Serves 4
Total Time:
Typical store-bought cleaners can contain a lot of chemicals that are hazardous to your health. These are my favorite alternatives that can be made from stuff you may already have in your closet or pantry. Not are they much more environmentally friendly, but they effective, much less expensive and contain much safer ingredients.
Ingredients
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Distilled white vinegar
- Baking soda
- Water
- Vegetable-based liquid soap
- Linseed oil
- Lavender (or your favorite) essential oil
All-Purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant
Mix one part hydrogen peroxide and one part distilled white vinegar with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Spray it on kitchen counters, bathroom vanities, and other surfaces. This solution kills 90 percent of the bacteria and spores it encounters.
Glass Cleaner
Mix one part distilled white vinegar with one part water and spray on glass. Old newspapers make excellent, lint-free substitutes for paper towels.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Pour one-half cup distilled white vinegar into toilet. Add one-half cup baking soda. This mixture will bubble and foam for a minute or so. Scrub the toilet as usual, and flush.
Wood Cleaner
Mix one cup of mild, biodegradable, vegetable-based liquid soap with one-half cup linseed oil and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. This is a wonderful way to nourish wood, including old wooden floors.
All-Purpose Degreaser
In a large bucket, mix 3 to 4 cups of white vinegar with one cup of baking soda. (Don’t be alarmed by the amount of bubbling foam this creates — it’s perfectly normal!) This is a superior degreaser for walls and woodwork; it leaves no residue and does not need to be rinsed off.
Last Updated: October 8, 2018
Originally Published: December 12, 2012
