LiveGreen – ‘Green’ spring cleaning

If you haven’t gotten around to spring cleaning yet (most likely because it hasn’t felt like spring) fear not. There’s a way to clean your house without all the harsh chemicals.

Here are some tips from The Daily Green and Mother Nature Network.

  • A spray bottle filled with a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and water will clean hard surfaces like countertops, windows, tile and floors.
  • Cutting boards can be sanitized with an application of white vinegar or lemon juice left on for 10 minutes before rinsing.
  • Lemon peels will deodorize a garbage disposal.
  • To clean toilets, flush once and sprinkle baking soda. Then spray with vinegar and let it foam. Scrub with a toilet brush and flush to rinse.
  • A thick paste of baking soda, salt and water applied to the floor and walls of your oven and left overnight can be scraped off the next day, taking the baked-on grime with it.
  • Club soda will clean stains on fabric and carpet. Apply right away, then blot dry with a clean cloth.

Mother Nature Network and The Daily Green also have recipes for economical, non-toxic cleaners using ingredients found in most homes. The Environmental Working Group provides information about safe commercial cleaning products.