Green Cleaning - Healing Scents Natural Products

Best cleaning products already in your house. For those of you who would like to make their own.

These common household food products for cleaning are inexpensive, readily available, safe and work as well or better than many off-the-shelf cleaners. They are: baking soda, vinegar, salt, food-grade citric acid, juice from a fresh lemon, ice cubes and mayonnaise.

Baking soda is one of the most versatile cleaning agents on earth. It is highly absorbent, making it an excellent deodorizer. Best of all, it's nontoxic.

As a matter of face, if the thought of your next cleaning project gives you indigestion, half a teaspoon of baking soda stirred into a glass of water works as well as some over-the-counter drugs sold strickly for that purpose. check with your doctor before using this remedy.

Vinegar and water is great for cleaning glazed tile and dark tile grout as well.

Food-grade citric acid is super for dissolving mineral salt that builds up in water heater tanks.

Lemon juice works well in cleaning oil and grease from plastic laminated counters.

A 50-50 solution of salt and vinegar makes a terrific copper cleaner.

Ice cubes are the best first-step in getting wax crayon stains off kids' clothing.

Mayonnaise and a nylon scrubbing pad work wonders on white-rings onwood furniture.

More uses for Baking Soda:

Baking soda will put out a grease fire, clean scorched food from cookware, absorb odors from the refrigerator, clean and deodorize drains, soften and deodorize laundry, and it will also remove stains from porcelain, enamelware, glass, plastic, carpets, and rugs.

For burned-on food, mix up a paste of baking soda and water. Actually, dry baking soda can be used in lieu of scouring cleansser and best of all, it's nonabrasive.

Coffee pot stained? Tomato sauce remnants left in the plastic storage container?

A paste of baking soda and water will do the trick. Keep a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to reduce odors. Once a week pour a handful down the drain and rinse with hot water. Your drain will stay clean and smell fresh.

Price of fabric softeners got you down? Use half cup of baking soda in the rinse cycle.

To remove stains from carpets and rugs, follow this procedure: While the stain is wet, use baking soda to absorb the excess. Then cover the stain that's left with another application of baking soda, let it sit overnight and vacuum it the next day.

Interested in “going green” & saving money when cleaning your house & laundry? Read on!

In addition to reduced toxicity, mixing your own cleaners at home almost always will save you money because you won’t be paying for the advertising, packaging and other costs that go into a commercial cleaning product’s price. Here’s a list of basic ingredients, along with their common cleaning uses that can be either combined or used alone for just about any household cleaning job you can imagine. (Mother Earth News, Issue #224)

Baking soda: This mild alkaline powder can be used for a variety of household cleaning purposes, such as absorbing odors, cleaning the inside of refrigerators, loosening baked-on food from pans, and removing stains from tile, glass, oven doors and china. It also acts as a stain remover for fruit juices and other mild acids.

Borax: A powder or crystalline salt which is also a water softener, disinfectant and general deodorizer. It makes an excellent freshener when added to laundry.

Castile soap: A mild soap which can be used for general-purpose cleaning. It’s free of petroleum-based ingredients.

Cream of tartar: This common baking ingredient is a mild acid that can be used as a sink and bathtub stain remover. It also can be used to remove spots from aluminum cookware.

Hydrogen peroxide: A mild alternative to chlorine bleach, its oxidizing abilities make it useful in stain removal, mild bleaching and sterilizing.

Lemon juice: This familiar acidic ingredient can be used to lighten stains and cut grease. It also can be used to remove tarnish on brass, copper, bronze and aluminum (but not silver).

White vinegar: Good for a variety of household cleaning tasks, vinegar may be used to help kill germs and deodorize, remove some carpet stains, and clean coffee makers, chrome, cookware and countertops. It’s acidic enough to clear minor drain clogs. Note that while white vinegar has an odor while wet, when dry it does not. (Don’t use on acetate fabrics.).

All purpose disinfectant: Mix 2 teaspoons borax, one quarter cup vinegar and 3-4 cups hot water in a spray bottle. For extra cleaning power, add 1/4 teaspoon liquid soap to the mixture.

Tub & tile cleaner: Mix 1-2/3 cup baking soda, ½ cup liquid soap and ½ cup water. Last, add 2 tablespoons vinegar (if you add the vinegar too early it will react with the baking soda). Immediately apply, wipe and scrub.

Toilet Bowl cleaner: Pour 1 cup borax into the toilet before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush. For an extra-strength cleaner, add 1/4 cup vinegar to the borax and pour immediately into bowl.