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.

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Objective: Outdoor Air Quality
Poor air quality is linked to premature death, cancer, and long-term damage to respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Progress has been made to reduce unhealthy air emissions, but, in 2008, approximately 127 million people lived in U.S. counties that exceeded national air quality standards. Decreasing air pollution is an important step in creating a healthy environment.

H.R.51 Heat Island and Smog Reduction Act of 2011 (Introduced in House)

Title: To reduce the heat island effect and associated ground level ozone pollution from Federal facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry" [VA-11] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major action: None

Recommendation: Vote Yes for Heat Island and Smog Reduction Act of 2011

My Political Representative: Chip Cravaack