Clean & Green

Recent clinical findings show that we are not staying healthier by cleaning with anti bacterial products, but the reverse, we are becoming sicker! But how do you clean so that things are clean, really clean? We do not want to spread viruses or bacterial infections, so what are some other effective ways to clean?

Baby Bottles…. Back in the day before disposable liners in baby bottles women sterilized bottles in a boiling water bath. Now that seems like lot of work, and it is. But there is a simpler method if you have a dishwasher…. just clean all the parts of the baby bottle (bottle, ring, and nipple) in the dishwasher. The water temperatures in the dishwasher are high enough to sterilize all parts of the bottles.

Vinegar…. especially apple cider vinegar, is disinfecting. Vinegar is actually weakly acidic, making it a powerful cleaning agent. The acid in vinegar cuts through grease and germs found on counter tops while also inhibiting bacteria and mold. Vinegar can be used to naturally disinfect bathrooms, counters, and floors. You can clean using a diluted solution (1:1) of vinegar and water. Far less cost and just as good a result. If you’re worried about the odd smell of vinegar being left behind in your home, don’t fret. The smell will dissipate and you’ll be left with an odor free home. Add a ½ part of rubbing alcohol to the mixture and use it to wash windows and glass surfaces. Apple cider vinegar can be used to rinse your hair after washing it with baking soda. Your hair will be shiny and soft as if you used an expensive shampoo after using the baking soda/apple cider vinegar combo for a while.

Cuts grease and removes stains; removes soap scum and cleans toilets (add a bit of baking soda if you like). Pour down drains once a week for antibacterial cleaning, and add to water in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew. White vinegar in the washer will soften the water and help remove stains from laundry. In fact, if you put a cup of vinegar in a wash load of colored articles, your colors won't "bleed" into white clothing.

To clean showerheads and faucet aerators with calcium build up that has affected the nozzle function, either remove the showerhead and soak it in the vinegar or fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place the bag around the showerhead like a feedbag for a horse. Fully immerse the showerhead in the vinegar. Tie the open end of the bag with a twist tie and let it soak for 24 hours. Let it run for a minute after you remove the bag and then use it.

To clean showerheads and faucet aerators with calcium build up that has affected the nozzle function, either remove the showerhead and soak it in the vinegar or fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place the bag around the showerhead like a feedbag for a horse. Fully immerse the showerhead in the vinegar. Tie the open end of the bag with a twist tie and let it soak for 24 hours. Let it run for a minute after you remove the bag and then use it.

Baking soda… is great natural cleaner for scrubbing tubs and showers, freeing stoves and pans from baked on grease and neutralizing odors. Make a paste with water and baking soda and scrub away. More water will equal a softer, more liquid scrub and less water will give more oomph. Baking soda can also be used for brushing your teeth, washing your hair, and exfoliating your skin. It is the gentlest, while it will still be extremely effective, scrubber to be found in the chemical-free cleaning world.

An all-purpose cleaner especially effective for cleaning glass coffee pots and glassware, and removing red-wine stains from carpeting. A paste (made with water) can shine stainless steel and silver, and remove tea stains from cups and saucers. Make a paste with a castile- or vegetable-based liquid soap and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender) to clean sinks, countertops, toilets, and tubs. Pour 1 cup down the sink to clear a clogged drain, followed by 3 cups of boiling water or better yet, hot vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar also clean the toilet bowl.

Use baking soda to freshen up the scent in any room that has carpet by shaking some into the carpet. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes to absorb any odors, and then vacuum it up. Sprinkle some into the bottom of hampers, trashcans, litter boxes, ashtrays, or anywhere else that bad odors reside. And of course we all know about leaving a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb smells. You can do this trick in any cupboard or closet as well

Drain Cleaner
Pour approximately ½ cup of baking soda into your drain, followed by a generous cup of white vinegar. This will start fizzing and popping (the best part!), cleaning away any moderate grease or dirt blockages in your drain. Cover with a stopper for a few minutes, and then pour boiling water down the drain for a final clean. Great maintenance recipe!

Alcohol, Rubbing…a natural cleaning product that will kill germs is easy with rubbing alcohol. Along with removing gum and paint, rubbing alcohol can be used to disinfect surface after they are contaminated with raw meat. However, rubbing alcohol should not be used on wooden cutting boards at all because they will dry them, crack them and allow more bacteria inside. Hydrogen peroxide is a good natural cleaning product choice for cleaning wooden cutting boards.

Bleach…. Bleach has been used for ages as a disinfectant on glass, plastic, and wood! It is not just for your clothes! To insure that water is drinkably safe after a disaster, bleach can be added to the water, allowed to sit for 30 minutes, and consumed safely.

Coarse salt… Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle salt on fresh spills in the oven, then wipe off. Sprinkle salt on rust stains and squeeze a lime or lemon over them, let sit for several hours and wipe off. When you burn the inside of a pot while cooking, put some water in it, add a generous amount of salt and this will loosen the burnt food, which you can then scrub off more readily with steel wool.

Grapefruit seed extract… Add to water in a spray bottle for an odorless way to kill mold and mildew. I use only 20 drops to a spray bottle of water. You can also use it to wash produce to get rid of pesticides, and take it internally to kill parasites and most "bad" bacteria and viruses. It's also a better way to disinfect kitchen surfaces than by using bleach or other cleaners. I use it on and find that my counter tops feel cleaner than when I use commercial cleaning products.

Lemon juice: Lemon Juice is one of the strongest food acids, marked by its sour taste. Because the pH is so low, lemon juice can kill most household bacteria, while also leaving your home smelling fresh. Lemon juice is an all around natural cleaning wonder. With it, you can remove lime scale, make windows and mirrors shine, polish copper or brass, clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces, and remove sweat stains. Use as a bleaching agent on clothing, and to remove grease from stoves and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of (real) lemon oil and a few drops of jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.

Olive oil: Use to lubricate and polish wood furniture (three parts olive oil to one part vinegar; or two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice).

Furniture Polish recipe #2
Mix together ½ cup olive oil to ¼ cup lemon juice. Add a couple of drops of lavender oil to this mix – smells amazing! Rub in a small amount to the wood surface and then wipe clean with a soft dry cloth. Lovely shine with a hint of lavender!

Tea tree oil: Can be added to vinegar/water solutions for its antibacterial properties. Use it to kill mold and mildew, and on kitchen and bathroom surfaces instead of chemical products. Add 50 drops to a bucket of water to clean countertops and tile floors.

Borax or Boric Acid… Borax has many defining properties that make it an excellent cleaning agent. When mixed with water, borax reacts to make a hydrogen peroxide / water solution. It also can act as a chemical buffer when cleaning, so the pH is what it needs to be to make something effectively clean. Borax is best known as an alternative to bleach. However, this natural cleaning product also cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, and effectively renews painted and wallpapered walls.

Add Borax to deodorize laundry. Also use ½ cup Borax with ½ -cup vinegar & 1 gallon of hot water as a general purpose cleaner. 2 Tbsp Borax, ¼ cup lemon juice and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle is a good cleaner, too.

Note: While borax has a wide array of uses, and is naturally occurring, it can irritate the skin, and is toxic if ingested. Please keep borax out of reach of children and pets, and make sure to rinse clothes and surfaces before use.

Cornstarch… is actually derived from corn and is known for its fine, silky texture. Since it is a great deodorizer and can get into very small spaces, cornstarch is great for cleaning carpets and shining smooth surfaces. Also, as a starch it can be added to water to make a liquid starch solution perfect for ironing.

One of it’s most amazing cleaning qualities is its ability to remove grease stains. Not many products can claim to do that!