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Seven Eco Friendly Cleaning Recipes for Your Home

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Healthy Home Cleaning

Keeping a clean house has always been an important concern for families across America. Not only is a clean house aesthetically pleasing, but ensuring your home is free from dust, allergens and infectious agents boosts a healthful environment, which can keep family members from getting sick. Unfortunately, many commercial and household cleaning products have ingredients which may pose hazardous risks for both individuals and the environment.

Many household cleaners warn users of potential skin, eye or respiratory irritation.  These warnings are a red flag for potentially harmful ingredients. But how does one choose between maintaining a household that protects the environment and watching their sink sparkle as the remainder of their favorite multi-purpose cleaner makes its way into the depths of a water treatment plant? Fortunately, you don’t have to.

If you choose to use eco-friendly cleaners, you don’t have to sacrifice quality just to be environmentally friendly.  When you use products that are good for the environment, you promote good health for your household because they are safe and leave fewer chemicals behind in the environment. Eco-Friendly cleaners are effective cleaners because you use less cleaning products.

Goodhousekeeping, has GHRI TESTED eco-friendly products for the best, safe and eco-friendly green cleaners in four categories.

The winners:

  1. Laundry Detergent – Essentials 2X Concentrate by Arm & Hammer
  2. Dishwashing Soap – Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid
  3. All Purpose Household Cleaners –  Regular Strength:  Sun & Earth All Purpose
  4. All Purpose Concentrate – Simple Green

Also, other items tested were, light bulbs, solar chargers and reusable water bottles.

If you’d rather cut costs, and make your own you have options too. Germaphobes and tree-huggers alike can rejoice over these simple, eco-friendly cleaning recipes sure to get the job done without the added harsh chemicals that cause harm to users and the environment.

Guilt Free Cleaning with these Effective Yet Eco-Friendly Recipes

1. Bathtub cleaner

1 Grapefruit
1/4 Cup Kosher salt
Halve the grapefruit and sprinkle each half with salt.
Sprinkle remaining salt around the empty tub.

Use the grapefruit halves like a scrub brush all over the tub and walls. Slightly juice the grapefruit as you scrub, and be sure to dab the grapefruit in fresh salt from the tub as you go.

Rinse, and enjoy a beautifully fragrant shower.

Video: How to Make and Clean Using Eco-Friendly Bathtub Cleaner, by Sugins Corner

 2. Carpet Shampoo/Cleaner

1 1/2 quarts of hot (not boiling) water
1/4 Cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
1 1/2 Tbsp. of White Vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. of Dish soap
About 5 drops of favorite essential oil

Mix all of the ingredients together, careful to add the dish soap to the water, not the other way around. Pour the mixture into your favorite carpet cleaning device using the machine as directed.

For fresh Carpet Stains, you can also use the old standby club soda, and blot.

Video: Dynamic John, by Ehowathomechannel

 3. Dishwashing Detergent

Mix all of the ingredients below together.

1 1/2 Cups of Lemi-Shine
1 1/2 Cups of Washing Soda
1/2 Cup of Baking Soda
1/2 Cup of Sea Salt
Use 2 Tablespoons of the mixture per load.

You can use vinegar as an agent to ensure you do not have any cloudiness.

See related videos on YouTube:

4. Drain Cleaner

Pour 1/4 cup baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Cover the drain and let it sit for 15 minutes. After, setting for 15 minutes, pour 2 quarts of boiling water to rinse it thoroughly.

Video: Drain Cleaner, by Tage Hill, YouTube

 5. Silver Cleaner:  A Four Step Process

Large Pan
Aluminum Foil
Water
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
Soft cloth
Olive Oil

    1. First Step: Find a large pan to hold your silver items and line it with aluminum foil. Place the items inside the pan, so that they are touching the foil.  Then pour in water so that the items are covered.
    2. Second Step: Mix the salt and baking soda together in a bowl, and sprinkle it evenly over the water. Then, cover the pan and let it sit about five hours or overnight. Or, place the pan on the stove and gently boil the water for two to three minutes if you do not have time to wait the suggested five hours.
    3. Third Step: Empty the water and remove your silver from the pan. Rinse each item well with hot water.
    4. Fourth Step: Add 2-3 drops of olive oil to a soft, natural fiber cloth, and polish your silver pieces with it. This will dry your silver and provide anti-tarnish.

Video: For a Demonstration on How You Can Make Your Own Non-Toxic Silver Polish, by Sophie Uliano at gorgeouslygreen, YouTube.

 6. Toilet Cleaner

1/2 Cup Borax
1/2 Cup Vinegar

Pour the ingredients into your toilet and let them sit for at least one hour. If you have truly tough stains, consider letting the mixture sit overnight.  After sitting over night scrub the toilet to your desired cleanliness. Flush once, complete.

For a video demonstration watch:

 

7. Wood Floor Polish

1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of white vinegar
10 drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance

Mix together the above ingredients and apply to your wood floors.

Then, wipe it away for a beautiful and clean polish.

Video: View another Demonstration on Eco-Friendly Floor Cleaning, by Rachel Yatuzia – Essortment, YouTube

For more cost cutting great eco-friendly cleaning recipes from window cleaners to rust removers, for more recipe Links, see our Reference Link Section. Want to know more on What is Green Cleaning Watch About.com’s Housekeeping video for Eco Friendly Cleaning Supplies hosted by Indira Fernandez and for Green Cleaning Shopping Links, see our Reference Section listed below.

Eco Friendly cleaning is a natural way to keep your house aesthetically and environmentally healthy. Breathe easy with the above recipes to keep your household free from harsh chemicals and nasty allergens, whether you buy or make your own green cleaners living Green is always a plus for you, your family, and the environment.

More Recipes

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supply Sites

Additional Resources

Videos

For more ECO cleaning tips websites, by Tony at Eco-Stores, YouTube

Educational

  • Green is Good, hosted by John Shegerian on iTunes.  GreenIsGoodRadio.com. is America’s  number one  green-friendly radio show, which  has free weekly discussions on Eco-Friendly Topics
  • The Organic Consumers Association, by OCA, an online, non-profit organization that promotes views and interest of 50 million organic consumers.

Books

  • Green Clean, by Linda Mason Hunter is a step by step guide using eco-friendly products to clean your home (ISBN-1595910042 and ISBN 13-9781595910042). Available for purchase at goodreads.com.
  • Clean house, Clean Planet, by Karen Logan (ISBN-0-671-53595-1). You can clean your house for pennies a day, using eco-friendly cleaners.  Available for purchase at about.pricegrabber.com
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