DIY Guide to Green Cleaning

Do- It- Yourself cleaning supplies are gaining popularity as awareness continues to grow of the harsh, toxic chemicals found in store-bought products. Really, what’s the point of cleaning, if you’re just making your home unhealthy? Not only are homemade supplies better for you, your family, and the environment, but you will also save money. Most of the recipes only require a few basic ingredients.

Here is a list of what you will need:

Baking Soda has endless uses. You can use it for anything from teeth whitening to deodorizing. Baking soda acts as an abrasive cleaner to dissolve dirt and eliminate grease.

White Distilled Vinegar acts as a disinfectant as well as a deodorizer. Its acidity helps it break down dirt and can even fight mold.

Lemons are perfect for adding a fresh scent. The acid in lemons also makes it a great cleaning agent. It has a bleaching effect, particularly when exposed to sunlight.

Lemongrass is a natural anti-bacterial

Tea Tree Oil is amazing for removing odors as well as fighting against mold and mildew.

Follow these recipes and your home will be sparkling in no time:

• Multi-Purpose Cleaner: Fill a 28-32 ounce sprayer bottle about half full with water. Fill almost the rest of the bottle with distilled white vinegar. Add 15-20 drops of essential lemongrass oil OR tea tree oil (depending on where you want to use it… or mix a batch of each). Add 3 drops of eco-friendly dishwashing liquid. Shake to Mix.

• Windows and Mirrors: Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Apply to the dirty surface, then scrub with newspaper, not paper towels, which cause streaking. If you’re out of vinegar or don’t like its smell, you can substitute undiluted lemon juice or club soda.

• Clogged Drains: Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the problem drain, followed by 2 cups of boiling water. If that isn’t doing it for you, chase the baking soda with a 1/2 cup of vinegar and cover tightly, allowing the vigorous fizzing of the chemical reaction to break up the gunk. Then flush that with one gallon of boiling water.

• Laundry Stain Remover: Start by blotting as much of the stain as possible, then saturate the stain with lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and rub the salt into the stain with your fingers or an old toothbrush. Wash the garment right away.