Friday, March 4, 2011

Learning to Fly: Cleaning Up


It's time to clean this place up before I leave it for the next inhabitant.  I don't like using toxic sprays and scrubs to clean with.  Seems sort of counterproductive to kill germs and replace them with harmful chemicals.  Do you have any idea how bad most of the things you use daily to clean with can be to you and your family? I highly recommend doing a little research and then trying to transition to natural ways of cleaning. It's proven that the natural cleansers are just as effective and usually they are cheaper and better for the environment too.  I'll give you a few easy ones I feel are good to start with and I tossed in a couple recent articles I found informative.  

All Purpose Cleaner
1/2 cup Borax
1 gallon hot water

Mix until the borax dissolves and then use to mop or wipe down (non wooden) surfaces.

Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup white vinegar 
2 cups of water

Mix and spray on glass surface to be cleaned.  Don't forget old newspapers work great for keeping it streak free!

Floor and Wall Cleaner
1 cup white vinegar
1 gallon hot water
optional: one teaspoon - 1/4 cup liquid soap
optional: pine or lemon scented oil (a couple tablespoons)

Mix it all together and wash those floors and even walls (wood is fine) as you normally would.  If you opt to add the liquid soap for a little extra cleaning power just use a clean water rinse after.




Don't forget to whistle while you work.

Whistling is free and free is cheap.





3 comments:

  1. vinegar also works great to clean vegetables with, and if you rinse them really well they don't taste like it (like any cleaner i've tried). also i recently heard vinegar and arm & hammer work better than drano, something i'm planning on trying soon in my bathroom since its perpetually slow no matter how much drano i pour down it. thanks for the recipe's, i hate buying expensive cleaners hoping they'll work, they never really live up to the promises on the packaging.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is great info! I can't wait to add our new laundry detergent recipe to the mix too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. leah, thanks for the vinegar idea! way cheaper than those fancy vegetable sprays. stacy, you really want to do laundry don't you...maybe leah can get in on the detergent making day! yes??

    ReplyDelete