Thursday, June 26, 2008

Clean Green Alternatives

There are folks out there who may think it is difficult to go green, but I am here to tell you it is not. It is cheaper, better for your family and the environment, and it smells a whole lot better than the crap they sell at the store. I have not bought a floor cleaner in well over a year. the great thing to my floor cleaner, is that I can alter the scent to my mood or the season.

In the holiday season I use an essential oil with the scent of cinnamon or peppermint, or in the spring I use gardenia or lavender. So you see the versatility to this method of cleaning. I much prefer jasmine over the lovely smell of bleach, and clean smelling bleach....pffft, don't even get me started.

So here are a few alternatives that should hopefully get you started and on the right track to being greener in your home.

Window Cleaner: Fill a spray bottle with club soda. Spray the windows and wipe clean with a rag.
Floor Cleaner: Combine 2 cups of white vinegar with 6 cups of warm water. Clean the floors with a towel or rag.
General Household Cleaner: Clean counters and walls with a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water. Scent your mixture with a couple of drops of essential oil of your choosing to mask the smell of the vinegar...or not. Tea tree oil is a great disinfectant.
Deodorizer: Sprinkle non-scented or scented baking soda on the bottom of garbage cans to absorb odors and spills. Keeps the container smelling good until the bag is changed.
Grease Cutter: I also use straight baking soda with a bit of water to make a paste to wipe away grease build up around the kitchen.

I have come to embrace cleaner, greener alternatives and since coming into the blogging world, have stumbled onto many a women who have more to offer about being green than I do. I will pull together more alternatives and add them as they pile up.

4 comments:

Hannah said...

Ooh, I love the idea of using cinnamon during the holidays!

Anonymous said...

Danette,

Thanks for visiting my site. You have some great ideas for homemade cleaners. They're exactly what I've been looking for!

Allie
Learningtobefrugal.wordpress.com

Donna said...

Thanks for posting this info. - Green & cheaper then buying a ton of cleaners!

Kelli said...

And safer for the little ones, too! Thanks for posting your cleaning recipes.