Spring Cleaning the Green way

Previously I mentioned a few naturally available cleaning agents that you can employ to make your own cleaning materials.  Now I will expand on that list to include a few more items you can use and how to use them.

In the first post I talked about baking soda, vinegar, borax and castile soap along with herb essential oils.  This time we will add a few more.

Baking soda. It's the grit. When you're scrubbing, you sometimes need to be like Mike--mildly abrasive, but in a good way. Baking soda also fizzes when you mix it with water, vinegar or lemon, and that can speed up cleaning.

Borax. Even without the twenty mules, this helpful cleaner disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes.

Distilled white vinegar. This natural disinfectant also breaks up dirt. Apple cider and red vinegars work, too, but they can stain. All three do windows. Vegetable based (liquid castile) soap This is a non-petroleum cleaner you can use for all kinds of jobs. 

Hydrogen Peroxide. Put the 3% solution you get at the drugstore into a spray bottle and use it instead of your usual kitchen and bath cleaner. It cleans, disinfects, and bleaches.

Lemons Lemon juice is a good grease cutter. Bottled works almost as well as fresh squeezed.

Olive oil It's a furniture polish. No need to use extra virgin.

Washing soda It removes stains and helps unblock pipes, but it is caustic. You need to use care and gloves.

RECIPES

Fruit & Veggie Wash 

Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.

 

Food Stain Dissolver 

Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off. 

All-Purpose Cleaner with Lavender

You can bump up the intensity of the lavender scent, use a castile soap that is already imbued with lavender.  This spray is perfect in a spray mop.

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon borax
Distilled or purified water

1/4 cup lavender liquid castile soap

10 drops lavender essential oil 
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix vinegar and borax in a 16-ounce bottle. Fill the bottle 3/4 full with hot water. Shake until borax is dissolved. Add the soap, essential oil and lemon juice. Shake well.

Antibacterial Soap Spray 

16 oz. spray bottle
14 oz. water or rosemary hydrosol
3 Tbls castile soap
15 drops of tea tree essential oil
15 drops of oregano essential oil

Use this cleaning spray to disinfect your bathroom surfaces. You can use the Super Surface Spray to rinse away any residue left behind by the castile soap.

Thyme Counter Cleaner

This recipe makes cleaning your counters a breeze! Castile soap lifts dirt and grime, while the water helps rinse it away. Germ-busting thyme is infused into common isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, which helps the spray dry to a non-streak shine. If you’re sensitive to the scent of rubbing alcohol, try using clear vodka instead.

 3 tablespoons (45 ml) isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

 2 teaspoons (10 ml) liquid castile soap

 2 tablespoons (1 g) dried thyme

1 cup (250 ml) water

Thyme Infused Alcohol - place the thyme leaves in a small cup or jar and pour the alcohol over them. Cover, and infuse overnight. Visual bonus: the alcohol will turn a pretty shade of green.

To mix counter cleaner - Fill a spray bottle or jar with the water, then gently stir in the castile soap. Pour the infused alcohol into the mixture and stir once more. Be sure to label your counter cleaner, so no one mistakenly thinks it’s an herbal mixture that can be ingested, and keep it out of the reach of small children.

To Use: Shake gently before each use. Spritz over your counters, paying extra attention to especially dirty spots. Use a rag or paper towel to wipe and buff dry.