Are you willing to go a step farther with becoming Eco-friendly? Is your house dirty and needs to be cleaned? Did you know that the chemicals in some detergents and cleaning products may be harmful to your health? And they are equally damaging to the Eco-system. This summer, get clean while staying GREEN! The following are exciting make-it-yourself household cleaning supplies that will last a long time and are Eco-friendly! (We are so excited to start using these products in our NYC office!) Feeling crafty? Well, the following five recipes will help you clean your houses while they help save the environment. (Don't worry, everything needed can be found in your local grocery store, online or at your local health food store!!!)
Easy All-Purpose Cleaner
- For a solution that will wipe up messy spots, mix two cups of white vinegar with equal parts water (plus a little essential oil, like tea tree, rosemary or lavender, to add a fragrance, if you want one). To boost its cleaning power, warm it in the microwave in a glass container.
Creamy Soft Scrub:
- Do your bathroom or kitchen tiles need a good scrubbing? Mix two cups baking soda, 1/2-cup liquid castile soap, four teaspoons vegetable glycerin, and five drops of an antibacterial essential oil, such as cinnamon bark, lemongrass and thyme oils, for fragrance. Then, tackle those tiles! And once you are done, you can store the scrub in a glass jar for two years.
Furniture Polish:
- Shine up your favorite furniture by wiping it down with a mix of 1/4-cup olive oil with four tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 20 to 30 drops of lemon essential oil. Don’t have the latter? Swap it for two teaspoons of lemon juice and store the polish in the fridge after you have cleaned, to keep it fresh.
Laundry Detergent
- This detergent gets your clothes clean without the extra chemicals. First, make soap flakes by grating a pure vegetable soap bar with a cheese grater. Then, mix one cup of the flakes with 1/2-cup of washing soda (found in the laundry aisle) and 1/2-cup of borax, a powder or crystalline salt water softener and disinfectant. Use one to two tablespoons of the detergent per load of laundry.
Drain Opener:
- Who knew vinegar works wonders on clogged drains, too? Pour 1/2-cup of baking soda into the drain, and then follow that with a cup of vinegar. After about 30 minutes, flush the train with boiling water.
