Alternative Cleaners and Recipes

To get a home that is truly clean, rather than covered in toxic chemicals, try making your own non-toxic cleaners at home. It's easy! Basic ingredients found in your kitchen can be used to make non-toxic cleaners for your different cleaning needs.

BASIC INGREDIENTS FOR NON-TOXIC CLEANER RECIPES

Five basic ingredients serve as the building blocks for many safe home cleaning needs:

1. Baking Soda - Cleans and deodorizes. Softens water to increase sudsing and cleaning power of soap. Good scouring powder.
2. Borax - Cleans and deodorizes. Excellent disinfectant. Softens water. A mildly alkaline salt, formed by the evaporation of saline lakes, borax is a natural, environmentally friendly friendly product. It has low toxicity, but is an eye irritant and should be handled with care. Available in laundry section of grocery store.
3. Soap - Biodegrades safely and completely and is non-toxic. Available in grocery stores and health food stores. Sold as liquid, flakes, powder or in bars. Bars can be grated to dissolve more easily in hot water. Insist on soap without synthetic scents, colours or other additives.
4. Washing Soda - Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Available in laundry section of grocery store or in pure form from chemical supply houses as "sodium carbonate."
5. White Vinegar or Lemon Juice - Cuts grease and freshens

Recipes for Non-toxic Alternatives

GENERAL CLEANERS

Cleaning Surfaces

Most surfaces around your home can be easily cleaned with kitchen ingredients that you probably have on hand, such as vinegar and liquid dishwashing soap. Essential oils add a pleasant fragrance and, in addition, many have antimicrobial properties, which make them excellent for killing the germs that cause colds, flus, and other infections. The following natural cleaners are non-toxic, inexpensive, and easy to make, and are good for removing dirt, grease, and grime.

Household Cleaner

Mix together:
1 tsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint)
1 tsp. borax
Squeeze of lemon
1 qt. warm water
OR
¼ c. baking soda
½ c. borax
½ c. vinegar
1 gal. water

For surfaces that need scouring, try moist salt or baking soda and a green scouring pad.

Antiseptic hand soap
Essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, and lemon are natural antimicrobials.

250ml (8fl oz) liquid natural hand and body soap
30 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil

Combine the ingredients together in a plastic bottle or soap dispenser and mix well.

All-purpose spray
Borax, vinegar, and soap will dissolve dirt and greasy residues on surfaces around the home. Lavender and rosemary essential oils have natural antiseptic properties.

1 teaspoon borax
500ml (16fl oz) warm water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon natural liquid dishwashing soap
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops rosemary essential oil

Combine the borax and water in a spray bottle and shake well. Add the vinegar, soap, and essential oils and shake again. Spray on surfaces such as countertops, walls, and woodwork and wipe clean with a sponge.

Soapy spray cleanser
Grimy, greasy surfaces need the added power of orange essential oil.

1 teaspoon borax
250ml (8fl oz) warm water
60ml (2fl oz) distilled white vinegar
60ml (2fl oz) natural liquid dishwashing soap
10 drops orange essential oil

Combine the borax and water in a spray bottle and shake well. Add vinegar, soap, and orange essential oil and shake again. Spray on surface and wipe clean with a sponge. Rinse well with water.

Window Cleaner

Mix together:
2 tsp. vinegar
1 qt. warm water
OR
2 tbsp. borax
3 c. water

Rub dry with newspaper to avoid streaking.

Vinegar glass cleaner
A combination of white vinegar and water makes an inexpensive yet effective window and glass cleaner Adding lemon essential oil gives a pleasing fragrance.

170ml (6fl oz) water
90ml (3fl oz) distilled white vinegar
2 drops lemon essential oil

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray on to surfaces and wipe with a clean, lint-free towel.

Heavy-duty glass cleaner
Windows sometimes need a stronger cleanser-adding a bit of soap helps to remove grease and grime.

250ml (8fl oz) distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon natural liquid dishwashing soap
250ml (8fl oz) warm water

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray on to surfaces and wipe with a clean, lint-free towel.

Remedy for streaky windows
Streaky windows might be caused by a build-up of wax from previous commercial cleaners. Use this formula to remedy the problem, then switch to a simple water and vinegar window cleaner.

125ml (4fl oz) isopropyl alcohol
125ml (4fl oz) warm water
1/2 teaspoon natural liquid dishwashing soap

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well. Spray on to windows and wipe dry with a clean, lint-free towel.

Disinfectant
Mix together:

¼ c. borax
½ gal. hot water

Ceramic Tiles
Mix together:

¼ c. vinegar
1 gal. warm water

Basin, Tub, and Tile
Mix together:

½ c. baking soda
2-3 tbsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint)

Garbage Disposal Freshener
Grind ice and lemon or orange juice in the disposal.

Mildew Remover
Dissolve together:

½ c, vinegar
½ c. borax in warm water.

Apply with sponge or spray bottle.

Oven Cleaner
Mix together:

¼ c. baking soda
2 tbsp. salt

Hot water, as needed to make a paste. Let paste sit for 5 minutes.
Caution: Keep off wires/heating elements.
OR
2 tbsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint)
2 tsp. borax
1 qt. warm water

Spray on oven and wait 20 minutes, then clean. For tough stains, scrub with very fine steel wool and baking soda.

Drain Cleaner
Pour together:

½ c. borax in drain followed by
2 c. boiling water
OR
¼ c baking soda down the drain, followed by
½ c. vinegar

Cover drain and let sit for 15 minutes. Follow with 2 qts. boiling water.
OR
Use a plumber's "snake" and boiling water.

Toilet Bowls

Pour: ¼ c. baking soda into bowl and drizzle with vinegar.
Let sit for ½ hour. Scrub and flush. Add borax for stains.

Filter bag freshener
To neutralize the musty smell of a vacuum cleaner, place a couple of drops of a fragrant essential oil of your choice on the filter bag just before vacuuming.

Rugs/Floors

Rug and Upholstery Cleaner
Sprinkle corn meal, baking soda or cornstarch on dry rugs and vacuum. Use club soda or soap-based rug shampoo.

Carpet Cleaning Foam
Mix together:

¼ c. vegetable oil-based liquid soap
3 tbsp. (or more) water

Whip ingredients in bowl with egg beater. Rub foam into problem areas of the rug. Rinse well with water.

Floors
Mix together:

½ c. white vinegar
1 gal warm water

Polishing with skim milk after floor is dry will make the floor glow!

Recipe for Home Made Vinegar

Ingredients:
5 pounds sugar
3 gallons water
Large slice of toast
2 cakes of yeast

In a very large pot, boil the water and sugar for about 15 minutes. Place this sugar/water mixture into a large crock or container that can hold at least 4 gallons and let stand until lukewarm. Now, put the toast on top of the water. Tie a cheese cloth over the top of the jar and place in a warm area. The toast will sink to the bottom when the vinegar is done, probably in about 4-6 weeks.

This is a very old recipe and will make quite a bit! Make sure you have some containers large enough.. Or a kitchen large enough to store the containers in. Think about that before you go ahead and begin!