Share & Voice: Green Cleaning

For my Read 'n' Seed I read, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices. One of the chapters, "Simple Green Housekeeping", gave a list of DIY recipes for household cleaning tasks.  I have not had a chance to try any of them yet but really want to, they seem simple and like they would save money!

Below are just a few of the recipes that I can see myself using in the near future, but the book gives a few more.  The book also gives a website for more DIY ideas, www.womenandenvironment.org/greenclean/faqs.  I also suggest visiting the author's website, GreenerPenny.com.  There are a lot of great money saving, eco friendly, tips.


Soft Scrub

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1/2 cup liquid plant-based soap (the book suggests Dr. Bronner's castile)
• 3-4 drops vegetable oil

Mix and add water to desired consistency; store in lidded jar.

Fume-Free Oven Cleaner

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 teaspoon liquid plant-based soap
• Water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Do a preliminary wipe down of the oven with a scrubber, rag, and hot water to remove crust that hasn't yet stuck solid.  Mix all the ingredients into a thick paste.  Wearing gloves, apply thickly to oven interior.  Leave on overnight.  In the morning, put gloves back on and rinse and scrub with sponge or rag.

Glass Cleaner

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 3-4 drops liquid plant-based soap

Mix in spray bottle.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide

Sprinkle the sides of the bowl with baking soda.  Spray the vinegar until it lightly fizzes.  Wait thirty minutes, then scrub.  For a stronger disinfectant on the rim, lid, and seat wipe with hydrogen peroxide.

Drain Cleaner

• Baking Soda
• White vinegar
• Boiling water

To keep your drain open, pour in equal parts baking soda and white vinegar, followed by the water, once a week.  If the drain still clogs, use a plunger or plumber's snake to lift out whatever is stuck.