Detoxification

“Green” household cleaning chemicals — recipes for inexpensive, non-toxic alternatives

Soft scrubber for bathroom sinks and tubs: Combine ½-cup of baking soda with liquid soap to make a paste. Use a sponge to apply the mixture to a bathroom sink or tub surface. It rinses easily and doesn’t scratch. For toilets, straight vinegar can be used for every day cleaning and deodorizing. Stubborn rings in the toilet can be removed by pouring 1 cup of vinegar onto the stain, letting it soak for 5 minutes, then sprinkling baking soda on the stain before scrubbing. Or, for really bad stains, a paste of borax and lemon juice can be applied to the bowl (flush it first so it’s wet when you rub the paste on). Let the paste sit two hours, scrub, and flush it away.

Silver polish: Line a sink or glass baking dish with aluminum foil, and fill it with hot water. Add two tablespoons each of salt and baking soda. Drop the silver pieces into the container, making sure they’re touching the foil and each other. The tarnish will disappear as the baking soda initiates a chemical reaction with the aluminum that draws the oxidation off the silver (heavily tarnished items might need as long as five minutes). Remove the silver when it looks clean, rinse and dry it to remove the baking soda residue, and buff it with a soft towel. A container of activated charcoal or a piece of chalk stored with the silver will minimize future tarnish.

Brass, pewter, or copper polish: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white vinegar and add white flour until a paste forms. Rub the paste onto the metal and let it stand about 15 minutes, then rinse in warm water and polish until dry.

Window cleaner: Mix white vinegar and water in a spray bottle — half water and half vinegar works for very dirty windows, but you can also get away with less vinegar if your windows just need a touch-up. If this mixture leaves streaks, there may be wax build-up from chemical cleaners on the glass, which can be removed with rubbing alcohol before cleaning with the vinegar and water. If you’re pressed for time, combine ½-teaspoon of liquid soap with 3 tablespoons of vinegar in 2 cups of warm water and remove wax while you clean — the windows aren’t quite as crystal-clear as you’ll get with just vinegar and water, but the soap will remove the residue.

Here’s a useful tip for colder climates: A solution of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water can be used to “coat” the windows of your car to keep them from freezing in the winter.

Wood cleaner and polish: Wood furniture can be cleaned with the same vinegar and water mix you make for windows. Once the cleaning fluid evaporates, you can polish the wood with a mixture of an oil plus an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar. Mineral oil is most commonly used in commercial polish and works well for home-made versions, too, but if you have young children you might prefer to use an edible oil, such as olive or corn oil, so there’s no concern about toxicity should your child happen to drink your furniture polish! Just be aware that polish made with edible oils needs to be refrigerated. One part lemon juice mixed with two parts oil makes a lemon-scented polish, or use vinegar in place of the lemon juice (white vinegar for light woods, cider vinegar for dark). If there are stubborn rings from wet cups or glasses in the wood, use equal parts vinegar and olive oil and rub with the grain of the wood to remove the stain. For wood floors, you can clean with the vinegar/water solution and then rub a polish made of equal parts white vinegar and vegetable oil into the wood to keep them shiny.

Heaven knows we have enough toxins in our environment — why not eliminate a few around the house? These tips are great for getting started! Use your creativity to choose aromatic essential oils to include in your recipes, or the ratios that work best for your own home needs. More helpful cleaning tips and recipes can be found using the resources in our References section. It’s such a great feeling to dwell in a space that’s clean and green — and getting there can be an inexpensive and health-enhancing endeavor.

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References & further reading on nontoxic green cleaning

 

Last Modified Date: 04/18/2011