Eco-friendly Alternatives to Household Cleaners

Last month the R-Board held its semi-annual household hazardous waste collection at the Regional Landfill. If you missed the spring collection, both Spotsylvania and the R-Board will be hosting collections in September. If you live in another locality, check with your solid waste or public works department to find out when they are having their collection.

In my last post, I stated that the average American home has about 20 gallons of various toxic chemicals in the garage, shed, or under the kitchen sink. If you don’t want to have an average American home, there are three basic steps you can take to make your home a more environmentally friendly, healthy one. First, gradually rid yourself of cleaners and chemicals that are toxic. Second, take time to determine which alternative solutions work best for your needs and replace the hazardous products with products containing natural, non-toxic ingredients that are biodegradable. Look for non-petroleum based ingredients that are chlorine and phosphate free. Finally, stock up on alternative cleaning ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, corn starch, salt, borax, lemon juice, olive oil, mild liquid soap (not detergent), reusable steel wool (not commercial cleaning pads that contain toxic cleaners), and non-chlorine (no sodium hypochlorite) scouring powder. With these ingredients and supplies, you can start by mixing up some of the following earth friendly cleaning alternatives.

All-purpose cleaner: 1 cup of baking soda in 1 gallon of hot water OR 1 teaspoon each of liquid soap, borax, lemon juice, and vinegar plus 1 quart of warm water

Disinfectant: 1/4 cup borax mixed with 1/4 cup white vinegar in hot water

Deodorizer: baking soda

Drain cleaner: pour ½ cup baking soda down drain, followed by ½ cup vinegar, cover drain and overflow until fizzing stops, then flush with boiling water

Glass cleaner: ¼ cup vinegar in 1 quart of water, wipe dry with newspaper

Oven cleaner: Apply a baking soda paste and let stand for 1 hour to overnight, use a pumice stone or steel wool to scrub black spots.

Scouring powder: Salt and baking soda or a pumice stone on porcelain surfaces

Toilet bowl cleaner: Add flat cola for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then brush and flush; for rings and stains, mix borax and lemon juice into a paste, let sit for 2 hours OR scrub with a pumice stone or baking soda

Air freshener: Herbal sachet; houseplants, orange studded with cloves; simmer cinnamon and cloves in water

Laundry soap and stain removers

• Soap: Soap flakes or washing soda and borax
• Laundry brightener: Add ½ cup lemon juice to rinse cycle
• Fabric softener: Add ½ cup baking soda to rinse cycle
• All purpose stain remover: Apply baking soda and soda water directly to the stain and rub gently OR saturate stain thoroughly with milk OR soak fabric with a mixture of ¼ cup of borax and 2 cups cold water
• Baby Food: Rub stain with lemon juice
• Blood: Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide solution directly onto stain and rinse with water
• Perspiration: Saturate with a weak solution of water and vinegar or lemon juice
• Ink: Cream of tartar and lemon juice
• Chocolate: Soak in club soda
• Wine: Use a cloth with rubbing alcohol to blot stain

Metal Polish

• Brass: Use a paste of equal parts vinegar, salt, and flour; rinse completely to prevent corrosion; apply olive oil to retard tarnishing
• Chrome: Wipe with vinegar or baby oil
• Copper: Use a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar, leave on for 5 minutes, wash in warm water; dry completely to prevent corrosion
• Silver: Rub gently with baking soda or non-abrasive toothpaste and damp sponge OR soak in boiling water with a small piece of aluminum foil, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt for 2-3 minutes
• Stainless Steel: clean with baking soda and polish with olive oil

Mothballs: Store cedar blocks or chips with clothes and linens

Furniture Polish: mix two parts vegetable, mineral, olive, or almond oil with one part lemon juice; apply mixture to furniture with a soft cloth and wipe dry

Pesticides: Spray a mixture of 3 teaspoons liquid soap and one gallon of water on plant leaves and directly on insects OR introduce beneficial predatory insects to your garden

Pest Repellant

• Ants: Locate entry point and seal with caulk, kill visible ants with soapy water or vacuum OR Mix one tablespoon each of sugar and borax with two tablespoons of water, soak a cloth in the mixture and place in a flat dish near the  infestation OR place red chili peppers or cream of tartar near place of entry
• Slugs & Snails: Remove tall grass and debris from vicinity of garden, use beer traps OR perform late evening search and destroy
• Mice: Remove rodents’ food supply and use live traps OR get a cat
• Deer: Blend raw eggs, garlic, and hot peppers with water, spray on plant foliage

I use store-bought, eco-friendly dishwashing soap and mop the floor with another brand of green cleaner. Other than that, I do the majority of my household cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. I like using mineral oil and lemon juice to dust and polish wooden furniture and I also use toothpaste to polish my silver jewelry. I have also effectively deterred ants in my kitchen with cayenne pepper. While I have adopted many of these alternatives, I can’t vouch for the stain removers and other laundry alternatives. If you try some of these recipes in your home, please let me know how they work out.

The following organizations’ various publications provide these recipes and tips: the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Spotsylvania County, Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, and the City of Newport News.