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How to make your own cheap green house cleaning products

Sunday, July 11, 2010

All house cleaning products don't have to come from the supermarket. Fresh air, water and good old fashioned elbow grease are some of the best home cleaning remedies.

Adding ingredients like bicarb soda, borax, soap, salt or white vinegar to the basics of air and water creates a great home cleaning kit to clean a house in a planet-friendly, affordable way. After all, who wants to know their kids are licking the chemicals from the spray pack you've smeared all over your household surfaces? Yuck! Adding a rag, a bucket and recyclable spray bottle to your home cleaning products list will give you a supply of cheap and effective home cleaning tools, all for less than the price of a few house cleaning products you would normally buy.

We cannot over look the importance of elbow grease. As lovely as home-made cleaning concoctions are, clean, green home made cleaning products can require longer scrubbing action or soaking time than traditional home cleaning products. And they may not bubble and foam or smell as beautiful as the supermarket bought home cleaners.

Please don't let that put you off. Many of these ingredients are much cheaper and safer than traditional home cleaning products, and really there is no point in creating a green home unless you KEEP it green by house cleaning with non-toxic ingredients.

The wonder of water

Water doesn’t sound terribly potent as a cleaning product, and it can leave lime scale or spot marks, but it is very powerful at removing dirt and grease. Adding a little heat to the water will give it even more grime-removing power. Adding a flake or two of soap (organic plant-based soaps are the most biodegradable option) will make it work even harder. Hot soapy water is one of the best home cleaners around. It will clean bench tops, wash dishes and of course clean you and your famliy!

Hot soapy water is a more powerful home cleaner than warm or cold water, as the heat activates the alkaline soap into lifting dirt more effectively from the surface. Wiping the surface dry and clean is as important as the washing process. Wiping a bench with an old rag will clean the surface more thoroughly than spraying it with a harsh cleaning chemical that is simply left on the surface. Soap, especially plant-based soaps - can leave a film of dirt behind if you don’t wipe the surface dry.

The wonder of fresh air

We all know the wonders of fresh air, but most of us forget how important it is at keeping rooms, especially bathrooms, clean. Mould and bacteria thrive in moist environments, so the best way to prevent them is to have plenty of air circulating. Airing and cleaning your house regularly is important for deodorising and making sure the air inside the home is regularly exchanged and freshened. Even just a few minutes a day can really improve your indoor air quality, no matter what season it is.

Air-drying brushes, cleaning rags and clothes is a great way to maintain your cleaning tools for the best hygiene. Simply leave them to dry outside in the sunshine (where the UV rays add that little  touch of extra germ-killing power) and simply throw cleaning rags in the washing machine and then hang them on the clothes line to dry.

The ingredients to add to your home cleaning kit

Bicarb Soda is fairly safe to use but a few spoonfuls will do. This white powder is mildly abrasive and has a high pH, it can neutralize odours by changing the pH rather than masking the smell like essential oils do. Mixed with a little detergent, it creates a creamy cleanser but remember to use only a little if you don’t want white powdery smear all over your bench.

Washing soda or sodium carbonate decahydrate is a mineral that is also caustic. It cuts grease, removes stains and can be used to clean walls, sinks, tubs, and tile. You can add two tablespoons to four litres of hot water to make your own surface spray and is especially good on ovens, outdoor furniture and barbecues. Rinse off and dry thoroughly, though! Avoid using it on tiles or aluminum.

White vinegar is the same stuff you put on your salad but is good for removing mildew, cutting grease, getting rid of odors, and removing stains and wax build-up. Generations of housekeepers swear it shines floors better than detergents (which leave a film behind) as it evaporates quickly. It can be used as the rinse-aid in the dishwasher and a dose in the washing machine every now and then will help remove detergent build-up and whiten clothes. Its powerful when combined with Bi-Carb Soda as the froth and bubble of the alkali and acid combined will lift and remove heavy grime.

Salt Simple cooking salt is a mild abrasive that can be used to scrub pots and pans or coffee-stained mugs. A paste of salt and vinegar cleans tarnished brass or copper while pouring hot, salty brine down the kitchen sink prevents grease from collecting in the drain pipe. Salt is also said to repel ants, so cleaning surfaces with saltwater may help.

Make your own home cleaners

White Vinegar  Put four parts water and one part vinegar in a spray bottle to clean rubbish bins, the acid will neutralize the smell and disinfect the surface.

Bi-Carb Soda Perfect to clean stainless steel sinks. Wash down with vinegar to clean to help clear the drains and finish with a blast of hot water.