How to Green Clean Your Microwave

As promised, I'm putting these natural cleaners to test.  I started by green cleaning my microwave with water and vinegar.  I kept the same proportions for the vinegar/water solution adding here 1/4 cup of acetic acid/vinegar to 1 cups of water.  I combined in a Pyrex and microwaved for a total of three minutes.  Since the solution was boiling hot, I let it rest for a total of a minute and a half.  If it is too hot, then you can leave it on longer.  The vinegar is a disinfectant and serves to clean odors.  

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How to Green Clean Your Kitchen

How To Green Clean Your Kitchen

These are not edible recipes for your kitchen.  They are not meant to be delicious or scrumptious.  In fact, they are meant to be practical.  I usually clean my kitchen counters daily and when I do I try to make the natural all purpose cleaner.  A bottle of this usually lasts me a week.  Just make sure to store it in a recyclable bottle.  

Natural all purpose cleaner

2 Tablespoons of vinegar

1 teaspoon borax or washing soda

2 cups hot water

1/4 cup liquid soap

Mix all except the soap in a spray bottle

and shake well. Add 1/4 cup liquid soap.

Mix gently as not to make bubbles.

Apply and wipe clean.

Microwave Cleaner

1/2 cup of vinegar

2 cups of water

Combine in a microwave safe bowl

Heat on high for 3-4 minutes.

 Remove bowl and wipe down the microwave.

Be careful with the microwave cleaner since it will be warm.  This should not only clean but disinfect the microwave well.  

Dish Soap

Use plain castile Soap

10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils for aromatherapy.

Mix well.

The essential oil is what gives this dish soap a pleasant smell.  It really freshens up the kitchen.

Oven Cleaner

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven. Then

cover with baking soda until white and leave over night. Remember

to sprinkle salt on any oven spill while it is still warm.

When the oven cools, scrape and wipe the area well.

This recipe is safer than Easy-Off.  Salt acts as an abrasive in the recipe.  Baking soda polishes the oven surface to a bright clean.  Remember to also use a scraper such as an Oven Scraper.

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How to Green Clean Your Bathroom

The secret ingredient to most of these cleansers is white vinegar.  It has many cool uses like making your own erupting volcano by adding baking soda to clean your toilet.  Seriously, I've made one before so that is why it is so important to read the instructions of each cleaner carefully.

Jokes aside you can start by making a batch of a toilet bowl cleaner with vinegar and baking soda.  For this type of cleaning, do not use any vinegar with wine or apple cider.  Please use a plain white vinegar so it doesn't stain the toilet bowl.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the toilet bowl and 1/2 cup of

baking soda. It will become bubbly.  Do not let it become an eruption of a volcano.  Close the toilet lid if you need to. Wait 10 minutes and scrub the bowl. Also add 2 pills of Nature Made Vitamin C 1000mg, 100 Tablets (Pack of 3) at 1000 mg and in the morning, scrub the bowl and you will get a once in a lifetime shine!

Alternatively, you can use

1/4 cup borax

in the toilet bowl, but please note that it will not produce a volcano.

Scrub and rinse well.

Mold and mildew are disgusting and difficult to get rid of on tile, but these green cleansers really get the job done. Vinegar stops mold from spreading by inhibiting it's growth and removing soap scum. It disinfects it which is a plus in any bathroom.

Mold and Mildew

Make a solution with equal parts vinegar and water

Spray, scrub and wipe the area clean.

Scouring Powder

1 cup baking soda

1/4 cup vinegar

Mix the ingredients well and scrub the with a damp sponge.

Aromatherapy Scouring Powder II

1/3 cup baking soda

1/2 cup castile soap

1/2 cup water or strong herb tea

2 T. vinegar

8-10 drops essential oil

Mix baking soda and castile soap well.

Add the water/herb tea and the

essential oil. Add vinegar. Pour

into a bottle and shake well before use.

This essential oil comes in different aromas.  My favorite for cleaning is sweet orange oil.  It has a particular aroma that makes the house smell like an orchard.  This is another hard to get product.  

   

Tub/Tile Cleaner

1/3 cup baking soda

1/3 cup borax

1 teas. castile soap

Mix and add enough water to make a paste. Apply with sponge.



Make sure to scrub really well when making the tub/tile cleaner since you are aiming to remove any stains.  My bathtub is porcelain white and with a few scrubs I leave it like new.  

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How To Green Clean Your Living Room

Green Cleaning

The best way to start with green cleaning is to make some easy cleaners with household ingredients. This is the most efficient way to clean. You will save at least 50% on your cleaning supply bill by making your own with some easy recipes.  With these cleaners, you can establish your own cleaning routines by zones following the FlyLady method with baby steps.

Furniture Cleaner For Wood:

1/8 cup flaxseed oil

1/8 cup vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix ingredients. Then using a soft cloth, rub softly onto wood

OR you can use a combination of

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup lemon juice

Mix and apply a thin coat. Rub gently with cloth.

The most difficult product to find here is the flaxseed oil which is used by many as a super food, an omega fatty acid and found mainly as capsules at the grocery store.   In fact, many people use flaxseed oil to prepare Budwig cream, a quark/cottage cheese food full of antioxidants and healthy minerals.  This power food supposedly prevents cancer.

Flaxseed oil is edible but light can affect its efficacy.  Make sure to store it in a dark area.

Barlean's Organic Oils Fresh Flax Oil, 16-Ounce Bottle 

can sometimes be found at organic stores or at Amazon.  

It looks like this:

Furniture Polish

3/4 cup oil (olive or jojoba)

1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice

Combine in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag and wipe onto wood surface. Use the clean side of the rag to buff your furniture. Cover the jar and store your cleaner for later.

Olive oil can be found at your supermarket, but sometimes leaves a strong odor.  I think that adding the lemon juice is a better choice than the vinegar for a fresh smell.   As to Jojoba oil, it is generally a hair product and has a mild smell.

You can definitely find

 Trader Joe's 100% Pure Jojoba Oil 

at Amazon.

Carpet Deodorizer

Sprinkle baking soda on carpet and let sit overnight.

or 1 cup Borax with 2 cup cornmeal. Sprinkle over carpet, let sit for an hour and then vacuum.

I got ride of my carpets and have ceramic floors, but this deodorizer works for my area rugs.  You can store it in a jar and use it later.  

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My Favorite Video on Green Cleaning

How To Green Clean Your Home

The first step in cleaning your home is knowing your ingredients.  I searched on Youtube and found this video by Patty Kim.  She explains the essential ingredients which can be found in the grocery aisle of your local supermarket or on Amazon.com.

Simple ingredients such as borax, baking soda and vinegar are used to make these cleaners.  Vinegar works as a mold inhibitor and as a disinfectant.  The hardest ingredient to find is castile soap since it is only available at organic stores.  I was lucky to find this organic vegetable based soap available at Amazon:

Make sure you buy a recyclable plastic bottle to store and mix the ingredients.  Do not start mixing before reading on! Why is that?  If you mix bleach and vinegar, then you would create an explosive combination.   I will be blogging on how to make these ingredients work for your home and providing real life examples.

It takes a bit of patience and a bit of chemistry to make this work, but you can do it!

Remember that according to Patty Kim, there is no use in buying expensive cleaners at the grocery store.  Do not procrastinate!  Follow the cleaning routines at The Cleaning Lady Blog.  With this routine and the green cleaners, your house will be sparkly clean in no time.  

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Make Your Own Green Cleaners Now!

I was tired of toxic fumes when spraying the bathroom tile. I knew that there must be some efficient way to clean green and conserve the environment. The average American uses around 40 lbs of toxic cleaners every year.  This is an incredible amount of cleaner and impact to our environment.  The fumes from these cleaners can lead to worsening of allergies. At some point, I had to put a stop to it.  I had to look for an answer so I found a solution which could work safely and efficiently. I went to the supermarket and started reading labels and minded to stay away from certain chemicals. I made a list of these chemicals down the supermarket aisle:

List of chemicals to stay away from:

"Sodium hydroxide

hydrochloric acid

formaldehyde

bleach (sodium hypochlorite)

ammonia

 sulfamic acid

petroleum distillates

sulfuric acid

lye (potassium hydroxide) 

morpholine."

Most green cleaners can be made at home and some can be bought. You too can make a green cleaner that is absolutely non toxic and biodegradable.

After my allergies worsened, I went to the doctor who told me that I should stay away from the toxic cleaners. Following his advice, I'm starting this lens to help others make and use green products. I'm positively sure that it will help you out in your next cleaning routine.

You can find the essentials of establishing cleaning routines at
The Cleaning Lady Blog.

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