Great Green Idea: Green Cleaning: Homemade Eco-friendly Cleaning Recipes

Homemade Eco-friendly Cleaning Recipes

Leaving a home unkempt is just as unhealthy as using harmful cleaning products. The dust that collects around the home is made up of the flame retardants, pesticides and other chemicals that were used to clean the home in the past. It is entirely possible to keep a clean and sanitary home without the use of toxins. People all over are sharing their successful eco-friendly cleaning recipes for others to use in their own homes. Most of the ingredients are already in the fridge or pantry, making the cleansers easy and affordable to prepare.

Furniture Polish

One of the all-time favorite recipes is a mixture of one cup lemon juice with one tablespoon of olive oil to clean wooden surfaces. Apply lightly to the furniture and buff with a soft cloth after it sits a couple of minutes. Alternatively, 10 drops of pure lemon oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil will produce the same results.

Oven Cleaner

Mix 2 cups hot of water, one tablespoon of all natural dish detergent liquid and one teaspoon of borax in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture directly on the oven spill and wait 20 minutes before wiping with a clean cloth. For thick greasy spills, wipe as much of the excess off as possible using a crumpled newspaper before spraying the solution.

All Natural Scrubbing Cleansers

Make green cleaning easier all around the house with a natural all purpose cleanser. The recipe is simply equal parts salt and white vinegar. Coarse salt can be used directly on spills to scrub away messes on pans and baking dishes. Another excellent scouring paste can be made with Â½ cup of baking soda and liquid soap. Add 5 to 10 drops of a favorite essential oil like lavender or rosemary for a fresh fragrance.

Cleaning Glass and Mirrors

A combination of Â¼ cup of white vinegar, one tablespoon of cornstarch and one quart of warm water makes a very effective glass and mirror cleaner. For extra sparkle, wipe the surface dry with a piece of newspaper.

Other Eco-Friendly Cleaning Recipes

Disinfect countertops that have been exposed to raw meat by spraying on white vinegar followed by a spray of hydrogen peroxide. This combination will eliminate most of the germs left behind by the meat. In the bathroom and kitchen, one cup of water combined with 3 cups of baking soda is an all natural tile and grout cleaner that also eliminates odors.

More Green Cleaning Tips

Rather than using an abrasive cleanser on wallpaper, try rubbing the wallpaper with a slice of white bread to remove marks. For stubborn musty smells combine one teaspoon of tea tree oil and a cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray the area and do not wipe up the mixture for at least a couple of days. In that time the tea tree oil should dissipate and the odor should be gone. Repeat if necessary. One way to make trying these eco friendly cleaning recipes more fun is to use decorative containers and spray bottles for the ingredients. Adding fragrance to your homemade cleaners also gives you the incentive to use them over other cleansers.