Non-toxic Cleaning Recipes
ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER Suggested uses: hard surfaces like countertops and kitchen floors, win- dows and mirrors.
2 cups white distilled vinegar 2 cups water 20-30 or more drops of essential oil (optional)
Tip: Warm in microwave until barely hot to boost cleaning power for tough jobs. (Only microwave in a glass container.)
CREAMY SOFT SCRUB Suggested uses: kitchen counters, stoves, bathroom sinks, etc.
2 cups baking soda ½ cup liquid Castile soap* 4 tsp vegetable glycerin (acts as a preservative) 5 drops antibacterial essential oil such as lavender, tea tree, rosemary or any other scent preferred (optional).
Mix together and store in a sealed glass jar; shelf life is two years.
Tip: For exceptionally tough jobs, spray with vinegar first—full strength or diluted, scented—let sit and follow with scrub.
*WVE recommends using a liquid Castile soap that does not contain sodium lauryl (laureth) sulfate (SLS) or diethanolamine (DEA), which may have harmful side effects.
TOILET BOWL CLEANER Option 1 – Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, drizzle with vinegar, let soak for at least 30 minutes, then scrub with toilet brush.
Option 2 – Put ¼ cup borax in toilet bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Swish with a toilet brush, then scrub. Add a few
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
drops of pine oil to increase dis- infecting. (Note: Some people are allergic to pine oil.)
Tip: Let ingredients soak longer for even easier scrubbing, especially on persistent stains like toilet bowl rings.
DRAIN OPENER ½ cup baking soda ½ cup vinegar
Pour baking soda down the drain and follow with vinegar. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Flush with boiling water.
Tip: Prevent the shower from clog- ging by using a drain trap to catch hairs.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT 1 cup soap flakes ½ cup washing soda ½ cup borax
Make soap flakes by using a cheese grater to grate a favorite pure vegetable soap. Mix ingredients together and store in a glass container. Use 1 tablespoon per load (2 for heavily soiled laundry) and wash in warm or cold water.
Adjust for soft water by using 1 cup soap flakes, ¼ cup washing soda and ½ cup borax. For hard water, use 1 cup soap flakes, 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax.
Tips: Add ½ cup white distilled vinegar to the rinse as a fabric soft- ener. For a whitener, use hydro- gen peroxide rather than bleach. Soak dingy white clothes for 30 minutes in the washer with ½ cup of 20 percent peroxide. Launder as usual.
Source: WomenAndEnviron
ment.org; for additional recipes, visit
EarthEasy.com/ live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
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Make nontoxic cleaning products. Simple and inexpensive ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and borax can be used in many different ways for effective cleaning. Adding essen- tial oils such as lavender or rosemary infuses a fresh scent and boosts anti- bacterial properties. Have fun learn- ing to make natural cleaning products by buying ingredients in bulk and throwing a green cleaning party with friends (free Green Cleaning Party Kit at
WomenAndEnvironment.org). Finally, WVE suggests we buy products from manufacturers that disclose ingredients on the label. If the ingredients aren’t listed, call the prod- uct’s customer service number and ask the company to disclose them. It’s a good way to ensure that our homes stay clean—and healthy.
Download a free Safer Cleaning Prod- ucts fact sheet at
WAToxics.org/files/ cleaningproducts.pdf.
Erin Switalski is the executive director of Women’s Voices for the Earth (
WomenAndEnvironment.org). WVE’s Safe Cleaning Products Initiative is a national effort intended to reduce ex- posure to toxic chemicals in cleaning products. Sign the petition at http://
tinyurl.com/yln44bt. For more infor- mation on chemical policy reform, visit
SaferChemicals.org.
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