Go Green Homemade Household Cleaning Products

- Fabric Softener -
Add ¼ cup of baking soda-which also works as a brightener-to the wash. When using liquid detergent, add the baking soda during the wash cycle; when using powder, add the baking soda during the rinse cycle.

- Whiten & Brighten -
Pour 1 cup of lemon juice in a bucket half full of water and soak clothes overnight. Or add ¼ to 1 cup of washing soda (a more powerful form of baking soda) to each laundry load during the wash cycle.

- Fragrance -
If you want to add fragrance, do so during the drying cycle. Put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton cloth, and toss it into the dryer with wet clothes.

- Treat Grease Stains -
For best results, treat stains while they're fresh. Cover the oily spot with a mixture of Borax and warm water and let it sit-20 minutes for a light, fresh stain, and two hours for a heavy, set stain-then rinse with cold water.

- Remove Perspiration Odors and Stains #1-
Spray full-strength distilled white vinegar on underarms and collars of shirts before washing.

NEW ~ Info from Other Sources and my own trial and error ~

- Remove Perspiration Odors and Stains #2-
Wet those perspiration stains with lemon juice, then sprinkle with salt and rub. If it's a hardy stain, hang the garment outside on a sunny day and let it dry in the sun. Then wash.

~ Microwave ~
Thoroughly wet a hand towel, place in microwave and heat for 1 minute or until hot to the touch.
Wipe clean and dry.
For stubborn food scum, repeat.
If stains still remain on the bottom shelf, use baking to scour. then repeat hot towel process.

~ Stove top ~
Use the above microwave cleaning process, or depending on the energy efficiency and quickness of your own home's water heater, use hot tap water for the towel.
For baked on soil, use baking soda, and if needed, an old but clean toothbrush to scour.
Rinse and wipe clean.

~ Oven ~
This process is most likely to be more health conscience than green due to the energy involved opposed to using chemical cleaners.

Place water in a roasting or broiling pan.
Heat for 30 minutes at 350 or preferably heat with your next cooking task (not recommended with dry roasting or baking). Let cool
Using old towel, wipe clean for light soil.
If baked on soil remains, scour with baking soda.
If soil still remains, use hot and wet towel to loosen soil, and scrub with baking soda using an old toothbrush or hairbrush.
Rinse and wipe clean.

~ Washing Machine and Clothes Dryer ~
After machine starts washing process, pause cycle, remove one of your wet kitchen or hand towels destined for that load, wipe washer and dryer clean, then toss back into the wash.
Resume cycle.

~ Refrigerator ~
Fill sink with warm water with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
If at all possible, condense food items to a few shelves.
Remove cleared shelves to sink and wash. Dry. Rinse refrigerator walls, ceiling and floor as cleared inside before returning clean shelves to refrigerator, and remove more to clean.
Repeat as necessary for a clean and freshened refrigerator.