Cleaning Your Home the Healthier, Cheaper Way

Chemicals have had their day in the news lately with the global warming debate going on. Whether you believe in global warming or not, homemade cleaning products not only make your home healthier, but they also lessen the load on your checkbook. With the average costs of commercial products constantly increasing, it might be time to see where you can cut back, and these products to just as good of a job but are made chemical free!

All Purpose Cleaner: You need a spray bottle, half a cup of baking soda and enough water to dissolve it. To this, slowly add a cup of white vinegar and let it fizz for a bit, top it off with more water and let it sit overnight. The next morning, flip it over to let it mix. It will fizz some more. When the fizzing is done, it will be ready to use.

All Purpose Cleaner that Cuts Grease: Use the above recipe, but also add a teaspoon of dish detergent. This is one place where you do need a small amount of a commercial product, but it's still a lot better than what you were originally using in your home!

Window Cleaner: Mix warm water, one cup of vinegar, and two capfuls of ammonia. Try not to inhale this! And please keep this mixture away from your children and pets.

Toilet Cleaner: Pour two cups of baking soda into toilet bowl, and scrub the inside. Flush when you are done. Next pour two cups of vinegar directly into the toilet, swish it around on the inside, and flush again. Do not do this if you have a clog, in the toilet, or you will be wearing this and whatever is in your toilet. Regular application will keep your toilet clean.

Carpet Cleaner and Deodorizer: Sprinkle baking soda over carpet and let it sit for awhile, the longer you wait- the better results you'll see. Grinding it into the carpet is also an option. Vacuum as usual.

Stainless Steel and Fixtures: To clean, use some vinegar and a cheesecloth.

Furniture Polish: Mix two parts lemon juice to one part olive oil (plain) in a bottle. To scent your furniture, add some essential oils to this. Keep the mixture in the refrigerator and discard in under a month. This does not last long.

Tile Cleaner: Mix equal parts baking soda and warm water, scrub into tiles. Clean with all-purpose solution.

None of the ingredients listed in this article will cost you very much, and with a couple of exceptions, will last you a long time. Vinegar and baking soda are extremely economical, and easy to find. You can buy them at any grocery store, and spray bottles are cheap at places like Wal-Mart. With just a little bit of work, you can clean your home practically chemical free!