Next time you clean your house, try cleaning green! Not only are eco-friendly products safer, it’s cost-effective to make your own all-natural solutions at home, and your environmental impact is much milder thanks to the absence of harsh chemicals. If you’re simply purchasing your own eco-friendly cleaners, you also lower your environmental impact because lots of eco-friendly companies store their products in recyclable packages, which significantly reduces waste.
Green cleaning chemicals can easily be made at home with everyday ingredients.
Common ingredients in household cleaners, such as perchloroethylene, triclosan, ammonia, sodium hydroxide, and chloride, have been linked to serious illnesses, including asthma, cancer, reproductive disorders, hormone disruption, and neurotoxicity. The use of typical household cleaners also causes high levels of indoor air pollution, with immediate effects of exposure including headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as exacerbated symptoms of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and long-term effects that include respiratory diseases, heart disease, and even cancer. Furthermore, after we flush household cleaners down the drain, some of them go on to pollute waterways and threaten aquatic life.
Thankfully, green cleaning doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the power of your typical household solutions – with the recipes below, you can reap the same, clean benefits.
All-Purpose Cleaner
- One quart of warm water
- 4 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Mix together and voilà!
Dishwasher Detergent
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 cup borax
- 1/2 cup citric acid
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- Combine all ingredients in a jar and use 1 teaspoon per wash cycle
– you can also pour distilled vinegar into the rinse aid compartment to help prevent streaks
Shower Cleaner
- Mix ¼ cup white vinegar and 1 cup water in a microwavable safe bowl. Heat for 30-60 seconds then pour into spray bottle. Spritz and let sit for 3-5 minutes before wiping clean.
Window Cleaner
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup of white vinegar
- ½ tablespoon of lemon juice
- Just mix together, spray, and wipe away
Wood Polish
- Two parts vegetable or olive oil
- 1 part lemon juice
-must be refrigerated
Drain Cleaner
- Pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain followed by ½ cup white vinegar. The mixture will begin to fizz – cover it up tightly with a plate or cloth.
- Next pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to dissolve blockages caused by food particles, soap and grease.
Stainless Steel Polisher
- Rub baking soda and a soft-sided sponge.
-toothpaste works too!
Heavy duty cleaning (for large jobs)
- Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons of liquid soap to 1 gallon of hot water.
-if it is particularly stubborn, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of borax
Disinfectant spray (also works on mildew)
- Combine 2 cups water, 15 drops tea tree oil, 15 drops lavender oil.
- Use as a spray and let dry.
Floor Cleaner
- Combine one part white vinegar with two parts warm water in a bucket and use a mop or rag to scrub down the floors with the solution.
-this one is not recommended for wood floors
Air Freshener
- Get a mason jar and poke holes in the lid
- Fill the jar ¼ full with baking soda and mix in 5-10 drops of essential oil
Laundry Detergent
- Combine 2 parts Borax, 2 parts washing soda, and 1 part grated castile soap
- Use 1-2 tablespoons for load.
*BONUS TIP: Skip the paper towels when you’re cleaning! Did you know that to make just one ton of paper towels, 17 trees and 20,000 gallons of water are polluted? Help decrease that number by using another method! Clean with old newspapers or scrap papers you have lying around. Better yet? Use reusable cloth rags or scraps of fabric/clothes you would typically throw out!
Don’t have time to mix up your own solutions at home? Opt for eco-friendly cleaners you can purchase in-stores, like locally-made, Better Life products! A couple other options include Dr. Bronner’s, Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, Method, GreenWorks, or Simple Green. Look for the Safer Choice or Green Seal logos to be sure your chemicals have been vetted for environmental considerations and human health.
Make sure you’re cleaning green to save some green and make this world a better place!
-Aspen Steiner
