CTV.ca News Staff
As Canadians become more environmentally aware, many of us are making the move to reduce our carbon footprint.
You can start by overhauling your cleaning kit, saying goodbye to harmful chemicals and hello to some environmentally-friendly, do-it-yourself products.
Some of the most effective household cleaners are the simple products out grandparents used. Many of them are biodegradable and safe to use around children. They're also super-cheap to make and can be created with simple household products.
Granted, some of the products don't clean as quickly as commercial cleaners, but after leaving the products to sit on surfaces for a minute or two and using a bit of extra elbow grease, you'll find they work just as effectively.
There are dozens of cleaning product recipes, most of them involve some combination of the following five ingredients that can be safely mixed together. Store mixtures in spray bottles and label them.
White vinegar
Baking soda
Salt
Lemon juice
Borax
Club soda
Recipes courtesy of Harrowsmith Country Life Magazine:
Lemon-scented all-purpose cleaner 1 tbsp borax 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 cup hot water
Mix ingredients in spray bottle (the lemon scent lingers). Use for cleaning bathroom and kitchen surfaces, as well as other water-safe surfaces. Discard any remaining cleaner and make afresh batch next time.
Toilet bowl cleaner 1 cup vinegar 1/2 cup baking soda
Pour the vinegar directly into the toilet bowl and let stand for 30 mins. Sprinkle baking soda onto toilet brush and scour.
To keep bowl fresh, pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl once a month and let stand overnight.
Alternatively, pour 1 cup of borax into the toilet bowl before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush.
Furniture polish 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup vinegar 2 tsp lemon juice
Mix in spray bottle. Spray liberally on wood surfaces and wipe dry.
Drain Opener 1-1/2 cups vinegar 2 tbsp baking soda
Pour the ingredients into the clogged drain. Wait 5 min, and turn on the hot water. Repeat if necessary.
Polishing silver Line a glass pan or pot with tinfoil. Add a tablespoon or two of baking soda and salt. Pour in boiling water. Leave silverware to soak. Polish with toothpaste and rinse.
Glass Cleaner 1 part vinegar 1 part alcohol 1 part water
Mix in a spray bottle and use to clean windows or any other glass, chrome and stainless steel surfaces, and tile.
So, I think its worth giving these tips a try, you never know they may work better than the store bought stuff with all the chemicals in them that aren't good for you..and would cost a lot less. Enjoy, think I'll try some of them...
4 comments:
I've used vinegar to clean my windows for years. It works much better than the commercial cleaners.
Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy meeting me bloggers. Please come back again.
Hey it might be worth a try. :)
I like these suggestions. I have terrible allergies, so we use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. I'll have to show my husband...he's is such a sweetheart. Because of my health issues, he has been doing the cleaning.
Hi Mary, first off, thanks for stopping by for a visit from my sister's.
I use vinegar water for windows, a mixture of borax and baking soda with just a tiny bit of commercial detergent for the dishwasher. I had to play with that one, but finally got the combo right. Baking soda for scouring. I have a housecleaning business and knew I needed to cut down on all the fumes I was breathing if I was going to be doing this for awhile. Plus the savings.
Have a wonderful week.
Brenda :)
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