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NON-TOXIC CLEANING FOR YOUR HOME

By October 19, 2019 No Comments

Ditch the chemicals, and clean your living spaces with simple ingredients that you can probably find in your kitchen already!

By reducing the use of synthetic chemicals you use to clean, you help to detox both your own home and help rid our air, water and garbage cans of allergens, pollutants, and waste. And while there are a number of commercial non-toxic home cleaning products available, making your own is even cheaper!

The Basic Ingredients

  • Baking Soda: Cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.
  • Vinegar: Cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.
  • Hydrogen peroxide: Bubbles cut right through the dirt
  • Borax (sodium borate): Cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.
  • Lemons/Lemon Juice: Smells great and cuts through grime while killing mold
  • Olive Oil: Moisturizing and gentle on furniture
  • Salt: Add more punch to your scrubbing power
  • Essential oils: Simple, all-natural additions to keep things smelling fresh and clean
  • Water: Help dilute formulas to desired strength

 

Tools

  • Rags: Ditch flimsy paper towels- recycle old clothes and cut them into rags you can wash and reuse.
  • Microfiber cloths: Life dirt, grease and dust without the need for cleaning chemicals
  • Scrub Brush: Invest in a good brush that will help you fight dirt time and time again
  • Spray Bottle: Disperse cleaning solutions evenly to achieve best results.

 

All-purpose cleaner

  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/2 gallon water
  • 2 teaspoon Borax or 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 7-10 drops of essential oil (optional)

Combine ingredients in spray bottle or bucket.

[expand title=”Glass Cleaner”]

A secret tip is to use newspaper for a streak-free clean!

  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 7-10 drops essential oil, like tea tree or lavender (optional)

Combine ingredients in spray bottle, spritz, and wipe away with old newspaper.

 

Bathroom Formulas

Tough Stuff Cleaner: Great for toilet bowls and drains!

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1 cup vinegar

Combine ingredients in bowl or measuring cup, pour down drain or into toilet, let sit for 15-30 minutes. Flush, if cleaning toilet. Pour hot water down drain if cleaning drain.

For toilet bowls, let a few tablespoons of Borax sit in the bowl for 30 minutes and then use toilet brush to clean.

Scouring Sauce: Say goodbye to mold and mildew!

  • 1/2 cup borax
  • 1/2 cup vinegar

Mix into a paste. Apply and scrub with a brush, let sit 10 minutes, and rinse with water. The worse the mildew or mold, the longer the paste should sit. Add salt to boost scrubbing power.

Or

Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water and spray on mold. Wait at least one hour before rising.

 

Living Room Formulas

Furniture Polish: Get a lovely shine and a great scent with this all-natural moisturizer!

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, spritz onto a soft rag, and apply to wood surfaces. Buff off with dry rag if desired. Can also be used on stainless steel.

Here is one great online resource for additional information.

If you just don’t have the time to whip up a batch of cleaner on your own, do make the effort to purchase non-toxic supplies that are environmentally responsible. You’ll be promoting the growth of green businesses with every non-toxic spritz and scrub!