Green Sanctuary Program
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Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
Green Sanctuary Program |
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by P.W. McRandle National Geographic Green Guide http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/120/diy With spring upon us, those extra hours of daylight have a way of revealing every bit of schmutz and stubborn stain that hid from sight throughout the winter. But as you open your windows to let in fresh air, don't pollute it with lung irritants like ammonia and chlorine bleach or hormone-disrupting phthalates used in fragrances. Instead, make your own cleaners from healthier, least-toxic ingredients. EIGHT ESSENTIALS Circumvent the armada of commercial cleaners by keeping an ample supply of these eight items, which make up the basic ingredients for nearly every do-it-yourself cleaning recipe. Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times Borax: disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes; very handy in laundry mixes Distilled white vinegar: disinfects and breaks up dirt; choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, as these might stain surfaces Hydrogen Peroxide: disinfects and bleaches Lemons: cut grease; bottled lemon juice also works well, although you might need to use bit more to get the same results Olive oil: picks up dirt and polishes wood; cheaper grades work well Vegetable based (liquid castile) soap: non-petroleum all-purpose cleaners Washing soda: stain remover, general cleaner, helps unblock pipes; should be handled with gloves due to its caustic nature. Washing soda is usually found in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores. Don't forget to pick up an empty spray bottle at the hardware store, and keep those old rags and used toothbrushes for wiping up and scrubbing. All-Purpose Cleaner : 1/2 cup borax and 1 gallon hot water Mix in pail (or use smaller amounts in a spray bottle: 1/8 cup borax to 1 quart of hot water) dissolving the borax completely; wipe clean with rag. Floors Wood: 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1 gallon warm water Linoleum: 1 cup white vinegar and 2 gallons warm waterMix in mop bucket, rinse afterwards. Furniture Polish : 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 teaspoon olive oil Mix and apply with a clean rag to dust and polish. Reduce the olive oil if wood looks too oily.Metal Polish Copper and Brass : 2 Tbsps salt and White vinegarAdd vinegar to salt until you've created a paste. Adding flour will reduce abrasiveness. Apply with a rag and rub clean. Stainless Steel : Baking soda and White vinegar Apply baking soda with a damp cloth, using the vinegar to eliminate spots. Toilet Bowl : Baking soda and White vinegar To clean and deodorize, sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, add white vinegar and scrub with a toilet brush. Tub and Tile : 1/2 lemon and Borax Dip the face of the lemon half in borax to create a hand-held scrubber for dirty areas. Rinse and dry the surface afterwards. Countertops Marble: Mix one Tbsp castile soap with a quart of warm water, rinse well, then dry with a warm cloth.Dishwashing: Castile soap and White vinegar Wash your dishes in one dishpan filled with a mix of water and castile soap, then rinse in a separate pan containing a mix of water and vinegar (a 3-to-1 water-to-vinegar ratio works well). Drains: 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar Add baking soda and vinegar to a pot of boiled water and pour down the drain, then flush with tap water. For more stubborn clogs, use a "snake" plumbing tool to manually remove blockage, or try suction removal with a plunger. To prevent clogs, install inexpensive mesh screen, available at home improvement and hardware stores. Glass: 1/4 cup vinegar or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 2+ cups water Fill a clean spray bottle with water and either white vinegar or lemon juice; wipe with a rag or old newspaper. Oven: Baking soda and Water Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces, spray water, then let soak several hours or overnight. Rinse with water. Stovetop and Oven Grease Remover 1/2 tsp washing soda 1/4 tsp liquid soap 2 cups hot water Add washing soda and soap to hot water in spray bottle. Since washing soda is caustic, wear gloves. Laundry Detergent 1 oz. liquid castile soap 1/2 cup washing soda 1/2 cup borax 1/4 cup baking soda or 1/4 cup white vinegar Using the liquid castile soap as a base, combine with washing soda, borax (for stains and bleaching), and either baking soda (reduces static and softens fabrics) or white vinegar (softens fabrics, reduces static and bleaches clothes). If you feel like your clothes aren't clean enough, play around with the amount of liquid castile soap, using from 1 oz. to 1 cup. RESOURCES Green Clean, by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin (Melcher Media, 2005, $16.95) The Little Book of Quick Fixes for Eco Conscious Cleaning, by Bridget Bodoano (Quadrille Publishing, 2006, $12.95) |
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