The Easiest Guide to Safe Household Cleaners You Can Make Yourself
Save a Buck, Save the Planet, Save Your Health
Store shelves are bursting with chemical cleaners for everything from stains to sinks to unpleasant odors (vegetable curry, the horror!). These days, “unpleasant” seems to mean any odor, period. Heaven forbid anything actually smell real. Walk down some aisles and your eyes will actually well with tears from the overwhelming levels of fragrances and chemical agents. We know these products are frequently bad for the environment, harmful to children, and dangerous for animals. Surely they’re not so healthy for adults, either. The truth is, most “dirtiness” and “germs” are fairly harmless, and we really don’t need those harsh cleansers for most household cleaning purposes. You also don’t need to kill bacteria left and right. Antibacterial cleaners are perfectly safe, contrary to popular internet wisdom; it’s just that they’re unnecessary most of the time.
Now to it. There are many preparations you can whip up at home that are not only inexpensive and simple, but much safer and more eco-friendly, as well. In fact, there is really no reason not to get started!
Who wouldn’t want to save cash, reduce chemical exposure, help the planet, think about the tiny tots, and still keep your pad sparkling and fresh?
Here’s all you need to know:
1. Glass
A few sheets of newspaper and a spritz of water.
That’s it. Not only is this a nice way to recycle, it’s (almost) chemical-free. The best part is something any expert cleaning pro can tell you: newspaper makes glass gleam in a way Windex only dreams about.
2. Grease
Fruit, Citrus Fruit
You know about all the citrus cleaners (could that guy in the Oxyclean commercial be any more enthusiastic?). Go one step better: just squeeze some real orange, lemon or lime juice on the grease. You might have to let it soak a bit in some sudsy water, but the acid in citrus can degunk like you wouldn’t believe. Chemical free, delicious smell, and your dog can lick it!
This is great for surfaces, plastic furniture and toys, dishes and the stovetop. (Note: lemons work best for surfaces; oranges have a higher sugar content, so while they’re great for dishes, they won’t do well on your stove. Also, don’t use citrus on anything that can be stained, like wood or fabric.)
Another tip for tough grease removal: simply add a little soap and an inch or so of water to the offending pot or pan and boil away. Problem solved. Now did you really need the 409?
3. Wood
To eliminate creaks, sprinkle a bit of baking powder in the cracks and wipe up with a damp towel.
To simultaneously clean wood and keep a healthy luster, add 1/4 cup of olive oil to warm water and mop to your soul’s content. Olive oil contains natural antibacterial and antimicrobial power. The Romans used it as a body cleanser and lotion (you can, too). You can also just mop with hot water. Really. Especially if you have your floors professionally sealed or if you do the occasional wax treatment, water is all you need and it’s what pros recommend.
4. Tile & Linoleum
Soak six green or black tea bags in a big bucket of scalding water overnight (obviously it will cool well before morning). Five is okay. Seven is fine, too. Tea is a natural cleanser that is wonderful for sanitizing. In fact, you can pour a little hot, plain tea on the table after dinner and wipe it up with a clean rag instead of spraying a harsh cleaner on any postprandial spills and dribbles.
If you are super worried about germs, relax. Unless you work in the ER or have been hanging around ebola-infested macaques lately, you’re fine. Really. If you wash your hands in hot soapy water whenever you come in the door and keep a box or rack for shoes near your home’s entrance, you’ll easily avoid both the common cold and more serious stuff. We don’t need antibacterial cleaners, let alone chemical sprays for the air we breathe!
5. Carpet
Would you wear a pair of socks for six years without cleaning them? And yet, we love our carpet. Carpet gets incredibly germy and dirty, but don’t take stain-removers and harsh cleaners to it. Once every two months, pay the 10 bucks to rent a steam cleaner, and add a cup of distilled vinegar instead of the store’s chemical formula. For stains, use white wine or distilled vinegar. These safe cleaners work just as well in most cases.
6. Porcelain (sinks, tubs and toilets)
Borax and baking soda scrub just as well as harsh cleaners and are perfectly safe! Neat, huh? Much cheaper and gentler on your skin, too.
The OneTrueBix Flickr Photo (CC)
7. General clean-up
Keep a spray bottle filled with 3 parts water and 1 part distilled vinegar for counter messes and spill cleanup. You can add just a few droplets of bleach – seriously, you only need a few – for extra killing power in places where you really do need to be concerned with germs (like the cutting board). Psst…here’s a great tip for dealing with raw chicken in the kitchen.
8. Detergent
Make your own safe, eco-friendly detergent! You’ll need one bar of vegetable glycerin soap, one box of washing soda (Arm & Hammer makes it), and if you want, one box of Borax. Here’s one way to do it:
Shave the bar of soap into a saucepan of boiling water (three to four cups will do). Add this highly soapy mixture to three gallons of pure water (you’ll need one big bucket!). Stir. Add the washing soda. Stir. If you want, add the borax. Stir. Um…that’s it! Really! For more detailed instructions, click here.
9. Fabric freshener
Purchase any herbal extraction or natural floral essence of your choice. Add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water. Rosewater is also completely safe, but we recommend buying an extract or oil because it will last longer than most marriages.
10. Room deodorizer ramekin
See #9! You can also place a small condiment bowl or ramekin in a hidden corner and fill it with your favorite natural oil: rosemary, lavender, rose, lemon, jasmine, whatever suits you! The scent will last and last.
11. Coffee maker
Run a pot of half vinegar, half water through the machine. Then run two consecutive pots of pure water through it (otherwise you’re in for some terrible coffee). Forget the pricey chemicals!
12. Water stains and more
You can use plain old vinegar and (gasp) water to remove nearly any stain life dishes out. To remove water stains, soak the offending object in hot water and four ounces of any vinegar overnight. Scrub with vinegar the next day if necessary. Check this out, too.
13. Smelly garbage disposal
Drop in a leftover lemon rind or two and grind away.
14. Natural Cold Prevention
Place a small condiment dish filled with apple cider vinegar in a hidden spot or corner. The smell isn’t pleasant, but if it’s stowed behind a jar or the coffee maker no one will notice. This is a nice way to neutralize airborne germs. Cool!
What’s missing? Share your tips!
Further reading:
13 Simple, Timeless Kitchen Hacks
The Dangers of Household Cleaners (University of Tennessee)
Technorati Tags: green, eco, environment, cleaners, household, domestic, hacks, tips, safety, cleaning, chemicals, pollution, natural
Posted By: Worker Bee
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For YEARS now I have been cleaning with equal parts water, vinegar and rubbing alcohol mixed in a spray bottle. It works on EVERYTHING, including glass, and is totally streak free. Promise.
Interesting article on the safety of rubbing alcohol, vinegar, and water as a cleaning solution:
http://www.dld123.com/q&a/qandatemp.php?id=Q123
I used to brush my teeth every day exclusively with baking soda. Recently it was recommended to me to brush with it only two to three times a week (which will preserve the enamel on my teeth more effectively, as baking soda is an abrasive). So, in the meantime, I gargle with baking soda and water on the in-between days as needed.
Great tips! I love the idea for essential oil ramekin for room freshener and I’ve got to try white wine on the carpet!
http://www.dote.etsy.com
I didn’t know that dryer sheets were so bad for you.
A couple more tips:
1. You can use a brick (yep, just a plain old brick) to clean your toilet.
2. Bed, Bath, & Beyond (hooray for consumerism) sells these spiky blue things called dryer balls. You just toss your blue balls in the dryer, no dryer sheets necessary, and your clothes come out fluffy. Only $10. Reusable forever. Again, consumerism = awesome.
I am totally getting those, um, blue balls. Sounds great!
I have 2 of those dryer balls in my dryer. I would not trade them for nothing. In a small load they help my clothes dry so much faster in a shorter length of time. And,my clothes are soft.
NO dryer sheets, NO Downy needed, NOT anymore!
I LOVE THEM!
Re: Water, rubbing alcohol, and vinegar solution. Add ammonia to those 3 ingredients and you’ve boosted its cleaning effectiveness. Just pour a cup of each of the four ingredients into a 32 oz spray bottle (available at Dollar General, WalMart, etc) Also, if you use 90% solution rubbing alcohol (at drugstores or WalMart) you’ve really boosted it’s disinfectant properties as most rubbing alcohol is only 50 or 70 percent solution.
You can use those extra little ketchup packets from ffast food places (if you frequent them) to put the shine back into your copper bottom pans. Just apply and let set awhile. It may take a little scrubbing if it has been some time since you polished them. I use a very fine foam backed sanding pad that I cut into 4 squares. Of course the usual lemon juice or vinegar with salt works well, too.
For those who smoke the ganja out there, or anyone needing to clean something pyrex or glass, like a nalgene. A heavy salt solution goes a long way towards cleaning gunk out. Its incredibly abrasive and kills most anything.
I have searched high and low, and can’t find anything that will safely clean and whiten porcelain crowns. My dentist tells me to just replace the crowns, but that is way too expensive.
I’d appreciate any suggestions that anyone might have. Thanks a lot!
Sal
I have been making my own laundry soap for a long time. It is wonderfully inexpensive, effective, non-toxic and leaves our clothes smelling like…CLOTHES!!
I grate one bar of Ivory soap, add 1/2 cup Borax, add 1/2 cup washing soda. Mix and store in a container with a lid. I use 3 tablespoons per large (front loader) load.
It is so easy that my 4 and 10 yo can do up a huge batch once a month for me.
Depending on the price of the ingredients, it usually runs between 5 and 8 cents per load….compare that to Tide!!
I also use the dryer balls. They also leave our clothes smelling like clothes.
When I really need to disinfect, I use a spritz of vodka. It is mostly alcohol and that will kill most anything. If you can believe it, some people drink this stuff!!
I am curious about making my own dishwasher soap. I think that just Borax is what I am going to try and I’ll use some vinegar in the rinse agent hole. Has anyone else found a homemade alternative to that awfully toxic stuff that sells on store shelves?
Another air cleanig agent is tea tree oil. You can put it on your furnace filter and let the furnace do the work of blowing it through your home.
Tea tree oil also kills head lice. (Yes, I know this first hand!) Just add 15 drops to your dollop of shampoo and rub into wet hair. Use more if you have lots of hair like my daughter with waist long hair. Wrap your head in a hot wet towel and let it sit for 10 minutes. Rinse out in the shower. Repeat this in 5 days to be sure you got them all. This is safe and simple and also acts as a deep cleanse for your hair.
I need to look for a natural treatment for dog fleas. Any suggestions?
These are great great article. One product I use a lot in my house is the Ultimate Cloth. You dont have to use or make any chemicals which is important to me for my kids. There are a lot of places online where you can buy them but this is the cheapest. Cheap Ultimate Cloth
Love the suggestions on this post. I’ve been using the vinegar, alcohol, and water cleaner. It’s great! I would like to know how to apply tea tree oil on my furnace filter (how much of whtatever). The ivory soap, borax, and washing soda works well on towels and whites, I’m just curious about delicates and dark colors.
Where can I get the blue dryer balls?
Great article. I really like the first one on glass. I had heard of using newspaper before, but have never tried it. I didn’t know you can use it without some type of cleaner.