There is one book that has changed my life. Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home. One of the best parts about it is that it is water and stain resistant -- I can drop it in the toilet as I am cleaning and the book will be fine! (All facts listed below are from the book unless otherwise noted.)
Housekeeping and cleaning products is a $18 billion industry! The average American household uses 40 pounds of cleaning products a year and scientists at the National Toxicology Program found that 5-10 percent of all of the chemicals in many of those products could be carcinogenic in humans. Up until World War II, the main household cleaning products were simple: baking soda, distilled white vinegar, salt, and lemon juice. Chemicals that were developed for warfare needed some re-branding once the war was over and so they were introduced into cleaning, building, pesticide, and cosmetic products. Ick! Not only were these marketed as making your life easier, they were also "disposable" filling our homes with toxic fumes (oven cleaner, anyone?) and polluting our rivers. A five year study in the late 80s by scientists at Harvard found that home air pollution was 2-5 times worse that the air quality outside--and our cleaners have not changed much since the late 80s. Honestly, should we really be cleaning our homes with items that have poison labels on them? And most products aren't even properly labeled!
Housekeeping and cleaning products is a $18 billion industry! The average American household uses 40 pounds of cleaning products a year and scientists at the National Toxicology Program found that 5-10 percent of all of the chemicals in many of those products could be carcinogenic in humans. Up until World War II, the main household cleaning products were simple: baking soda, distilled white vinegar, salt, and lemon juice. Chemicals that were developed for warfare needed some re-branding once the war was over and so they were introduced into cleaning, building, pesticide, and cosmetic products. Ick! Not only were these marketed as making your life easier, they were also "disposable" filling our homes with toxic fumes (oven cleaner, anyone?) and polluting our rivers. A five year study in the late 80s by scientists at Harvard found that home air pollution was 2-5 times worse that the air quality outside--and our cleaners have not changed much since the late 80s. Honestly, should we really be cleaning our homes with items that have poison labels on them? And most products aren't even properly labeled!
So now what? That sounds disgusting, but we've been cleaning like that for years. I'm no scientist; what can I do? What I like best about Green Clean is its philosophy when tackling these questions. Going green does not have to be done blitzkrieg-style. "Going" is a present-progessive verb (sorry! I'm in a grammar class right now!), which describe what is happening now and in the future. Just like how Guthrie and I are making one change each week, each task we take on can be broken up into smaller steps depending on your comfort level. What is important is that you are making changes in your life and addressing the fact that your current lifestyles are not sustainable -- no matter how big or small the changes are. To quote the book, "The first step of green cleaning is commitment." Small changes are, well, more sustainable. If you look at your cleaning supplies and see the windex, scrubbing bubbles, Mr. Clean, Tide, Pledge, etc, you might want to start with simply buying greener products. I see tons at my co-op, but they are also at Cub, Target, Walmart, etc. Look for Seventh Generation, Mrs. Myers (local!), Ecos, Method, Dr. Bonners, Restore (local!), etc.
For good cleaning, you also need good (reusable!) tools. Cloth tools (we use all of Guthrie's old t-shirts), rags, bucket, mop, broom, scrub brushes, etc. Rid yourself of those paper towels, swifter sheets, dryer sheets, disposable (wasteful) items. You're cleaning, right? You shouldn't have to leave a whole mess in the garbage. Think you can't live without sponges, dryer sheets, paper towels, and windex? Read this. Don't want to give up your swiffer? (I confess: I really want one of those) Here are great ideas for a reusable swiffer. If you don't knit, I know you can buy them off of Esty.
Part of green cleaning, as the book suggests, if the act of maintaining a clean house so that you don't have to use super harsh chemicals to clean up messes that have been left for too long, or you need a bomb to remove all of the mildew from your bathroom. Guthrie and I have taken the advice from the book and have created cleaning schedules. We have our daily cleaning list, a weekly list, and monthly tasks. We have divided the monthly tasks up to rotate so that we always do 1/4 of those tasks each week to keep the load even spread out. Finally, we have a seasonal cleaning list for those things you only need to do a few times a year. Everyone's is going to look a little different, especially renters v. home owners. This helps to ensure that we don't miss a spot and that we stay consistent. Plus, with each week it gets a little easier.
If you are a bit more ambitious, and already have some of those products, consider taking it a step further. By making my own cleaners, I am buying the products in bulk; saving on waste and eliminating more unnecessary ingredients. Here are my staples:
-Baking soda
-Distilled White Vinegar*
-Washing soda (found at my local hardware store)
-Castille soap (Dr. Bonner's is great)
-Borax (20 Mule Team)
-Lemon Juice
-Salt
-Essential oils
*Please don't let the vinegar smell deter you. If you can't get past it, just start with more eco-friendly cleaning products that are already made (many have vinegar in it and you would never know!). Making a commitment to sustainability is about making changes. Guthrie and I did not grow up using tennis balls in the dryer, buying used clothes, and composting -- these were lifestyle changes we made. In order to make these changes, we need to change our perspective. As far as cleaning goes, just because I learned to associate the intense smell of the lemony-scented chemical cleaners as being clean doesn't mean that's the only way. It took some time, but now the soft smell of vinegar and lemon (real lemon) and orange and tea tree oil smells like clean to me. Not only is it clean, but it is also safe for you, your family, and Mother Nature.
Okay, off my box. Now on to recipes! I have made almost all of these. Just waiting for the laundry detergent and the liquid dish soap to run out before I make those. If you make a batch, just make sure you label them properly and put the date on them. Most will keep indefinitely, but it's nice to use them within a year of making.
All Purpose Cleaner
1/4 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons borax
32 oz hot water
1/4 cup liquid dish soap
20 drops lemon oil (or other essential oil)
Dissolve borax in hot water. Add with vinegar into a spray bottle. Add the liquid soap next, then the essential oil. Shake to mix.
Wood Furniture Polish
Until Guthrie and I run out of our powdered detergent and make the recipe listed below, this is what we will do in the mean time:
Add 1/2 cup of vinegar and a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash with 1/2 of our regular detergent. This cleans well, softens, and reduces cling.
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1/4 cup liquid castile soap (if you use unscented, as essential oil at the end)
Mix in a large, non-metal bowl. Start with the vinegar and continuously stir as you add each powder. Try to stir out and break up any clumps. Finish with the liquid soap. It will seem wet, like a thin paste, but keep stirring and it will begin to flake and crumble into a moist "powder" detergent. Keep stirring! If you quit too soon, you'll find a hard mass the next time you use it. (Did I mention that green cleaning could also double as a workout?). You'll end up with a sort of soft, clumpy cake-like loaf that will crumble off easily for use.
Store in a lidded container (like a jar) and use about 1/4 cup per load.
1 cup liquid Castile soap (Dr. Bonners)
3 tablespoons water
a few drops of essential oils if you are using unscented Castile soap
mix well and put in either reuse a dish soap bottle or pick up something cool looking like a vinegar dispenser.
Dishwasher Detergent
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
distilled white vinegar
Combine powders in a bowl, mix well, and put in an air tight container (like an old jar).
Use 1 tablespoon per load and add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle (or if you forget to check like me, through it in with the wash).
Dissolve 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon of water (this could be down with the toilet water)
Scrub toilet, let sit, and flush to rinse!
All Purpose Cleaner1/4 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons borax
32 oz hot water
1/4 cup liquid dish soap
20 drops lemon oil (or other essential oil)
Dissolve borax in hot water. Add with vinegar into a spray bottle. Add the liquid soap next, then the essential oil. Shake to mix.
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Window Cleaner
1/4 cup white vinegar in one quart warm water
Mix in a spray bottle
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Wood Floor Cleaner
1/2 cup vinegar / gallon of water
Use a mop or rag and wipe dry.
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Wood Furniture Polish
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
Mix in a glass jar and dab on a soft rag
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Fabric SoftenerUntil Guthrie and I run out of our powdered detergent and make the recipe listed below, this is what we will do in the mean time:
Add 1/2 cup of vinegar and a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash with 1/2 of our regular detergent. This cleans well, softens, and reduces cling.
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Laundry Detergent from Bonzai Aphrodite (she also gives a great description of each of the ingredients)1 1/4 cups white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1/4 cup liquid castile soap (if you use unscented, as essential oil at the end)
Mix in a large, non-metal bowl. Start with the vinegar and continuously stir as you add each powder. Try to stir out and break up any clumps. Finish with the liquid soap. It will seem wet, like a thin paste, but keep stirring and it will begin to flake and crumble into a moist "powder" detergent. Keep stirring! If you quit too soon, you'll find a hard mass the next time you use it. (Did I mention that green cleaning could also double as a workout?). You'll end up with a sort of soft, clumpy cake-like loaf that will crumble off easily for use.
Store in a lidded container (like a jar) and use about 1/4 cup per load.
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Dish Soap1 cup liquid Castile soap (Dr. Bonners)
3 tablespoons water
a few drops of essential oils if you are using unscented Castile soap
mix well and put in either reuse a dish soap bottle or pick up something cool looking like a vinegar dispenser.
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Even though we don't have one, here's one for a dishwasher:Dishwasher Detergent
1 part borax
1 part washing soda
distilled white vinegar
Combine powders in a bowl, mix well, and put in an air tight container (like an old jar).
Use 1 tablespoon per load and add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle (or if you forget to check like me, through it in with the wash).
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Toilet Bowl CleanerDissolve 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon of water (this could be down with the toilet water)
Scrub toilet, let sit, and flush to rinse!
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Drain Cleaning1 cup of baking soda
1/4 cup salt
1 cup vinegar
pour each down drain in that order and wait 15 minutes
pour boiling water down the drain to flush
Pour boiling water down the drain every two-four weeks to keep it clear
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Oven Cleaner
1 cup or more of baking soda
Squirt or two of liquid soap
Sprinkle water generously over bottom of oven, the cover the grime with baking soda so it is white. Sprinkle more water on top. Let sit overnight and wipe the next morning (or in a few hours is you can't wait that long--even 20 minutes is better than nothing!). Wash residue with liquid soap on damp rag.
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Rust Remover (for sinks and tubs)
Sprinkle a little bit of salt on rust, squeeze line over the salt until soaked. Let set 2-3 hours. Use lime rind as a scrubber.
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Kitchen/Bathroom Tile Floor Cleaner (for bigger messes)1/8 cup liquid soap
1/4-1/2 cup white vinegar
20-30 drops peppermint oil (or other essential oil)
Combine in a pail with 3 gallons warm water. Swirl until sudsy. Rinse with 1 cup vinegar in 3 gallons of water.
Deodorize a Stinky Little Box
Mix a few tablespoons with kitty litter to deodorize.
***Need more ideas for Borax? Click here for 20 or so other uses of the 20 Mule Team. Or simply read the box for ideas on how to remove stains.
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Eco Way of Hand-Washing DishesTo save on water, use the two basin technique like we just started doing after reading Green Clean. Fill the first basin with hot soapy water and the second with very hot clean water. Put 1-3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar in the rinsing basin to help prevent spots in hard water.
Peace!
So, is it your week or mine to dust?
ReplyDeleteMine, for sure. I hate vacuuming. It's easier to cheat with the dusting -- as long as the TV and end tables look good!
ReplyDelete