Green Cleaning

After being diagnosed with asthma in the fall, I started to notice that certain cleaners were affecting my breathing, especially when used with great frequency. While cleaning Jon and Autumn's place, my chest began to feel tight, and the fumes bothered my throat. 

I've been making my own bath soap and laundry soap for quite some time, and decided to try some other products as well. Each of these does a great job, and costs just pennies. I found these recipes at Rhonda Jean's Down to Earth blog. 

*All Purpose Cleaner *

1/2 tsp. washing soda

2 tsp. Borax

1/2 tsp. grated soap or homemade laundry detergent

2 c. very hot water

Combine washing soda, Borax, and soap in a spray bottle. Pour very hot water over all. Replace cap, and shake well. This keeps with no danger of going bad. Mark the outside of your spray bottle *All Purpose Cleaner*. Shake before each use. 

We've used this on everything from wood furniture to countertops. Spray the surface that needs cleaning, and use a terry cloth rag or a microfiber cloth to remove dirt. Dry surface with a clean cotton cloth. 

*All Purpose Cleaner 2*

1/4 c. baking soda

1 cup ammonia

2 quarts warm water

 

Mix all, and store in a clearly marked container. This is great for walls and floors such as vinyl, tile, or laminate. 

*Wood Furniture Polish*

1/2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 c. vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Mix ingredients. Store in a marked jar or a condiment container such as a squeeze ketchup container. (You can find picnic style ones very inexpensively at Wal*mart.)

Wipe onto wooden surfaces and polish gently with a clean, dry cloth. 

The only downfall to this is that my cat started licking the furniture! It left the wood looking beautiful, though.  

The last recipe I have for you is not from Rhonda Jean's blog, but one that I've had in my recipe file for nearly 20 years. It works like a dream in a steam cleaner. 

*Carpet Cleaner Recipe*

1/4 c. Tide laundry soap

1/3 c. ammonia

1/3 c. distilled white vinegar

Combine all and add 1 bucket full of water. Use in your carpet cleaner as you would any commercial brand. 

We recently used this to clean the carpets at Jon and Autumn's place. They came out absolutely beautiful and smelled great, too!