Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Green Cleaning Tips, Tricks, and "Recipes"

I used to be SUPER intimidated by green cleaning. I wasn't sure what I needed to clean green or how it would work. But I discovered it was SUPER easy.

All I need are these ingredients:

(Baking Soda, Castile Soap, Vinegar, Lemon, and empty spray bottles)

And some cloth rags and my house can be totally clean. And green!

I use bulk castile soap and bulk vinegar, cut them with water, and put them in spray bottles to make my main cleaning supplies. Here are my recipes...


Castile Soap Mix recipe:
- 1 empty spray bottle
- 1 teaspoon of castile soap
- Fill bottle with water
Note: You can buy Castile Soap at Trader Joe's.

How to use:
Spray on granite counters, wood furniture, and pretty much anything that needs cleaning and wipe down with a rag. I literally use this on walls, floors, cabinets, surfaces and furniture. Everything shines!

Here's more ways to use Castile Soap.


Vinegar spray recipe:
- 1 empty spray bottle
- Fill half with vinegar
- Fill half with water

How to use:
Spray in fridge to clean fridge shelves, spray inside microwave, pour into sink to deodorize, spray on mirrors in place of windex, spray in toilet and then scrub toilet.

Here's more ways to use vinegar.


Baking Soda recipe:
- Baking soda on a damp rag

How to use:
Scrub pots and pan, wipe down stainless steel, scrub shower walls and doors. Or use dry to deodorize carpets, closets, etc.

Here's more ways to use baking soda.


Lemon recipe:
- Cut lemon into slices

How to use:
Microwave a slice in the microwave for 1 minute and wipe down microwave afterwards, grind up lemon in garbage disposal to remove odor.

More green cleaning tips can be found on one of my favorite blogs, Young House Love.



Isn't that easy? Not only I am being green, but I'm being more healthy by avoiding toxic chemicals, and I'm saving money. I love it!

The only cleaning supplies I buy are dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent, because I have not been bold enough to make my own yet. Maybe that's next!

What are some of your favorite, easy ways to clean green?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I recently mixed baking soda and peroxide to clean the grout in my bathroom. I just made the mixture into a paste and applied it with a toothbrush. So easy! And my grout looks like new.

Emily said...

Thanks so much for these tips-our disposal has been stinky so I am going to buy some lemons on my way home from work tonight! That is way cheaper than the cleaning stuff you can buy! :)

Becky said...

I have been thinking about doing this, but I am worried that cleaning this way won't disinfect as well as the more traditional ways.

Ashley said...

ohh, my friend made me some green all purpose cleaner and I am IN LOVE! She just gave me the recipe book to make my own. My cleaner calls for borax, castille soap and washing soda...and then I added lavender essential oil and some lemon grass essential oil and It smells AMAZING and cleans so well. NExt up- I am going to make the toilet bowl cleaner becuase I guess toilet bowl cleaner and oven cleaner are the most toxic cleaners out there. Glad you are loving green cleaners too :)

Laura @ My Thoughts-Uninterrupted said...

This is something I plan on switching to in the near future. I need to use up all my toxic stuff first though....the cheap side of me can't stand to just throw it out!

Meant to be a mom said...

Great tips, I will definitely try these.
My aunt is all about the vinegar and baking soda cleaning. I thought it was weird growing up but now realize as an adult and mom that its genius.

Kelley said...

love these tips! I have to tell you, that I just got done making the duggar's laundry soap recipe and it's super easy! AND smells great!

Linda said...

I also use baking soda to clean my microwave. It removes any odors and gets everything clean. I use salt to clean my cast iron pots. It removes all the stuck on food quickly.

Jessica said...

Fantastic! This post came right at the right time! My Mr. and I just bought our first house, and we have granite counters and stainless appliances and I had no idea how to clean them!! I am going to use all of these tips. Thanks for the great post!

michelle ellis said...

Thank you so much for posting this! I've always wanted to remove toxins from our home, and with the baby on the way, it's the perfect time! I'm super intimidated, but you make it seem easy! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Great tips! Thanks for sharing! I will have to give them a try!

Anonymous said...

Great tips! Thanks for sharing! I will have to give them a try!

Brown Girl said...

This is such a great post..I'm going to try some of these. But let's get real, I despise cleaning. UGH

chelsea said...

Love this post! I've been using Greenworks, Mrs. Meyers, etc for a while but I've never been brave enough to make my own! Hopefully now I can get the courage!

ManWifeDog said...

Hey there. Great blog! Enjoyed this post so much that I included it is part of my weekly Fab Posts Fridays link love feature. Check it out here:

http://manwifeanddog.com/2011/01/21/mini-dates-aphrodsiac-recipes-sexy-shots/

I'll be stopping back by for sure! :-)

Naturally Caffeinated Family said...

I just bookmarked this! Thanks for sharing these fab tips! :)

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