Recently a friend of mine who had just become a new Mum was searching for the “greenest” household cleaning products in order to make her home chemical free and reduce the risk of allergies. I was reminded of the time in the 80’s, when as a new Mum myself, with a baby who suffered multiple allergies, I had to do the same research. I found that most cleaning could be taken care of by using store cupboard basics. Cleaning with natural products is not only healthier but more cost effective and reduces the need to recycle all those plastic containers. Here are just a few of my recipes. If you would like more or have specific requests then contact me at info@itsecotime.com

General Cleaner and Disinfectant

Dissolve 1 cup Borax in a gallon of warm water

Scouring Powder

Sprinkle Borax, baking powder or dry table salt on a damp sponge; scour and rinse.  Alternatively rub the area to be cleaned with half a lemon dipped in Borax.  Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

Dishwasher Soap

Most automatic dishwashing detergents contain phosphates that pollute waterways. An environmentally preferred alternative is one part borax and one part washing soda.

Laundry Soap

Detergents were designed to clean synthetic fibers.  Natural fibers can be cleaned with natural substances.  Use a mixture of half borax and half washing soda.  To keep colors from fading, add a drop or 2 of vinegar in the laundry water.

Lavender Laundry Softener

32oz white vinegar, 32oz baking soda, 64oz distilled or purified water. ½ oz lavender essential oil.  Mix the vinegar and baking soda together over a sink as the two material when mixed will cause a fizzing reaction.  Add water and essential oil and stir again.  Pour into a container and use ¼ cup per load in the rinse cycle.

Drain Opener

Dissolve 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar in boiling water and pour down the drain.  Continue to flush with hot tap water until the clog breaks.

Over Cleaner

For spills, let the oven cool, then sprinkle salt on the spill right away.  Let it cool for a few minutes, then scrape the spill away and wash the area clean. For scouring the oven use baking powder.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Use a solution of baking soda and water or vinegar to clean the bowl. Sprinkle baking soda around the rim.  Scrub with toilet brush as needed.  The solution will clean and deoderize.

Furniture Polish

Mix 2 parts cooking oil with 1 part lemon juice.  Apply to furniture with a soft cloth and wipe dry.

Ceramic Tile Cleaner

A mixture of ¼ cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water removes dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film.

I am so happy to read current consumer reports which show the trend for buying bottled water is shifting. Of course some of this shift can be attributed to the economy as bottled  water is expensive.  Hopefully though some people are making this choice because filtered tap water is a greener option. Quality home water filters are a more economical and convenient solution to ensuring your family enjoys healthy water. Remember they key points I made in an earlier blog:

• There are no government standards that require bottled water to be purer or safer than tap water.

At this time of year it is an excellent time to start thinking about setting up that rain barrel, or barrels, to capture the Spring rains.  Rain is free, and shortage of water a growing global concern, so it makes sense to make recycling rainwater as much part of your recycling programme as bottles, cans and newspapers.  It can take as little as 1/4″ of rainfall to fill a 60 gallon rain barrel. Capturing rainwater as it falls will help reduce your domestic water needs and is another great way to green up your lifestyle.