A Greener Life

I once wrote a story about natural cleaners that included recipes for making your own, it was so popular I thought “why not blog it?” It’s getting easier to buy environmentally friendly cleaners - Nature Clean, Method, and even the makes of unfriendly Clorox have a green line - but the easiest way to know exactly what you’re using in your home (and what your family and pets are breathing in) is to make it yourself.

Here is a list of the products you’ll need - or might already have - to make the cleaning products:

Baking Soda, (cleans, polishes & deodorizes. Scours without scratching. A good drain cleaner if followed by vinegar); Cornstarch (Good for washing windows, freshening carpets & cleaning greasy spills on counter tops, driveways and garage floors); Pure Soap (Cleans everything from dishes to cars); Vinegar (Cleans and deodorizes. Removes mildew, stains, wax build-up & is a good fabric softener - add 60 ml to your rinse cycle. Vinegar, mixed with water & salt, is a good general purpose surface cleaner); Washing Soda (Cleans clothes & softens water, but is mildly toxic).

Recipes

All Purpose Cleaner

• Mix 120 ml (nearly ½ cup )white vinegar and 60 ml (¼ cup) baking soda in 2 litres of water.
• Mix equal amounts of vinegar and water.
• Mix 45 ml washing soda in 950 ml of warm water.

Sink Cleaner

• To clean and polish kitchen sinks use either baking soda or vinegar and wipe dry. To remove soap scum use baby oil.

Window Cleaner

• Use equal amounts water and vinegar. Apply with a soft cloth. Let dry and remove any smears with newspaper or a cloth.

Furniture polish

• Mix 2 parts olive oil and 1 part lemon juice.
• Mix 30 ml olive oil and 15 ml white vinegar in 1 litre of water.
• Mix 5 ml lemon oil and 500 ml mineral oil.