Green Cleaning 101

Still shopping around for a New Year's resolution that you might actually stick with?  It's not too late! 

I've got a great idea...

GO GREEN WHEN YOU CLEAN!

I did this last year and actually stuck to it.  I can't tell you how good it feels to get to the end of a year and know that I actually did to something...anything...for 365 days.  That's certainly not the case most years. 

Making the switch to all natural, biodegradable and reusable cleaning methods is really easy (otherwise, it would have gone the way of my yoga resolution).  And not only is it easy, but in the long run it has saved me tons of money and I think the cleaning is better.  And then there's that added benefit of helping the environment and cutting down on the chemicals your kids come in contact with. 

I mean really, who wants to think of their baby crawling around on, eating off of surfaces cleaned with, or inhaling fumes from chemicals that have warnings like: "Whatever you do don't get this on your skin, but if you do call poison control immediately for a Silkwood bath?"  Okay, I made that up, but you've read some of those warnings.  They are insane!  I mean, I wouldn't eat a fucking hot dog when I was pregnant but I'm gonna clean my kid's high chair with something that says right there on the label that it's poison?  To each his own, but it's not for me.      

              PANTRY ITEMS FOR GREEN CLEANING               

• Distilled White Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Twenty Mule Team Borax (though it is a natural mineral compound and a great simple cleaner, it is mildly toxic and should not be ingested or come in contact with eyes or open wounds)
• Olive Oil
• A mild liquid Castile SOAP like Dr. Bronner's (Keep in mind that most things sold as "soaps" in grocery stores today--Ivory, Dial, Dove, etc--are actually detergents and much harsher)
• Pure Essential Oils (not synthetics or perfume oils)
  
• Microfiber cloths, prefold diapers, washcloths or rags
• Spray & squirt bottles in various sizes

Essential oils are available at most health food stores, supermarket organic aisles and head shops.  I think that Tea Tree Oil (TTO), lemon, orange, lavender, peppermint, evergreen and eucalyptus are best for cleaning.  Most of them are just great for the "clean" smell but TTO has natural antibacterial, antifungal and disinfecting properties and eucalyptus is great for opening the sinus passages and preventing the spread of airborne viruses.  Yes, they are expensive ($6-$10) for a tiny bottle.  But they are super concentrated so you only use 3 or 4 drops per application and don't forget some of the other great uses for essential oils:

• Put a few drops on a cotton ball and stuff it in the vacuum cleaner bag to freshen the air while you clean. (Lemon, lavender) 
• Fill the little receptacle of the humidifier with water and add a few drops for a stuffy head instead of using the store bought kind. (Eucalyptus)
• Instant Air freshener--Put a pot of water on the stove with a few drops.  (Peppermint and evergreen are great in the winter.  I also like rosemary and sage for this.)
• A few drops in the tub for an aromatherapy bath (Any!).

             ALL PURPOSE CLEANER DISINFECTANT            

This recipe courtesy of my friend Kate who makes awesome diaper wallets and T-shirts--check out her stuff at Blue Turtle Baby!) 

You can clean kitchen counters, bathroom counters, toilet seats, weird spots on floors, high chairs and toys with this cleaner. It's great!

• 3-4 cups hot water
• 2 teaspoons Borax
• 4 tablespoons vinegar
• 15 drops of an essential oil
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid soap (if needed for extra cleaning power)
• Mix in a large spray bottle and remember to shake before each use to mix up the ingredients well

                           FURNITURE POLISH                            

I have tried the store bought "all-natural" furniture polishes and find that they just don't do as good a job as Pledge or Endust.  I thought I was just stuck with the yucky stuff for dusting until I finally found this homemade furniture polish recipe while searching online.  It's great!  The Olive Oil really conditions the wood nicely and makes things shine. 

• Start with a small spray bottle
• Add 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Add 20 drops of lemon or orange essential oil
• Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• 1.5 cups of water
• As always with homemade cleaners, shake before EACH use.

                              GLASS CLEANER                              

This is super easy.  Fill a spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water.  If you don't like the vinegar smell (which goes away once it dries) add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.  I've also read that straight Club Soda is an amazing glass cleaner, but i haven't tried it yet.

                               GREAT GIFT IDEA                               

This idea is from my friend Jen and implemented beautifully here by Kate of Blue Turtle Baby.  It includes a bottle of vinegar, a paper bag of Borax, 2 essential oils, a spray bottle, some printer stickers and a little work on the computer.  She put her All-Purpose Cleaner recipe on a tag attached to the basket and as a sticker on the back of the spray bottle (nice touch!).  I'm going to make this my standard housewarming gift.  I think I'll do it in a cleaning caddy and add some microfiber cloths and a book on green cleaning to the set. 

SO those are the basics.  I guess I could offer an Advanced Green Cleaning Course at some point for those who've fulfilled the pre-requisite (let me know if you're interested, I guess) or you could just buy Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan instead.  It contains recipes similar to the ones I use, plus many, many more including non-toxic cleaning options for laundry, dish washing, floors, toilet bowls, leather, getting crayons off walls, polishing your silver (do people still have silver?) and, unbelievably, instructions on how to get rid of ants or roaches and clean your oven without commercial products.  She's also got a wonderful simple recipe for a tub and tile cleaner that I love called Earth Scrub.

*Just because this stuff is natural, biodegradable and non-toxic (except for the Borax) it should still all be kept out of reach of children and none of these cleaners would make a good salad dressing.

I'd love to hear some of your best green cleaning tips, too.  I'm always on the look out, so please share!

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UPDATE:  After green cleaning for almost 2 years I've revised and tweaked the cleaners I use and found a core group that really work for me.  Check out the 11 recipes in these 2 detailed green cleaning posts:

Green Cleaning :: The Basic Arsenal

Green Cleaning :: The Extras

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