Green Cleaning Supplies

All of the cleaning supplies we buy for our homes take a lot of money out of our weekly budgets, at about $3 to $12 per item, they add up quickly. Many inexpensive products found on store shelves are now made in China, which has developed an unfortunate history of inferior or dangerous products.

Environmentally responsible cleaners are great, but frequently cost even more than their counterparts, and are out of the price range as a regularly purchased product for many. Would you like to know how to make environmentally friendly cleaning products in minutes, and for less than anything you can buy in the stores? It’s not too good to be true, just read on.

The all purpose cleaner around my house is a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. Scent this with the essential oil of your choice, a clean citrus scent, lavender, or tea tree, about six drops should do it. This is a great general cleaner for walls, counter tops, floors, or most hard surfaces (but not on unsealed wood).

A traditional glass cleaner is vinegar which you then wipe down with newspaper. You can easily avoid the newspaper blackened hands, just mix vinegar and water in a clean spray bottle and add a drop or two of dish soap or natural liquid soap if you’d like. Spray on the glass, and wipe the windows with a dry cloth, a chamois or a 100% natural fiber cloth work best.

Baking soda is a first-rate, mild abrasive when you need a good scouring cleanser. To make a paste, just add a few drops of liquid dish soap, then add water until you reach your desired texture. This works just as well as most scouring cleansers, without the “Poison” label.

If you need serious scrubbing power cut a lemon in half width-wise, dab the cut end into salt, and use as a scrubber. Add more salt if you need to. The salt is an excellent abrasive, and citrus oil is a great cleaner. To make an easy cast iron scrub, just mix coarse cut salt and vegetable or olive oil.

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