Five Ways to Go Green when You Clean

Most kids are smart enough to stay out of the cabinet full of cleaning chemicals, but sometimes; even the smartest kid gets curious. This is how poisonings happen. A great way to prevent the possibility of your child being accidentally poisoned is to eliminate those toxic cleaning chemicals from your home. Switching to non-toxic cleaning products like vinegar will eliminate your child's danger and your worry. After all, a stomach full of vinegar might not be pleasant, but it's better than a stomach full of Clorox.

If you have allergy or asthma sufferers in your home, you will be surprised to see how much better they do when you switch to non-toxic, non-perfumed natural cleaners. Everyone will breathe easier knowing that the air is not filled with irritating, synthetic chemicals.

On top of all this, green cleaning is usually far less expensive, and just as effective as traditional cleaning. It's a great way to save a little extra cash in these difficult economic times.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is mildly abrasive and tends to absorb odors. When using it to scrub, do so gently, because it can sometimes dull shiny finishes.

Sprinkle baking soda on carpets, upholstery and pillows that need a quick deodorizing, wait for a few minutes, and vacuum it up.

Use baking soda and water as a deodorizing scrub for hard surfaces. Using a little vinegar and water in the mix will also remove most kinds of buildup and stains.

Set an open box of baking soda in any enclosed space that tends to build up moisture and odors. Try a box in your fridge, in kitchen cabinets and in the bottom of your trash can. You will be surprised at how much better your house will smell, all without the need for synthetic perfumes.

Add a little baking soda to the laundry to deodorize your clothes, but don't use baking soda and vinegar together in the washer. There is a chance that your washer will overflow with white foam that is the result of a chemical reaction, just like a science fair volcano!

If you find yourself using a lot of baking soda, you will save a lot of money if you start buying it in bulk from a farm feed store. You can get a 25lb sack of baking soda for ten dollars. (They will call it by the chemical name, "sodium bicarbonate".) This baking soda is "feed grade" not "food grade", so don't use it in anything you're going to eat. It works just like the expensive store-bought variety when it comes to cleaning, though. As long as the bulk baking soda stays in a clean, dry, airtight container, it will keep indefinitely.

Vinegar

Vinegar is highly acidic and antibacterial. Don't use straight vinegar on wood, marble or natural stone because it can damage these surfaces. The inexpensive vinegar you buy from the store is diluted to 5% acidity. If you make or buy undiluted vinegar, expect it to be a lot more acidic. For undiluted vinegar, add some water to use it as a cleaner.

Use a vinegar solution in a spray bottle as you would antibacterial kitchen cleaner. Spray it onto the surface to be cleaned, wipe it off, and then wipe with a clean, moist towel to remove the vinegar.

Vinegar is an excellent laundry detergent booster, clothing deodorizer, and stain fighter. A little cheap vinegar added to each load of laundry will allow you to cut way down on the amount of expensive, environmentally harmful detergent you use. (Save money and save the environment. Yay!)

Abandon your Clothes Dryer

Electric clothes dryers are second in energy consumption only to the refrigerator. Domestic power consumption is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses. If you want to reduce your emissions (and your electric bill) start hanging your clothes out to dry whenever you can.

There's nothing quite like the crisp, fresh feeling of line dried laundry. It's one of Mother Nature's ways of rewarding you for taking care of her.

Olive Oil

Spray-on furniture polish is not good for the environment or your family! Make an earth friendly polish by mixing 49 parts lemon juice to one part olive oil. Dip a rag into the mix and rub into wood furniture for a glossy finish.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice cuts grease and so is ideal for using to clean kitchen counter tops and stove tops. As a bonus, it will make your house smell wonderfully fresh and citrusy! Use one part lemon juice, one part water to make a good kitchen degreaser.