Green and Clean – DIY Cleaning Products

Got the spring cleaning bug? Rather than trotting to the store to purchase chemical cleaning products, why not make your own, SAFE, cleaning solutions. Vinegar, Lemons and Baking Soda, make the base for many homemade solutions. Here are a number of easy to make cleaners and where they work best, based on these 3 materials:

 

Vinegar

• Toilet: pour a cup of white distilled vinegar into the toilet and leave over night. Scrub with toilet brush and flush.
• Bathroom: as a disinfectant, spray full strength, wipe clean with a damp cloth.
• Soap Scum: removes soap scum and hard water stains on fixtures and tiles. Scrub with a paste made of 1 cup each of salt, baking soda and vinegar.
• Oven Door: saturate with full strength vinegar and leave for 15 minutes. Wipe with a sponge.
• Linoleum Floors: wipe with solution of 1 cup vinegar per gallon of water.
• Fabric Softener: add half cup of vinegar to rinse cycle rather than store bought fabric softener.

Lemon

• Brighten Dishes: add lemon juice to the dishwasher to brighten dishes.
• Wooden floors/Furniture: clean with 1 part lemon juice and 1 part olive oil. Rub in with a rag.
• Clothes Bleach: mix half a cup of lemon juice and one gallon hot water. Soak clothes from 1 hour to overnight. Dump the clothes and the lemon mixture into the washing machine and wash as normal.
• Tupperware: for stains, clean with lemon juice and baking soda. Let stand overnight for tough stains.
• Bathroom: dip a sponge in lemon juice and wipe down surfaces.
• Tools: soak rusty tools in lemon juice to break down the rust. Add a little baking soda and scrub.

Baking Soda

• Stubborn Stains: Mix 3 parts baking soda, one part water. Apply to stain and let stand, then scrub.
• Mildew: make a paste of one part lemon juice and one part baking soda. Leave on mildew for one or two hours, then rinse off.
• Footwear: sprinkle into shoes with odours.
• Carpets: to remove smells, sprinkle with baking soda, let stand for at least 15 minutes, then vacuum.
• Litter Box: add to litter box to help prevent odours.
• Garage Floors: sprinkle grease on floors with baking soda, let stand, then scrub and rinse.
• Crayons on Walls: scrub with paste of baking soda and water.
• Lawn Furniture: wash with mix of a quarter cup baking soda in a quart of warm water.

Want more homemade cleaners? Try these recipes: Homemade Cleaners

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Filed under: Go Green