5 Kind Green Cleaning Recipes:

“Remember tomorrow, recycle today”

Creating a chemical and toxin free home environment is very important to me.   Each year I look at new ways I can improve the quality of air in my home and reduce my families exposure to hidden chemicals and toxins.  After 15 years, its still a work in progress but the small steps I take each year means my environment is getting greener and healthier for my family.

Photo by elana’s pantry:

Eliminate all things plastic from your kitchen:

My big focus last year was to eliminate as much plastic from my home as possible with particular care given to the kitchen.  I’m pleased to report after 12 months, plastic chopping board gone, bamboo chopping board in.   Plastic storage containers gone, glass storage containers in.  Plastic cooking utensils gone, stainless steel and bamboo in.  Plastic kettle gone, stainless steel kettle in. Plastic mixing bowls gone, stainless mixing bowls in.  Plastic coat hangers gone, wooden coat hangers in.  Plastic pegs gone, wooden pegs in.  And so my list goes on.

Go with kinder cleaning products:

This year my focus is to go even greener with my cleaning products.  Homemade if I can.  Haven’t got time for complicated recipes or hard to find ingredients so I’m looking for easy and inexpensive.   For years now I’ve been using my favourite all purpose bench spray (recipe shared below) but thought it was about time I extend my range.  So, I borrowed a few green lifestyle books from the library, both of which I can highly recommend:

Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life by Sophie Uliano:

Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices by Renee Loux

In fact Sophie Uliano has a wonderful you tube station and shares 5 simple uses for common inexpensive household products.  There’s topics like 5 simple uses for white vinegar, and one of my absolute favourite 5 excellent uses for aloe vera juice.

5 kind green cleaning recipes:

Here’s five clean green cleaning recipes that I have already started using this year (with the exception of the all purpose spray).  Of course I hope to add more as the year progresses – small steps at a time.

I hope these very simple recipes inspire you to make at least one little green change to your cleaning habits this year.

1:   Wash your toothbrush with white vinegar:

Toothbrushes can easily breed germs particularly when they are never really dry out totally.  Soak your toothbrush at least once a week in straight distilled white vinegar.  Vinegar of course kills most moulds, germs and bacteria.  I soak my for the whole day.

If possible put your toothbrush outside regularly in the sun to completely dry out.  The sun also helps to kill bacteria.

You can also clean your toothbrushes by adding a few drops of grape seed extract to half a cup of water.  Leave for at least 30 minutes.

2:   Clean your fruit and vegetables with grape seed extract:

Water alone will not wash off all pesticides, chemicals and whatever else your fruit and veg may have been exposed too.

Grape seed extract is ideal solution that has many benefits.  It is known to fight many virus, eliminate parasites, and remove pesticides and bacteria.

Wash your fruit and vegetables in the sink add a few drops of grape seed extract along with a splash of vinegar and give everything a good wash.

3:  All purpose spray:

Fill a water spray bottle with half water and half vinegar.

Add 4 or 5 drops of lemon and eucalyptus essential oil.

Lemon and eucalyptus essential oils are naturally antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal. It leaves the walls, benches, floors and surfaces smelling great.  And, vinegar of course is great for zapping germs and bacteria.

4: Remove smells from carpet:

Baking soda/bi-carb soda is a fabulous all purpose, non toxic cleaner.  It can remove stains, used as a mild scourer for pots and sinks, a deodorizer for the fridge, down drains and on the carpet.

I simply sprinkle baking soda on the area of carpet that smells and leave for at least 15 minutes before vacuuming up.  I recently used baking soda to rid the carpet of vomit smell and it worked immediately.   I was impressed.

5: Soda fizz toilet scrub:

As I have 3 boys having a clean but more importantly nice smelling toilet is always a challenge.  I simply refuse to buy commercial toilet cleaning products as their fumes literally make me feel ill.

The following recipe I discovered in Renee Loux’s book  Easy Green Living. Enjoy.

1 tablespoon of castile liquid soap

1/3 cup baking soda

1/3 cup distilled white vinegar

8 drops of essentials oils (lavender or rosemary)

Squirt the soap into the bowl, dowse with baking soda, then pour in the vinegar and essentials oils.  Let it fizz and sizzle for 3 minutes, then scrub and flush.

In Australia I currently buy Melrose castile liquid soap, 15 years prior I was buying Dr. Bonners which is sold world wide.  Both are excellent, Melrose is just a little cheaper for me and also made locally.

For a quick toilet fix, pour one cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl and leave for 15 minutes before flushing. Vinegar is a great deodorizer. Smells are instantly gone.

The only bought air freshner I have used for toilets is Orange Power. Not sure if it is sold elsewhere in the world but its certainly sold in all supermarkets here in Australia.

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