The first step in creating a green household is eliminating harsh cleaners that have chemicals and abrasives. While there are a lot of great environmentally-friendly cleaning products on the market today, you can also save time and money by creating your own. Here's how:
Step 1
Pour white vinegar into lime-scaled pots or pans and let them soak overnight. Vinegar will also clean scale deposits from dishwasher filters and seals by pouring 2 cups of white vinegar into the detergent receptacle, then running it through on a full wash cycle.
Step 2
Make an all-purpose cleaner by adding 2 heaping tablespoons of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Wipe down the kitchen area to be cleaned with a sponge or soft cloth, then rinse with fresh water.
Step 3
Make an antibacterial cleaning solution by combining a 1/2 cup of vinegar with some all-natural dish-washing soap. Add enough soap to make a froth with the vinegar, then add in five drops of your choice of an essential oil. Lavender, tea tree oil or rosemary are all good choices. Dip a sponge into this mixture and wipe down kitchen areas like countertops, cutting boards or anywhere that an antibacterial cleaning is needed. Rinse with fresh water.
Step 4
Make a green cleaning paste out of lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda. Alternately, sprinkle baking soda on a halved lemon, and scrub stains, dishes and other surfaces in this way. Rinse with fresh water.
Step 5
Sprinkle baking soda onto burnt-on food in the bottom of pots and pans. Pour hot water over the top and let soak overnight. Use a scrubbing sponge to clean the burnt-on food the next day, then rinse with fresh water.
Step 6
Clean copper pan bottoms by sprinkling salt on the copper, then scrubbing with a halved lemon. Rinse.
