Green Cleaning from Your Kitchen

Green ways to do everyday tasks are on most peoples' mind today. Changes in the way we perform our housework is a great way to take one step to help combat the effects of harmful chemicals. Chemical cleaners not only damage us and our bodies, but also the environment. Make the switch to all natural cleaning products that you probably already have at home.

Our Grandmother's and Great Grandmother's never used Windex or Pledge. When they set about cleaning they used what they had in their kitchen pantry. Their best friends were baking soda and vinegar.

White vinegar can be used in variety of ways. A vinegar and water mixture, (equal parts of vinegar and water) transforms into an excellent glass cleaner. It doesn't streak and will remove any residue; such as smoke, that attaches itself to the glass.

Vinegar will also remove soap scum, and hard-water stains, and any mildew smell from your dishwasher or washing machine. Just pour half a gallon of white vinegar into the appliance, let it run through an entire wash cycle, and it will be sparkling clean again. Vinegar cuts grease from clothes and other materials like carpet. It also removes greasy or other difficult stains. If you have hard water, add a ½ cup to your wash cycle and your clothes will have a nice soft feel to them.

Use a mixture of vinegar, water, and a tiny amount of gentle soap (like dish soap), to mop no wax floors. Vinegar is a true "clean-all". It works on almost anything.

Baking soda is the number one kitchen staple that will leave your house clean and fresh. It is probable they most versatile as well. Baking soda's flexibility includes, cleaning and scrubbing, removing stains, freshening and much more. To remove tough stains from clothing such as coffee, wine, and tea, make a baking soda paste and use a toothbrush or other small brush, and scrub it into the stain, then wash. This also works on carpeting as well. Baking soda can also be used on pots, pans, and other baking implements to remove burnt on debris, just sprinkle it heavily onto the wet surface and let sit overnight. In the morning, simply wash with a scrub brush and wash away the evidence.

Baking soda is also excellent on stainless steel sinks or other surfaces. Use baking soda instead of other dry scrubbing cleaners and your sinks will sparkle. You can also use baking soda down your drain or garbage disposal to remove any odors and leave a fresh clean scent. Sprinkle baking soda in your cat box to eliminate strong urine smells.

Need to scrub your toilet, but hate the harsh chemicals in most toilet bowl cleansers; use baking soda. Not only will your toilet be shiny and germ free, but it will also help clean out the pipes. To clean the bathtub and tile, use baking soda as the scrub and use a rough pad or sponge to rub in. Then rinse. After you have thoroughly rinsed the tub, use vinegar to remove any remaining soap scum or build up. Rinse again to finish the process.

Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet, instead of other store bought brands. Your carpet will smell clean, and you won't have to worry about any chemicals if anyone sits on the floor or if you have young children that are often on the floor. Add a thin layer baking soda in your cat box to eliminate strong urine smells.

Remember never to mix vinegar and baking soda as it creates a chemical reaction in the way of a small eruption.

Not only will using baking soda and vinegar help keep the environment more "green" friendly, it will also reduce the number of plastic and other cans that are dumped into our landfills. It will also reduce the amount of fluorocarbons that are released into the atmosphere as well. Our families also won't be breathing in all those harmful chemicals that remain in the air after we've cleaned. Using natural products in our cleaning ritual is the just one small way we can each do our part to help save our precious earth. Happy cleaning and here's to a safer, less chemical filled world.