The family is headed to Bancroft on Tuesday March 31st where I am doing a talk on Green Cleaning at Bancroft Pentecostal Church at 7pm... grab a friend and come check it out.
When I get back the following week I will post some of the recipe's I shared!
The picture shown is Lemon cleaning cloths from "A Guide to Green Housekeeping" by Christina Strutt. I'm pretty sure I got it at Chapters. The jar on the right is rags from an old flannel nightgown and the jar on the left is old scraps of jeans. Both worked well!
Here are some different ideas to eliminate chemicals from your cleaning routine
KITCHEN:
To deodorize a smelly drain: pour 2 tbsp. of Baking soda down the drain followed by ½ cup of vinegar. Leave 20 min. and flush with cold water.
To clean the chemical residue off non-organic produce: soak in cold water with 2 tbsp. of vinegar in it. Remove fruit and rinse under cold water. Works well with fruit like apples and grapes!
Microwave: to clean a microwave, boil a bowl of vinegar in your machine and then wipe down with a rag. Not only does it help clean, it deodorizes any of those lingering meals!
Fruit-flies: to get rid of fruit-flies put a dish of apple cider vinegar and dish soap near your fruit bowl. The vinegar attracts the flies and the soap traps them. Change up the dish as the body count rises!
Coffee and Tea stains on mugs: Fill the item with a solution of baking soda and water. Leave until the staining disappears then rinse. ( I usually just leave them in the sink overnight and wash them in the morning) For really stubborn stains, soak with a solution of baking soda and vinegar.
Stinky Fridge Solution: a bowl of baking soda will absorb bad odours in the fridge, BUT when you’re done, dump it down the sink and follow it with a kettle of boiling water… this will clean out your drains and keep them running well. For a nicer smelling fridge hide a cotton ball with vanilla extract on it in the fridge to further deodorize.
Stale smelling lunch boxes or tins: Dip a piece of fresh bread (I use the end piece because nobody in my family likes it but the dogs) in vinegar and leave in the tin overnight.
Wooden Chopping Boards: clean, deodorize and disinfect with either lemon juice or vinegar.
To deodorize a smelly drain: pour 2 tbsp. of Baking soda down the drain followed by ½ cup of vinegar. Leave 20 min. and flush with cold water.
To clean the chemical residue off non-organic produce: soak in cold water with 2 tbsp. of vinegar in it. Remove fruit and rinse under cold water. Works well with fruit like apples and grapes!
Microwave: to clean a microwave, boil a bowl of vinegar in your machine and then wipe down with a rag. Not only does it help clean, it deodorizes any of those lingering meals!
Fruit-flies: to get rid of fruit-flies put a dish of apple cider vinegar and dish soap near your fruit bowl. The vinegar attracts the flies and the soap traps them. Change up the dish as the body count rises!
Coffee and Tea stains on mugs: Fill the item with a solution of baking soda and water. Leave until the staining disappears then rinse. ( I usually just leave them in the sink overnight and wash them in the morning) For really stubborn stains, soak with a solution of baking soda and vinegar.
Stinky Fridge Solution: a bowl of baking soda will absorb bad odours in the fridge, BUT when you’re done, dump it down the sink and follow it with a kettle of boiling water… this will clean out your drains and keep them running well. For a nicer smelling fridge hide a cotton ball with vanilla extract on it in the fridge to further deodorize.
Stale smelling lunch boxes or tins: Dip a piece of fresh bread (I use the end piece because nobody in my family likes it but the dogs) in vinegar and leave in the tin overnight.
Wooden Chopping Boards: clean, deodorize and disinfect with either lemon juice or vinegar.
Painted Walls and Woodwork:
Make a solution of two parts vinegar, one part baking soda, and three parts warm water. Using a soft rag, wipe down surfaces to remove dirt and rinse with clean water
Ring marks on wood funature: Make a solution of one part vinegar and one part olive oil. Use a soft cloth and rub the ring with the solution, then polish with natural beeswax.
Make a solution of two parts vinegar, one part baking soda, and three parts warm water. Using a soft rag, wipe down surfaces to remove dirt and rinse with clean water
Ring marks on wood funature: Make a solution of one part vinegar and one part olive oil. Use a soft cloth and rub the ring with the solution, then polish with natural beeswax.
I have tips for laundy and pets if anyone is interested as well!!
