1. Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaning products Save money and help the environment!

2. Most modern synthetic cleaning products are based on ancient formulas using natural ingredients. Going back to the original ingredients is a way to make at home cleaning products that work, don’t pollute, are not toxic and save you money. Some of the ingredients: baking soda washing (caustic) soda vinegar liquid soap essential oil Continue

3. Fabric softener 3 cups 5% vinegar 2 cups water Mix the ingredients in a bottle. Use as a usual softener. It really makes the fabric soft and absorbent, and leaves no smell of vinegar. *If you miss the commercial softener’s smell, you can add 15 drops of your favourite essential oil ( eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, etc.)

4. By the way: Here’s a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners : *Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer *Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant *Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's Hazardous Waste list, can cause central nervous system disorders *Limonene: Known carcinogen *A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage *Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list *Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders *Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic *Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders *Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

5. Oven Cleaner 1 box baking soda 1/4 cup washing soda 1) In a container mix the ingredients well. 2) Wet the floor and walls of the oven using a rag or paper towels. Generously sprinkle the walls and floor with the mixture. Repeat and allow to sit over night. 3) In the morning, wipe all the grease and film away using an old rag. Rinse well. 4) Stubborn stains may have to be scrubbed with an abrasive pad and some salt. Oven cleaners are among the most caustic chemicals used in a kitchen. Who would have thought that the job could be just as effectively accomplished with a simple box of harmless baking soda?

6. Dishwashing Liquid 1/4 cup soap flakes 2 cups hot water 1/4 cup glycerin 1/2 teaspoon essential essential oil (lemon) 1) In bowl combine soap flakes and water and stir until the soap is dissolved. Cool to luke warm. 2)Stir in the glycerin and the essential oil. As it cools it will form a loose gel. Stir with a fork and break up the gel and then pour into a narrow-necked bottle. An old shampoo bottle makes an excellent container. This inexpensive soap cleans so well! Use with hot water. Do not use it in automatic dishwashers.

7. CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit. Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

8. Septic Toilet Activator 2 cups hot water 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons dried yeast Dissolve the brown sugar in hot water and leave till it is luke -warm. Stir in the yeast, and immediately flush the mixture down the toilet. Do this last thing at night when there is not as much activity in the bathroom. Use this if there is a persistent odour from the septic tank and indications that the sewage digesting bacteria are not present in sufficient numbers

9. VINEGAR DEODORIZER Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board, and in your bathroom, and use them for cleaning. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off. In general, vinegar is a great deodorizer- even for carpets and furniture. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours.

10. See? It’s easy! Now you too can avoid toxic products, help the environment and save money at the same time! Pass it forward!