking soda and fill bowl with warm water. Soak your silver in the bowl and tarnish migrates to the foil. Dry and buff.
Crystal: Try a mixture of vinegar, water and a small amount of baking soda. Pour on a soft cloth and rub.
Brass cleaner: Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt and rub the lemon on the metal. Buff with a cloth.
Copper cleaning: Make a paste with equal parts white vinegar, flour and salt, leave on for an hour and then buff with a cloth.
Rust removal: Vinegar can help remove rust on nuts and bolts and other mineral deposits such as calcium deposits
Toothpaste: Diminishes glass scratches, lifts crayon marks off the floor.
