Save $ (and the planet too!) while cleaning house

I happened upon this book at the library called "Clean House, Clean Planet: Clean your House for Pennies a Day, the Safe, Non-Toxic Way" (author-Karen Logan). There's a ton of useful recipes for cleaning using non-toxic, inexpensive basics like baking soda, vinegar, lemons, etc.

Most of us probably know either from experience or reading, that most cleaning chemicals are not good for us. But how do we know which are okay & which are not? Safer ones include Bon Ami for kitchen cleaners and the laundry stain removal Spray n Wash stick (whew that's one of my favorites!). For a list of safe products see the the Washington Toxics Coalitions "Buy Smart, Buy Safe" guide. The website also includes information about safe products all around the house, including lawn and garden care.

This book had so many good recipes I'm going to buy it for my house. I haven't tried all of these yet but definitely will be getting rid of any toxic chemicals I have left & will start using these.

Here are some useful recipes for a variety of cleaning jobs.

Garbage-can deodorizer and cleaner
Ingredients: baking soda & an essential oil

Directions: Make a scented baking soda and sprinkle 1/4 cup into the bottom of your garbage pail. Then you can clean out the can (to avoid clogging drains, rinse it outdoors). Wipe clean with soapy cleaner & hot water. Once it's dry, sprinkle more baking soda in the bottom. It will help keep the can dry and mildew-free plus it deodorizes. The next time you clean, the baking soda makes a nice past when you rinse it out.

Garbage disposal deodorizer
Ingredients: Citrus peels (any kind will do) & ice cubes

Directions: Drop 3+ ice cubes and 2 fresh citrus peels down your disposal & grind them. The ice cubes help to cool any grease & grind it out. The citrus peels make it smell nice & have natural acid cleaning power.

Air Freshner
Ingredients: White Distilled Vinegar
Directions: In a small bowl or jar, put about 12 cup of vinegar uncovered. Then place it on an upper shelf to let it sop up odors. This trick is also good for offensive cooking odors, musty closet smells, smokey rooms, or kitchens with little or no ventilation.

For those of you with cats!
Litter box deodorizer
Ingredients: baking soda & a essential oil for fragrance (such as eucalyptis, peppermint or lavender)

Directions: Scent approximately 2 cups of baking soda (about half of a regular 2 1b. box) with any one of the following oils: 24 drops of eucalyptus oil, 24 drops of peppermint, or 20 drops of lavendar oil.

How to use: pull open the entire top of a 2-1b box of baking soda. Add the essential oil on top & mix it with a fork. Pour in about 1 cup of the scented baking soda into the bottom of the litter box. Add the sand last. Save the rest of the baking soda for the next time.

Dish sprinkle - auto dishwashing detergent

Clean your dishes in a more effortless way! I did try this one & spent much less time cleaning my pyrex casserole dish. That's always a good thing, especially if you don't have a dishwasher.

Directions: All you need is some baking soda & a shaker. When you pile the dirty dishes in the sink, scrape off any lumpy food & shake on some baking soda. This helps cut down on odors & helps dissolve grease & grime. The baking sodda works best if lightly wet. Let sit on dishes for at least 5 minutes. For those of you with dishwashers, you can spray them with water & load directly into the washer & you don't need to add extra detergent in the open dispenser (because the baking soda works like soap too).

Car maintenance
Substitutes for products such as Armor-All
Petroleum jelly can be used to condition & nourish the vinyl & other assorted plastic in cars. Put a small glob on your rag & buff it in. Do NOT use too much (or it will attract dirt & dust). This works on tires too. Do not get any on glass or windows though or you'll have to deal with smears & streaks.

Disinfecting Cutting boards
Rub a little salt and water into the board & rinse (not scientifically proven to disinfect) after cutting meats. Lemon juice & salt, or a little vinegar, help to clean and deodorize too.

Floor cleaner
Ingredients: White distilled vinegar, water & an essential oil for fragrance.

Directions: In a 16 oz. squirt-bottle, mix equal parts of the white distilled vinegar & water. Add 15-20 drops of pure peppermint oil. Shake to mix.

Once made squirt cleaner directly onto the floor & wipe clean with rag or mop. Can be used on lineoleum, tile, or polyurethane & finished wood floors. Vinegar's natural acid quality helps to remove the film that typically accumulates on a kitchen floor.

Alternative insecticides for crawling insects
Ingredients: liquid soap or hand-dishwashing detergent & water

Directions: Fill the spray bottle with water. Add 3 tbsp. liquid soap OR 1 tbsp. liquid detergent. A peppermint- or eucalyptus-scented soap works nicely. Your dish-washing detergant at your sink works but use only the 1 tbsp. if spraying in environmentally sensitive areas like outdoors. Shake to mix.

You can spray these directly on ants & they will dry up in a few seconds. Then using petroleum jelly, clog any holes they might come in (reapply every few days as the jelly dirties).

Ant Stay Away
Ingredients: peppermint oil & water

Directions: In a 16 oz. spray bottle, fill half full with water. Add 2 tsp. peppermint oil. Shake. Spray where the ants come in (corners, baseboards, window sills, & behind appliances). Reapply as needed to keep the odor strong.

Honey Pot for Ants
Directions: Mix 1/2 cup water with 1/4 cup honey & other sweet stuff, (i.e. sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, fruit juice concentrate or candy) in a small bowl or cup (can be paper). Set it outside to distract ants from coming inside your house.

Peppermint Ball
Ingredients: Cotton Balls & peppermint oil

Directions: Dip several cotton balls in peppermint oil & rub where you don't want the ants to come in. Wipe along their entrances & paths. They will be confused & you can easily clean them up.

Bug Spray for Plants
Ingredients: Dr. Bronner's Peppermint-scented liquid soap & water

Directions: Fill a 16 oz. spray bottle with water (purified when possible). Add 1-2 tsp. Dr. Bronner's peppermint-scented liquid soap. Shake. To prevent sudsing, add soap last.

Then spray directly onto bugs. Check for bugs underneath the leaves & inner stems. Spray & wash them whenever you see them. The peppermint scent is rumored to repel many insects.

Brass & Copper Cleaner
Ingredients: 1 lime (or lemon) & some ordinary table soap.

Directions: Cut lime (or lemon) in half. Sprinkle a little salt on whatever needs polishing & start rubbing immediately. Limes are easier to rub & have no seeds.

OR

Ingredients: flour, white distilled vinegar & salt.

In a glass or plastic bowl, Mix 2/3 cup white distilled vinegar with 2/3 cup flour. Stir the mixture until smooth. Add 1/2 cup salt & stir until mixed in. This doesn't keep well, so make a fresh batch each time you need it. Then spoon mixture onto items you want to polish. If it's too goopy, add 1 tbsp. more flour. It should be sticky, smooth layer to stay on the metal. You'll get better results if you leave it on for 1 or 2 hours or even overnight. Green goop means it's working but that is also toxic (so don't let any kids get near it). Rinse the copper off well & wipe clean. Polish with a soft cloth & a dab of olive oil. This helps to prevent further tarnishing.

Tub & Tile Cleaner (alternative to soft scrub)

Ingredients: baking soda, high-quality liquid soap (castile, vegetable-oil based or glycerin), white distilled vinegar, & water
**Need a 16 or 22 oz. squeeze container with squirt flip-top cap.

Directions: 16 oz. bottle
Mix 1 2/3 cups baking soda with 1/2 c. liquid soap in a bowl. Dilute with 1/2 cup water. Add 2 tbsp. vinegar last. Stir until the lumps are gone. If you can pour it into the container easily, then you have the right consistency. If it's too thick, add more water. Keep the cap on because this mixture will dry out. Shake well before using.

For 22 oz. bottle: mix 2 cups baking soda, 1/2 cup liquid soap, 2/3 c. water & 2 tbsp. vinegar.

Once it's made, squirt this cleaner everywhere (tub, sink, toilet bowl, floors, garbage cans, any greasy grimy job). Use it with nylon white-backed sponge to prevent scratching. Rinse well.

If you find that you are leaving residue, try using less scrub next time and/or rinse with a squirt of vinegar (can be scented) and water. The vinegar will help prevent mold & mildew too.

Always shake well & measure exactly, otherwise the squirt will be too thick or thin. Mix baking sodea & soap together with a fork & always add the vinegar last.