Shift Your Habit to a Fresh Start This Spring
PAGE 4
Play Kitchen Chemist—Save $200
Replace your standard household cleaning products with home remedies—just like the ones your grandma used. You could save up to $200 per year on commercial cleaning products and avoid exposing your family—and our groundwater—to tons of toxic substances.
Use these recipes:
All-Purpose Cleaner
8 cups of water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 baking soda
Mix in a spray bottle. Good for hard water stains. Can be stored for later use.
Disinfectant All-Purpose Cleaner
2 cups water
3 drops Castile soap
30 drops lavender essential oil
Mix in spray bottle. Use on any surface (countertop, toilet, tile, kid's room).
Glass Cleaner
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol (70 percent)
1 to 2 drops essential oil
Mix in spray bottle. Use to clean all glass surfaces or mirrors. Use newspaper instead of paper towels if possible.
Oven/Stove Cleaner
1 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. baking soda
Mix ingredients in bowl or jar. Apply paste to spill spots. Let sit for two hours. Wipe up with sponge or scrub with old toothbrush.
Toilet Cleaner
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
Mix ingredients in bowl or jar. Pour into toilet. After three minutes, scrub with brush and flush.
Bathroom Cleaner
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
Mix in spray bottle. Spray on areas with mold and leave on for at least an hour before rinsing.
Soap Scum
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup baking soda
Mix ingredients to make paste. Use to scour away soap scum with clean sponge, cloth or bristle brush.
Drain Cleaner
8 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
Pour baking soda down the drain followed by the vinegar. Let sit for five minutes. Flush down with near-boiling water.
Carpet Stain Remover
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 borax
1/4 cup salt
Mix in bowl or jar. Rub paste into carpet and let dry. Then vacuum.
Carpet Deodorizers
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup dried herbs (lavender, basil or rosemary)
Mix ingredients in flour sifter and sprinkle around room. Vacuum after 30 minutes.
Wood Furniture Polish
2 tbsp. borax
1/4 cup lemon juice
Mix and apply to clean cotton cloth. Use wide strokes to polish wood surface.
Fabric Softener
1/2 cup white vinegar
Add to rinse cycle in place of liquid fabric softener.
Replace your standard household cleaning products with home remedies—just like the ones your grandma used. You could save up to $200 per year on commercial cleaning products and avoid exposing your family—and our groundwater—to tons of toxic substances.
Use these recipes:
All-Purpose Cleaner
8 cups of water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 baking soda
Mix in a spray bottle. Good for hard water stains. Can be stored for later use.
Disinfectant All-Purpose Cleaner
2 cups water
3 drops Castile soap
30 drops lavender essential oil
Mix in spray bottle. Use on any surface (countertop, toilet, tile, kid's room).
Glass Cleaner
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol (70 percent)
1 to 2 drops essential oil
Mix in spray bottle. Use to clean all glass surfaces or mirrors. Use newspaper instead of paper towels if possible.
Oven/Stove Cleaner
1 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. baking soda
Mix ingredients in bowl or jar. Apply paste to spill spots. Let sit for two hours. Wipe up with sponge or scrub with old toothbrush.
Toilet Cleaner
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
Mix ingredients in bowl or jar. Pour into toilet. After three minutes, scrub with brush and flush.
Bathroom Cleaner
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
Mix in spray bottle. Spray on areas with mold and leave on for at least an hour before rinsing.
Soap Scum
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup baking soda
Mix ingredients to make paste. Use to scour away soap scum with clean sponge, cloth or bristle brush.
Drain Cleaner
8 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup baking soda
Pour baking soda down the drain followed by the vinegar. Let sit for five minutes. Flush down with near-boiling water.
Carpet Stain Remover
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 borax
1/4 cup salt
Mix in bowl or jar. Rub paste into carpet and let dry. Then vacuum.
Carpet Deodorizers
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup dried herbs (lavender, basil or rosemary)
Mix ingredients in flour sifter and sprinkle around room. Vacuum after 30 minutes.
Wood Furniture Polish
2 tbsp. borax
1/4 cup lemon juice
Mix and apply to clean cotton cloth. Use wide strokes to polish wood surface.
Fabric Softener
1/2 cup white vinegar
Add to rinse cycle in place of liquid fabric softener.