Easy to Be Green (part One)

Do you have children? If you do, I bet you've got locks on the cabinets beneath your sink. You've probably got a high shelf in a closet, with a bucket of spray bottles and rags. You might even have a garage full of cleansers. Common sense, along with stern warning labels, tell you to keep these items out of reach of tiny hands. Yet, we still see news articles about kids with chemical burns from drain cleaners, or blindness from the grout cleanser. Our water table is polluted each time we pour out our bucket of cleanser in the sink, or in the back yard. Shouldn't there be a better way? A safer way?

That's where natural cleansers come in. With some simple household items, you can replace virtually all of those caustic chemicals with safe, non-toxic alternatives. For example, did you know, that white vinegar works as a disinfectant? Or that white vinegar and baking soda together make a great scrubby paste for abrasive cleansing? If not, keep reading.

Let's start in the kitchen. My gram used to say, "As the kitchen, so goes the rest of the home." You can use white vinegar in a spray bottle the same way you'd use any sort of counter cleanser. If the smell of vinegar bothers you, you can dilute it 50/50 with water, and add some Tea Tree Oil, which is antiseptic in nature. If that doesn't work, add in some peppermint oil as well, or whatever fragrance floats your boat. My own personal recipe for counter wash, is an 80/20 vinegar/water mix, with 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil, and 15 drops of peppermint oil. I spray generously, since my cost of materials is so low. But a little bit goes a long way, especially if you let stubborn stains soak while you wipe other surfaces. I also spray this in my sink without rinsing, if I'm planning to chop veggies, to make sure I've got an antibacterial work surface.

This mixture is safe for porcelain, and Formica, and I've used it on my flat-top glass range with great, streak free results. If you're unsure, test a small area before proceeding. Also, full strength white vinegar cannot be used on grout. If you've got caked on, baked on stains, and you're itching to break out the powdered cleanser, reach instead for your box of baking soda. Baking soda and a spritz of vinegar, combined with a little elbow grease, can get rid of even the chunkiest stuck on bits. Even day old biscuit mix that's splattered on your walls from when your 2 year old tried to 'help' you blend the batter. For dishes, check your local health food store for environmentally friendly dish soap and dishwasher detergent. These items are better for our planet, but they should still be kept out of children's reach.

Moving on to the living areas of the house. A solution of 10% vinegar, 90% water is great for wet dusting. If you choose to add fragrance, test a small area (a leg, or the finished underside of a table, for example) to make sure the fragrance oils don't stain your furniture. A 50/50 mix of vinegar and water and a crumpled piece of newspaper will guarantee you streak-free window panes. If you're in need of room freshening spray, heat 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar on the stove, to just before boiling. Add about 1/2 cup of baking soda, a little bit at a time. This will fizz, so leave some room in your cooking container. After the fizzies have subsided, add about 15-20 drops of whatever essential oil fragrance you choose. Decant the mixture into a spray bottle, and use as you would use commercial air sprays. For rooms with persistent odor issues, like rooms where you store a litter box, you can make deodorizing cakes. Get a set of paper muffin cups, (typically available for less than a dollar at your grocer.) Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 8-10 drops of your chosen fragrance, and a few drops of water. It should be enough to make a paste, not enough to make baking soda soup. Place in room, and let it dry. Replace every 30 days, or as needed.

And finally, the bathroom. As I said before, you can't use full strength vinegar on grout. You can either use an extremely dilute solution, or you can check your local health food store for a more environmentally friendly tub and tile cleanser. If you've got mold or mildew issues, full strength vinegar sprayed directly on the affected area and left to soak can fix the issue, although a few applications may be needed. If you've got hard water stains, soak a rag in vinegar, and wrap it around your faucet. Let it sit for 45 minutes to an hour, remove, and rinse. Vinegar works well for stubborn toilet stains. If abrasive cleansing is needed, sprinkle baking soda around the bowl, and scrub as usual.

I hope these tips help you to make the transition to green cleaning.