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Tips for non-toxic
house cleaning
There are many ingredients
in your own kitchen or bathroom cupboard
that could easily be substituted for cleaners.
More and more people are looking
for natural ways of cleaning as their concerns
grow over chemicals in cleaners that can
cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches
and dizziness.
Many common household cleaners
contain alcohol, ammonia, bleach, formaldehyde
and lye, substances that can cause nausea,
vomiting, inflammation and burning of the
eyes and throat.
Environmentalists have linked
these ingredients with neurological, liver
and kidney damage, asthma and cancer.
There are hundreds of homegrown
recipes for green cleaning, here are some
of the basic ingredients and combinations
you can try:
Five Basic Ingredients
Any of these ingredients can
be safely mixed together. Experiment and
find out what works best for you. Store mixtures
in spray bottles and label them.
- White Vinegar: Mix
with water and you can clean windows, any
glass, countertops and tile.
- Baking Soda: Mixed
with water this becomes an all purpose
cleaner. Scour sinks, tubs and even sprinkle
over carpets as a deodorizer.
- Salt: great
as an abrasive for cleaning pots and pans.
- Lemon Juice: use
as bleach in laundry and on kitchen surfaces.
Combine with vinegar and water and you
have a nice de-clogger.
- Olive oil: Mix
with vinegar and use as furniture polish.
Cook up some green
cleaners:
Drain cleaner: Pour
125 ml of baking soda down the sink and add
at least a cup of vinegar. Put the cover
on the drain and wait a few minutes. Finish
by rinsing through with a mixture of boiling
water and salt.
Oven cleaner: Make a
paste of baking soda and water. First, scratch
off burnt spots with a scouring brush and
then apply the paste and scrub.
Kitchen cleanser : Use
baking soda on non-scratch surfaces and vinegar
and water mixture on all others.
Window cleaner: Put
75 ml of vinegar for every litre of water
in a spray bottle.
Glass cleaner: Blend
75 ml of vinegar, a spoonful of cornstarch
and a litre of warm water. Apply with a sponge
and wipe dry. No streaks!
Toilet bowl cleaner: Sprinkle
baking soda around the inside of the toilet
bowl and clean with toilet brush. Also drop
some white vinegar into the bowl and let
sit a few minutes before cleaning with the
brush.
Tub and tile cleaner: Mix
400 ml baking soda, 125 ml liquid soap, 125
ml water and a few spoonfuls of vinegar.
Apply, scrub and wipe.
Mildew remover: Vinegar
and salt.
Silver polish: Put
a sheet of aluminum foil into a plastic or
glass bowl. Sprinkle the foil with salt and
baking soda and fill bowl with warm water.
Soak your silver in the bowl and tarnish
migrates to the foil. Dry and buff.
Crystal: Try a mixture
of vinegar, water and a small amount of baking
soda. Pour on a soft cloth and rub.
Brass cleaner: Cut a
lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt and
rub the lemon on the metal. Buff with a cloth.
Copper cleaning: Make
a paste with equal parts white vinegar, flour
and salt, leave on for an hour and then buff
with a cloth.
Rust removal: Vinegar
can help remove rust on nuts and bolts and
other mineral deposits such as calcium deposits
Toothpaste: Diminishes
glass scratches, lifts crayon marks off
the floor.
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