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MORE EASY, GREEN CLEANING

You need very few supplies to make homemade cleaning products. Most of the items you'll need, you likely have around the house already...

A few old spray bottles. You can purchase some, or clean out your old ones (the ones that had icky cleaners in them) and reuse them.
Baking soda.
Table salt.
White distilled vinegar.
Good old plain tap H2O.
Olive oil.
Castile Soap (made from potash and olive oil)
Fresh lemons.
Organic essential oil of tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and rosemary. You don't need all of them, but having at least a couple on hand is helpful.
Make eco-friendly cloths of old t-shirts, ripped clothes, and so on. If you're going to clean green, you may as well ditch the paper towels while you're at it.
Hydrogen Peroxide

EASY, GREEN CLEANING SUPPLY RECIPES:
Window wash: Simply mix 3 tablespoons vinegar with 2 cups of water (or for a bigger job - 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 gallon water) and spray right on your windows. Scrub with recycled newspaper.

All-purpose disinfectant: Mix 2 cups water, a few drops of castile soap, and 15 drops each of tea tree and lavender organic essential oil. You can spray this on all kinds of home surfaces - changing tables, cutting boards, toilets, sinks, walls, and more. DONT' USE THIS ON GLASS, as it will streak. This basic cleaner is so safe and gentle you could literally spray it on your kids.

Scrubbing toilets: Drizzle your toilet bowl with vinegar or lemon juice, or spray on some of your all-purpose disinfectant. Sprinkle with baking soda. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrub with toilet brush. This mix will also clean sinks perfectly.

Fast non-toxic oven cleaning: You don't want to use conventional oven cleaners--any product that requires open windows and gloves to use is not OK to use around your kids (or yourself). The best tip is not to wait to clean your oven until it gets very dirty. An old stain is harder to clean. To clean oven stains naturally, sprinkle table salt liberally on the hot spill before the oven cools down. Allow the oven to cool. Grab a damp cloth and rub off the spill.

Mold fighter: The problem is that once you have mold, you have it, and it can be almost impossible, if not totally impossible, to get rid of. Prevention is key. To fight mold from ever occurring, mix two cups of water and three drops of pure organic tea tree essential oil. Once a week, spray your walls with this solution (even behind furniture) and wipe dry. This mixture fights stains and the natural antiseptic qualities of tea tree oil fights mold and mildew.
Indoor air cleaner. Use plants. The most effective plants include aloe vera, English Ivy, fig trees, potted chrysanthemum, spider plants.

Oven cleaner: Use baking soda and water. Sprinkle water on the grime. Sprinkle on baking soda. Form a paste. Let sit over night. Clean up with an old rag.

Silver cleaner: Line a pan with aluminum foil. Fill with water. Add 2 tsp each, baking soda & salt. Bring to a boil. Immerse silver pieces. Your blackened silver will turn bright silver and the aluminum will turn black. How? Easy! Electrolysis.

Scouring powder: Make a paste of baking soda & vinegar. Rub gently.

Wood polish: Rub with 1 tbsp of lemon oil mixed with 1 pint olive oil. Buff with a soft cloth.

For more on Bay Friendly cleaning tips, see page 46 of the Island Blue Pages.