10 Tips for Healthy House Cleaning

1. General cleaning

Use Bon Ami or another natural cleaning product from a recommended commercial cleaning Winnipeg company, or 1/2 cup Borax dissolved in 1 gallon hot water, or 1/2 cup of washing soda (sodium bicarbonate) with 1 bucket warm water. Use old spray bottles for storage. For tough stains, use 1/2 a lemon in Borax and rub.

2. Mildew

Dissolve 1/2 cup Borax and 1/2 cup white vinegar in warm water for a rubbing paste.

3. Drain Cleaner

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain followed by 1 cup white vinegar. Allow mixture to foam for several minutes, then flush with 1 gallon boiling water.

4. Rust Stains on Porcelain

Put ketchup (yes, ketchup!) on the stain and leave for a few hours. Rub and rinse!

5. Glass Cleaner

Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 tbsp corn starch, and 1 qt water.

6. Metal Polish

For silver, add 1 tbsp baking soda and salt to boiling water. Drop in silver and boil for 3 mins. Polish with soft cloth.

For brass, mix equal parts of flour and salt into small amount of vinegar and rub.

7. Carpet Cleaner

2 parts cornmeal and 1 part Borax. Sprinkle on carpet and leave for 1 hour, then vacuum (I never spell vacuum right!). For stains, dampen stained area then rub in Borax. Let stand until dry, and then vacuum.

8. Laundry

Use soaps and non-phosphate detergents such as Ivory Snow, Borax, and Ecover for showers, body odor removal, or washing laundry. For bleach alternative use full strength Borax and water or non-chlorine bleach (this is great because I get severe headaches with bleach!)

9. Dishwashing Soap

Use vegetable-based products, such as Seventh Generation.

10. Floor and Furniture Polish

Mix 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp olive oil, and 10 drops of essential lemon oil. Or simply dust with a slightly dampened cloth!

Pretty easy and inexpensive! And most of all, you’ll be living lighter and kinder to the earth. The #1 cause of coastal water pollution are these needless products we buy. Also investing in a vacuum and steam cleaner all in one can really help and make cleaning easier.

Tips courtesy of Clean Ocean Action.

Photo credit: www.homeec101.com