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Simple Solutions: Green Cleaning

Many of today’s popular cleaning brands are based on the simple home-grown recipes used many years ago.

Fast and Free

Using baking powder to scour. It will take care of coffee stains, soap build-up in tubs and showers and remove other sticky stuff from surfaces.
For a clogged drain, pour in half a cup of baking soda, half a cup of white vinegar and then cover the drain.
Preserve and polish vinyl or linoleum with a capful of baby oil added to water.
Polish floors by applying a thin coat of oil and vinegar in equal amounts and rub in well.
Clean painted wooden floors by using one teaspoon of washing soda (sodium carbonate) and four litres of hot water.
Remove soap traces with a few drops of vinegar in water.
Clean your oven with baking soda or dry table salt as a scouring powder.
Clean your toilet bowl by using a half-cup baking soda and one cup vinegar or the same combination of borax and lemon juice.
Clean windows and glass by using solutions of vinegar and water, cornstarch and vinegar and water, or lemon juice and water.
Add one tablespoon of Borax to one and a half cups baking soda for more cleaning power.
Try vinegar for glass cleaning. Put equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle and use newspaper to dry the glass for a streak-free surface.
Use ketchup to remove tarnish from metals. You can also just use hot water for a quick clean.
Another tarnish remover recipe (great for small items like jewelry): one tablespoon baking soda, a small strip of tin foil and one cup hot water. Soak items for two hours.

When making your own cleaners, add your favourite essential oils to add fragrance.
When buying cleaning products, look for environmentally friendly ones at the grocery store. Consider buying brands that are recognized by Environmental Choice's EcoLogo program.
For dusting, cleaning your car interior and other cleaning activities, try microfibre cloths or other cleaning tools that may help you avoid cleaning products altogether.
Multi-purpose cleaner: Combine three quarters of a cup of white vinegar, two teaspoons Borax, three and a half cups of hot water, 20 drops of essential oil (lavender or lemon are good), and three quarters of a cup of Castile soap (a pure olive oil-based soap). Mix ingredients and store in a clean pump bottle.
Furniture polish: Combine three quarters of a cup of olive oil, three quarters of a cup of vinegar and two teaspoons lemon juice. Mix ingredients and store in a clean pump bottle. Shake well and apply liberally to wood surfaces.

Do you hire cleaners? Consider using someone who is “Green Clean Institute Certified.”
Consider replacing your floors with easy-to-clean polished concrete that incorporates recycled materials.
Buy electrostatic air filters for your home to remove 95.3 per cent of airborne particles and to improve the efficiency of your heating and air conditioning systems.