Natural Cleaning August 5, 2008 Kate Schell

What is Natural “Green” Cleaning?  Cleaning which protects your health and the environment  Made with natural “non-toxic” ingredients  Less packaging waste

Remember…  The word “natural” is undefined and unregulated  Be wary of eco-safe, environmentally safe, green terms on packaging  Always do your homework

Why do we use so many chemicals while cleaning?  FEAR!  Big Business/Media  Convenience

Cleaners/Chemicals to Avoid  Bleach  Ammonia

What’s in it?  Formula 409: Ethylene Oxide  Pledge Polish: Petroleum, Naptha  Windex: 2-Butoxyethanol, Ether  Murphy’s Oil Soap: Potassium Hydroxide, Ethanol  Cheer Laundry Soap: Ethanol, Borax, Ethanolamine

Cleaning Hints  Minimize dust: Remove that excess clutter  Go “no shoes”  Vacuum often  Keep bedrooms clean: most of your time is spent here  Clean from the top to the bottom

What do I need to make my own cleaners?  Vinegar  Borax  Baking Soda  Cornstarch  Murphy’s Oil Soap  Bucket  Spray Bottle  Dish Cloths or Rags  Essential Oils  Lemons  Vodka

Best Cleaning Oils  Thyme  Tea Tree  Citrus  Lavender  Eucalyptus  Pine  Clove  Peppermint  Rosemary

Vinegar (acetic acid)  Excellent disinfectant 80-99% kill rate  Cuts grease, removes stains  Natural fabric softener

Borax (sodium borate)  Natural mineral  Kills mold and mildew  Alternative to bleach – deodorizes, boosts cleaning power of soap

Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate)  Originally from the mineral natron  Now synthetically made of sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide  Great silver polisher and light scrub  DO NOT use on aluminum

Window Cleaner  ½ cup vinegar  2 cups water  ¼ teaspoon Murphy’s  ¼ teaspoon essential oil  1 cup rubbing alcohol or vodka  1 cup water  1 tablespoon vinegar

Everyday Cleaner  ½ cup vinegar  ½ cup borax  ½ gallon hot water  ¼ teaspoon essential oil

Floor Cleaner  1 cup vinegar  ¼ cup borax  1 tablespoon Murphy’s  2 gallons hot water

Furniture Cleaner & Polish  ¼ cup vinegar  ¼ olive oil  ¼ teaspoon lemon essential oil Note: Other essential oils may damage the wood finish!

Carpet Deodorizer  1 small container baking soda  ½ cup cornstarch  ½ teaspoon essential oil  Shaker can is optional Let sit 15 minutes to absorb odors

Pots & Pans For burnt on food (I know this never happens to you!)  2 T baking soda  1 quart water Bring water and baking soda to a boil and then let sit 5 minutes. Wash as usual. The stuck on food will come right off.

Drain Cleaner  ½ cup baking soda  1 cup vinegar  1 gallon (very hot but not boiling water) Pour the baking soda down the drain and follow with the vinegar. Immediately plug the drain. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse drain with the hot water.

Fabric Softener  ½ cup vinegar Add to the fabric softener dispenser and wash as usual.

Porcelain Sink Cleaner  Rub with cream of tartar and a damp rag

Bathroom Deodorizer  Sprinkle a few drops of essential oil inside a toilet paper roll. Everytime the roll is turned the scent will be released.

Sterling Silver Polish  1 piece aluminum foil  2 T baking soda  2 quarts very hot water Place the foil in a GLASS pan. Place silver on top, sprinkle with baking soda and pour on the water. DO NOT use with patterned antiqued silver or on silver with patina. Chemical reaction removes tarnish uniformly.