Green and Great Cleaning Products: Make Your Own or Buy Them
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A Greener Home is a Cleaner Home
Many of us grew up thinking that Bleach = Clean. This is not true, really Bleach = Dioxin = Cancer. Not to mention other harmful chemicals, lung irritating fumes, the potential to create deadly gas when mixed and the chance of accidental ingestion by a child or pet. You can make your own budget friendly, safe and more effective cleaning products or you can buy them. You can save money and the earth at the same time! This lens will tell you more about the dangers of cleaning products and point you to better options. Also read on for some frightening advertising campaigns, some old, some new.
Eye-Opening Facts
* More children under four die of accidental poisonings at home than are accidentally killed with guns at home.* Naptha (an ingredient in most dishwashing liquid) is a central nervous system depressant.
* Diethanolamine (also in dishwashing liquid) is a liver poison.
* 150 common household chemicals have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.
* Children inhale more air per pound of body weight than adults. Pollutants are generally heavier than air. Guess who is inhaling even more of those toxic fumes than you?
* The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals - more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century.
* An EPA survey concluded that indoor air was 3 to 7 times more polluted than outdoor air.
* Women who work in the home are at a 54% higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home.
* The American Cancer Society states that liquid dish soap is the leading cause of poisonings in the home for children under the age of six; most brands of liquid dish soap contain formaldehyde and ammonia.
You Probably Have These in Your Cabinet
Do you have vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice in your home? Chances are you do, and you can use those to clean. Those are the safest ingredients you will find, not to mention the fact that they clean extremely well. Note that you probably found them all in your cooking ingredients. Borax and Washing Soda can also be used, but use extreme caution. Both can be harful if swallowed and should be kept out of reach of children and pets! Borax and Washing Soda are better for the enviroment because they are phosphate free and they do not produce harmful fumes. Often they can be found in the laundry section of the grocery store. If you cannot find them, they are available at Soaps Gone Buy, and from Amazon (see below).**If anyone has a safe homemade dishwasher or laundry detergent recipe NOT using borax, please let me know!**
Detergent Ingredients
Window Washing Liquid
White vinegar in a spray bottle. Works very well. I love the smell of vinegar. Just like salt & vinegar chips...but I know a lot of people don't like it. Add a couple drops of essential oil or throw some fresh herbs into the bottle. Laundry Detergent
Works in Cold Water
3 Pints of Water
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha, grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
More Hot Water
Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with additional hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load. Feel free to add some of your favorite essential oil.
** Save an empty laundry detergent container and refill it! **
1/3 Bar Fels Naptha, grated
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
2 Gallon Bucket
1 Quart Hot Water
More Hot Water
Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 Quart Hot Water to 2 gallon Bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with additional hot water, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load. Feel free to add some of your favorite essential oil.
** Save an empty laundry detergent container and refill it! **
Dishwashing Recipes
For the Dishwasher:
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (for hard water)
0r 1 Cup Baking Soda (for regular water)
some add 1/2 Cup of salt
For the rinse cycle for extra sparkly dishes:
White Vinegar
or Unsweetened Lemonade Powder (citric acid helps the rinsing).
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (for hard water)
0r 1 Cup Baking Soda (for regular water)
some add 1/2 Cup of salt
For the rinse cycle for extra sparkly dishes:
White Vinegar
or Unsweetened Lemonade Powder (citric acid helps the rinsing).
All Purpose Cleaner
Recipe One
Combine the following in a spray bottle:
3 teaspoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap. Add very hot tap water, shaking bottle gently until minerals have dissolved. I like to use a couple drops of clean smelling essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and citrus.
Recipe Two
Combine the following in a spray bottle:
1 teaspoon Borax, 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap, 1/2 teaspoon super washing soda. Add very hot tap water, shaking bottle gently until minerals have dissolved. I like to use a couple drops of clean smelling essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and citrus.
Combine the following in a spray bottle:
3 teaspoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap. Add very hot tap water, shaking bottle gently until minerals have dissolved. I like to use a couple drops of clean smelling essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and citrus.
Recipe Two
Combine the following in a spray bottle:
1 teaspoon Borax, 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap, 1/2 teaspoon super washing soda. Add very hot tap water, shaking bottle gently until minerals have dissolved. I like to use a couple drops of clean smelling essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and citrus.
Other Cleaning Tips
Mildew and Lime Remover Dissolve ½ cup borax in warm water, add some vinegar. Make a fresh batch for each use. Or just scrub with baking soda.
Mold Remover Plain vinegar.
Ant Repellent Vinegar scented with mint oil. Spray where ants might enter the house or on counters, etc.
Drain Cleaner Sprinkle some baking soda down the drain, next pour some vinegar down. When the fizzing slows down pour in some boiling water.
Furniture Polish 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 4 cup water in spray bottle, wipe with a cloth.
Carpet Refresher Baking soda. You can add a few drops of essential oil. Only make enough to use once, because the odor absorbing properties of baking soda will get rid of the essential oil smell. Just sprinkle on the carpet, wait 5 minutes and vacuum.
Scouring Good old baking soda and a little water (to form a paste).
Deodorizer You probably know about baking soda, but what about charcoal briquettes! Charcoal is in a lot of fancy deodorizing things, just put plain briquettes in the freezer, closet, wherever.
Mold Remover Plain vinegar.
Ant Repellent Vinegar scented with mint oil. Spray where ants might enter the house or on counters, etc.
Drain Cleaner Sprinkle some baking soda down the drain, next pour some vinegar down. When the fizzing slows down pour in some boiling water.
Furniture Polish 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 4 cup water in spray bottle, wipe with a cloth.
Carpet Refresher Baking soda. You can add a few drops of essential oil. Only make enough to use once, because the odor absorbing properties of baking soda will get rid of the essential oil smell. Just sprinkle on the carpet, wait 5 minutes and vacuum.
Scouring Good old baking soda and a little water (to form a paste).
Deodorizer You probably know about baking soda, but what about charcoal briquettes! Charcoal is in a lot of fancy deodorizing things, just put plain briquettes in the freezer, closet, wherever.
Ridiculous Commercials
You've seen these, but watch them again.
Knowing what we now know about household chemicals, these commercials are infuriating.
- Super White House
- Would you want to live in a house like that? Kids shouldn't live in a house like this.
- Oh NO! GERMS!
- Watch out for those germs & don't let your kids touch anything (especially not...eggs). Better clean it with bleach so that their little immune system's won't function at all.
- Chlorine Water
- Too bad there won't be any plants or fish alive in the little girl's actual world due to all the bleach.
We Can Change the Way We Think About Cleaning
Hopefully bleach ads will appear this ridiculous in the near future.
There are many things wrong with this ad, but the fact that it now seems so ridiculous shows how our thinking can change for the better. This was once a very prominent advertising campaign, with many ads similar to it. Click to see the Lysol ad.
Speaking of Bleach Commercials...
What about the new "Green Works" line of cleaners? Click here for information: Green Works Article.
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Method
Method has an excellent selection of safe, environmentally friendly and highly effective cleaning supplies. Their containers are also very nice to look at, which makes for good refill bottles for your own cleaners.
Seventh Generation
More green cleaning products, in bulk from Amazon!
![Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Emerald Cypress & Fir Scent, 32-Ounces Bottle (Pack of 8) [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31n6R-q-0CL._SL75_.jpg)
![Seventh Generation Bathroom Tissue, 2-Ply Sheets, 500-Sheet Rolls (Pack of 48) [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515AZF6JPEL._SL75_.jpg)
![Seventh Generation Facial Tissue, 2-Ply Sheets, 175-Count Boxes (Pack of 36) [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31NVpB2rWTL._SL75_.jpg)
Essential Oils
Essential oils add fresh, natural, pure scents to your cleaning products as well as having their own beneficial properties. Lavender disinfects while calming easing tension and anxiety. Lemon, Orange and grapefruit oils are tough degreasers with refreshing scents. Eucalyptus is a disinfectant and relieves a stuffy nose. Tea Tree Oil has anti-bacterial, anti viral, and anti fungal properties. It also eases congestion. All of the great cleaning essential oils come in the gift set pictured below. Individually the bottles cost about $5, you get 8 for $25 (a $40 value!).
** When it comes to essential oils a little goes a LONG way. A 10 ml bottle will last you awhile. **
** When it comes to essential oils a little goes a LONG way. A 10 ml bottle will last you awhile. **
Leave us a note or share a green cleaning recipe!
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- TheGreenerMe TheGreenerMe Feb 22, 2009 @ 3:55 pm
- Many people don't realize the benefits of going all natural, or what they're current cleaners are doing to themselves and the environment. I'm lensrolling this to my all natural cleaners lens.
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- Green_everything Green_everything Oct 12, 2008 @ 10:34 pm
- This is a great lens. You've provided a lot of very helpful information here. I also have a lens on hidden household toxins and green living and would love for you to stop by and say hello.
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- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Sep 28, 2008 @ 11:22 am
- Lots of good advice. I have a lens on going green that tackles different issues like using solar panels,cloth diapers, cloth grocery bags etc.
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- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Sep 28, 2008 @ 11:22 am
- Lots of good advice. I have a lens on going green that tackles different issues like using solar panels,cloth diapers, cloth grocery bags etc.
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Reply
- sonia5880 sonia5880 Sep 1, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
- Thanks for the great advice!
If you want to also read more about how you can easily help save our environment, save energy and save money here are my Eco Friendly Solutions.
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by GreenChickens
I enjoy spreading the word on how raising chickens is great fun & how you can live a sustainable lifestyle. I also like to share how "going green" ca... (more)
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