Green Cleaning

Basic Ingredients: And there uses

Baking soda:Cleans, deodorizes, increased the cleaning power of soap, gentle scouring powder, extinguish fires, stain remover

Borax: Detergent booster, softens water, cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, preserve flowers

Castile Soap (or other vegetable base soap): Laundry, general cleaning, pet shampoo, degreaser

Distilled or Purified Water: Use instead if tap water when making your cleaning products to prevent hard water marks

Distilled White Vinegar*: Cuts grease, disinfects, deodorizes, fabric softener, kills mold, stain remover, oder neutralizer, pest control
*Never use white distilled vinegar on marble. The acid can damage the surface.

Essential oils: Are optional and use sparingly, fragrant, antiseptic, disinfectant, repels bugs, stain remover

Lemons: Cleans, deodorizes, bleaches

Olive Oil: Wood polish/cleaner, metal polish, lubricant, shoe polish

Salt: Non scratching abrasive, artificial flowers, oven/stove top spills, clean medals, poison ivy, stain remover

Recipes:

All Purpose Cleaner

1-16 oz spray bottle

1 tsp. Borax

2 Tbsp. White Vinegar

1/4 cup Castile Soap (or other vegetable base soap)

1 1/2 cups hot Distilled or Purified Water

optional: 20-30 drops of essential oil (tea tree makes this an disinfectant)

Add to bottle in this order!

Hot water, borax, cap and shake until borax is dissolved. Add vinegar, shake again. Add soap and oil and shake. Shake before use.

I use this cleaner in my bathroom. Instead of tea tree oil I use: 5 drops bergamot, 10 drops lavender, 5 drops cinnamon, 10 drops lemon and 10 drops citronella

Scouring Powder:

1 cup each in an old jar (I use a Parmesan container)

Baking soda, Borax and salt.

Mix together add to jar.

You can also sent this with your choice of 10-20 drops of essential oil. I like to mix mine up a bit. Right now it smells of lemon. If you chose to add oils let set for 24 hours to let the oils be absorbed. Cover tight when not in use.

Window Cleaner:
Equal part Vinegar and Water
This also be used after using scouring powder to get rid of white residue.

Furniture Dusting Spray:

1-16 oz spray bottle

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

20 drops Lemon or Orange essential oil

1/4 cup Vinegar

Distilled or Purified Water

Lint free cloth (I use an old cotton diaper).

Add olive oil to bottle then essential oil and vinegar. Fill the bottle with water and shake well, spray on to cloth and dust away.

Shake well before every use.

Clothing Stain Remover:

4 Tbsp. Baking Soda or Salt

1/4 cup warm Distilled or Purified Water

Eucalyptus Oil

Make a paste with the baking soda or salt and warm water. Rub the paste on the stain and let set for 1 hour, then wash as usual.

The eucalyptus oil works well on old stains. Put a few drops on a cotton ball, let dry and wash.

Powder laundry soap:

2 cups Borax 20 Team Mule

2 cups wash soda

1/3 bar grated Ivory soap.

Store in a plastic container (big butter dishes work well)

Use 2 table spoons for a full load, less for smaller loads.

I find if I dilute this in hot water before adding it to the washer it helps the granules dissolve.

Liquid Laundry Soap:

1 gallon container

1/2 cup Soap Flakes

1/4 cup Borax

1/4 cup Wash Soda

Distilled or Purified Water

Add soap flakes to a pot over medium heat with water. Heat until the soap flakes melt. Add the wash soda and borax and heat until dissolved. Add 2 cups of hot water to container, then the soap mixture and shake well. Fill the container the rest of the way with cold water, shake well and let set for 24 hours. Shake well before use. Use 1/2 per full load.

Fabric softener:

1 cup baking soda

6 cups white distilled vinegar

8 cups water

15-20 drops essential oil to sent (optional)

Put the cup of baking soda in a 1 gallon container (I suggest something with a twist on lid, like an old milk jug), add 1 cup of water. With the container IN the sink very slowly add the vinegar (this will cause a reaction with the soda). Add the rest of the water and essential oil. Shake well add 1/2-1 cup during the final rinse.

Freshening Spray:

16 oz Spray Bottle

16oz Distilled or Purified Water

3/4 Tbs Essential Oil (lavender works well)

2 Tbsp Vodka

Mix all ingredients in bottle and use for:

Air Freshener, Linen Spray, Carpet Spray, Curtain Spray, Clothes Freshener and General Cleaning.

Dust Mites:

8 oz bottle

20-30 drops of Eucalyptus or Thieves Blend Essential Oil

8oz 90 Proof Grain Vodka

Mix all ingredients in spray bottle and spray your pillows, bedding and upholstery a couple times per week. Use on carpets as you vacuum, spraying as you go and allowing the spray to set for a second or two before vacuuming.

Produce Cleaner:

Spray 1:
8 oz bottle

1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Baking Soda

1 cup Distilled or Purified Water

Mix all ingredients in spray bottle and shake well. Spray on produce and let set for 2-5 minutes, rinse in warm water and dry.

Spray 2:

16 oz Spray Bottle

1 Tbsp Baking soda

1 Cup Distilled or Purified Water

1 Cup Vinegar

20 Drops Grapefruit Seed Extract

Add the baking soda to the spray bottle, followed by the water and shake well. Slowly add the vinegar (over the sink, will react with the baking soda) and shake. Then add the grapefruit seed extract and shake well. Spray on produce and let set for 2-5 minutes, rinse with warm water and dry. Shake well before each use.

Soak:

Large Bowl (mixing bowl works well)

1/4 Cup Vinegar

2 Tbsp Salt

Fill the bowl with cold water, add salt and vinegar. Soak produce for 15 minutes, rinse and dry.

Clean Artificial flowers:

Paper Bag

Salt

Put your artificial flower in a paper bag, add salt and shake vigurously. Remove from the bag and shake off the salt.

Note: I get some of my recipes from Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan and from Green Clean by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin. Others have been handed down to me by various sources.

Keep looking, I will be adding more recipes soon!