We already covered Why Green Cleaning Is Important and gave advice in a few posts on how to choose a professional cleaning company. But what if you want to do it yourself? What products can be used to clean if you don't trust cleaners who claim "Green" but you want to be sure no chemicals are hiding in the product?
Going Green isn't expensive, nor does it have to be. A little bit of research goes a long way in saving you money and turning towards a healthier life by cutting chemicals out of it. Here we'll give you a few tips. Following posts will contain more tips, some with additional tips for products listed below, and some with other products you may not know has a powerful cleaning potential.
This will be the first of a series of Do-It-Yourself tips.
Natural cleaners you most likely already have in your home include:
1. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) -- gritty scrubber, also reacts with acids like lemon and vinegar
2. Borax -- disinfects, whitens and deodorizes
3. White vinegar -- disinfects and loosens dirt
4. Lemon juice -- disinfects, cuts through grease
5. Olive oil -- picks up dirt, polishes wood
To clean with Baking Soda try the following:
1. Use a Baking Soda paste made with 3 parts Baking Soda to 1 part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver.
2. To clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle Baking Soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.
To clean with Borax:
1. For scratch-free cleaning of stains, grime, and grease throughout the kitchen, use a 1/2 cup of dissolved Borax in one gallon of hot water on sinks, counter tops, cookware, refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, and any other appliance in your arsenal. You can apply this dilution of all-natural Borax to any surface including tile, ceramic, porcelain, slate, marble, granite and stainless steel.
2. Sprinkle Borax on a damp sponge or cloth and wipe on shower stalls, tubs, walls, and tile to remove soap scum, hard water deposits, and dirt. Borax is the economical way to tackle daunting jobs like brightening grout and tile. With Borax, you don’t have to scrub and scrape to remove rings around the tub and other tough bathroom grime. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Borax into the bowl, then swish with your toilet brush to keep bowl and brush bacteria and odor free.
To clean with White Vinegar:
1. Once mildew gets into a rug, it lives and grows. To kill the mildew, make a mixture with equal parts of Vinegar and water. Let rug dry completely.
2. To prevent mildew buildup in the refrigerator, wipe the inside and rubber seals occasionally with a sponge dampened in undiluted Vinegar.
To clean with Lemon Juice:
1. To remove rust from kitchen equipment, such as utensils and cast-iron pots, make a paste using 1 part Lemon juice with 2 parts Salt. Apply with a clean, soft cloth and rub over the rust. Rinse with water and dry.
2. To remove rust stains from the sink and tub, rub with a sliced lemon. For stubborn stains, make a paste with Lemon juice and Borax. Apply the paste with a sponge, scrub, and rinse. The paste can also be used on toilet stains.
To clean with Olive Oil:
(Do not use infused olive oil)
1. To polish wood furniture combine 2 cups olive oil with 1 cup lemon juice or vinegar. Work the mixture into the furniture with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub them with a solution of equal parts olive oil and lemon juice.
2. Pour olive oil into a small bottle. Consider using a spray bottle with a “spray” setting (not mist). Spray directly on squeaky area and follow with a cotton ball to remove residue. Use a small amount to avoid having the oil drip. Test hinge and either apply more oil or wipe residual oil from the hinge.
Do you have tips to add to this list? Join our Green Living community by Clicking Here To Register (or Here To Login) and post your tips in the Green Cleaning Forum. Or simply leave your tips in the comments below.
Don't forget to follow us and Red on Twitter.
@RedsJanitorial
@RedTheJanitor
Going Green isn't expensive, nor does it have to be. A little bit of research goes a long way in saving you money and turning towards a healthier life by cutting chemicals out of it. Here we'll give you a few tips. Following posts will contain more tips, some with additional tips for products listed below, and some with other products you may not know has a powerful cleaning potential.
This will be the first of a series of Do-It-Yourself tips.
Natural cleaners you most likely already have in your home include:
1. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) -- gritty scrubber, also reacts with acids like lemon and vinegar
2. Borax -- disinfects, whitens and deodorizes
3. White vinegar -- disinfects and loosens dirt
4. Lemon juice -- disinfects, cuts through grease
5. Olive oil -- picks up dirt, polishes wood
To clean with Baking Soda try the following:
1. Use a Baking Soda paste made with 3 parts Baking Soda to 1 part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver.
2. To clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle Baking Soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.
To clean with Borax:
1. For scratch-free cleaning of stains, grime, and grease throughout the kitchen, use a 1/2 cup of dissolved Borax in one gallon of hot water on sinks, counter tops, cookware, refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, and any other appliance in your arsenal. You can apply this dilution of all-natural Borax to any surface including tile, ceramic, porcelain, slate, marble, granite and stainless steel.
2. Sprinkle Borax on a damp sponge or cloth and wipe on shower stalls, tubs, walls, and tile to remove soap scum, hard water deposits, and dirt. Borax is the economical way to tackle daunting jobs like brightening grout and tile. With Borax, you don’t have to scrub and scrape to remove rings around the tub and other tough bathroom grime. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Borax into the bowl, then swish with your toilet brush to keep bowl and brush bacteria and odor free.
To clean with White Vinegar:
1. Once mildew gets into a rug, it lives and grows. To kill the mildew, make a mixture with equal parts of Vinegar and water. Let rug dry completely.
2. To prevent mildew buildup in the refrigerator, wipe the inside and rubber seals occasionally with a sponge dampened in undiluted Vinegar.
To clean with Lemon Juice:
1. To remove rust from kitchen equipment, such as utensils and cast-iron pots, make a paste using 1 part Lemon juice with 2 parts Salt. Apply with a clean, soft cloth and rub over the rust. Rinse with water and dry.
2. To remove rust stains from the sink and tub, rub with a sliced lemon. For stubborn stains, make a paste with Lemon juice and Borax. Apply the paste with a sponge, scrub, and rinse. The paste can also be used on toilet stains.
To clean with Olive Oil:
(Do not use infused olive oil)
1. To polish wood furniture combine 2 cups olive oil with 1 cup lemon juice or vinegar. Work the mixture into the furniture with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub them with a solution of equal parts olive oil and lemon juice.
2. Pour olive oil into a small bottle. Consider using a spray bottle with a “spray” setting (not mist). Spray directly on squeaky area and follow with a cotton ball to remove residue. Use a small amount to avoid having the oil drip. Test hinge and either apply more oil or wipe residual oil from the hinge.
Do you have tips to add to this list? Join our Green Living community by Clicking Here To Register (or Here To Login) and post your tips in the Green Cleaning Forum. Or simply leave your tips in the comments below.
Don't forget to follow us and Red on Twitter.
@RedsJanitorial
@RedTheJanitor