Green Clean

How to make your own window cleaner

souleye · October 11, 2014 ·

If you’re looking for a natural way to clean your windows, consider making your own solution with natural, easy-to-find ingredients.

Most store-bought window cleaners leave a streak-free shine, but they do it with chemicals that are harmful to both you and the environment. For a safer alternative, try one of these homemade window cleaner recipes.

Lemon and Mint

Lemon and mint offer numerous health benefits, but they also have great sanitizing properties, including antibacterial and antiseptic properties, so they keep germs at bay. Lemon is also an acidic fruit, so it’s useful for washing off grease and removing even the most stubborn stains. And, of course, both ingredients smell great.

To make your own batch of lemon-mint window cleaner, mix 2 cups club soda, ½ teaspoon peppermint essential oil, the juice from one lemon, and a teaspoon of corn starch. Put the mix in a spray bottle, and shake the bottle before each use.

Vinegar and Cornstarch

If you prefer something less tempting, go with a vinegar-based solution. Vinegar doesn’t leave streaks on your windows, and because it’s all-natural it’s safe on clothing and hands and isn’t toxic to your kids.

To make your own vinegar window cleaner, mix 2 cups of water with 3 tablespoons of vinegar and half a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent. For an extra kick, use a chemical-free dish detergent, particularly one that smells like lemon, citrus, or some other pleasant fragrance.

If you want to add germ-killing power to your solution, blend in rubbing alcohol. The best mix includes one cup of water, 2 tablespoons each of vinegar and alcohol, and 1 ½ teaspoons of cornstarch. Add a refreshing scent with a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

When it’s time to wash the windows, leave the store-bought stuff aside and create your own safe, effective, all-natural product.

Green cleaning products for tough stains

amie · April 30, 2013 ·

Stains happen. However, many cleaning products available in stores contain toxic chemicals that are dangerous to you and the environment. They’re also expensive! There are several highly effective, safe homemade stain removers that will knock out even the toughest stains. Remember, it’s always best to tackle a stain as soon as possible. When that’s not reality these super-stain fighters can still work their magic:

Soap and Hydrogen Peroxide:

Mix one part Dishwashing Liquid Soap with two parts hydrogen peroxide. Either combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and spray on a cloth, douse the stain directly with the mixture, or allow washable items to soak in it prior to throwing them in the washer. This is a serious, all-purpose stain remover. For an even stronger formula, add a few tablespoons of baking soda. Old red wine stains, dirt, chocolate, yellow armpit stains, and other food stains will start to disappear in front of your eyes. Rub the mixture into the stain with a cloth or toothbrush and let it sit for about an hour, dab away the foam, and launder if necessary. This is also effective on carpets and non-washable items, including mattresses. Again, rub it in, allow it to sit, and dab away foam.

Coarse Salt and Lemon Juice or Coarse Salt and Club Soda:

Coarse salt works especially well for stains on hard surfaces. Are your counter tops discolored from an old tomato sauce stain or a red wine spill? Cover the stain with salt, moisten the salt with lemon juice, let sit for several minutes, and then scrub. Pour salt over urine and vomit stains on hard surfaces as well. Scrub and then rinse with club soda. For coffee or soda stains on the carpet, cover with coarse salt, allow the salt to soak up any liquid, and then vacuum. Good as new!

White Vinegar and Baking Soda:

Nix carpet stains by creating a paste of distilled white vinegar and baking soda. Use a toothbrush to work the mixture into the carpet fibers. Let it dry and then vacuum the paste up. Old stains may require more than one treatment. This is also effective on pet stains, particularly pet urine, as it deodorizes too.

Baking Soda, Liquid Dish Soap, Water, and White Vinegar:

You don’t need a heavy duty cleaner to eliminate stains and mildew in your bathtub and on tiles. Instead, combine 1 1/2 cups of baking soda, 1/2 cup of liquid dishwashing soap, and 1/2 cup of water. Just prior to using the scrub, add a few tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. Wait until the last minute, or the vinegar and baking soda will cause a reaction. Apply the mix, scrub, and wipe clean. Baking soda can be used solo to soak up greasy stains or even added to your laundry detergent to boost its effectiveness.

Cream of Tartar and Hydrogen Peroxide:

Clean rust stains from sinks, porcelain and fixtures or revive discolored aluminum pans by making a paste of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide. Let it dissolve the stains, scrub, and rinse with warm water. When you’re unsure of what a stain is, gently rubbing this paste on the stain and rinsing will work in many cases. You can even use cream of tartar on its own to clean tiles. Let it settle and then wipe it off.

Do you have any other recipes for a homemade stain remover?

3 green spring cleaning tips

amie · April 8, 2013 ·

Spring is here and the climate is beginning to follow suit. With this particular season change, many people enjoy removing the collected dust and stuffiness from winter’s hibernation with a vigorous spring cleaning. As the temperatures begin to rise and the sun shines for more hours per day, all houses can benefit from a thorough cleaning and reorganization. But while a clean house is always better than a messy one, exactly how you go about cleaning deeply affects the space you live in, as well as the environment at large. It’s important to prioritize how you clean in the spring. Following these simple tips makes it easy to achieve. Whether you’re doing the dusting yourself or hiring a professional maid service that already uses eco-friendly cleaning techniques or is willing to do the job according to your recommendations, you can revamp your house for spring and summer and inhale truly fresh air when the job is done.

Do Away With Chemical Air Fresheners
There’s no need to infiltrate your dwelling with toxic chemicals in order to achieve a pleasant smell. The scent of the chemicals is never as good as a natural product, so go for the real thing! Fill the house with fresh flowers or burn essential oils. If you have neither of these handy, boil a pot of water with orange peels or spices of your choice.

Reduce Paper Use
Much of what leads to clutter around the house is paper-oriented. Bulk mail is the major culprit here and it contributes largely to the 2,500 pounds of paper the average American family throws away each year. Identify the bulk mail senders, ask to be removed from their lists, and start paying your bills electronically. This small step can greatly reduce the annoying stacks of unnecessary mail tucked away in your kitchen or office.

Embrace The Art Of Reuse
Spring is an ideal time to sort through all of your belongings and identify heaps of unwanted items. You can donate these items or you can choose to cleverly reuse them. If you can find helpful reuses for these items you can create a more efficient place and reduce the need to fill the void of discarded old things with new things simultaneously. Lonely socks can be used to dust or clean and old newspapers are great for cleaning windows. Even if you find that you don’t have a good reuse for what you no longer want, making a habit out of eyeing your material possessions in this way will help your house to be both more organized and eco-friendly.