Use Environmentally Friendly Household Cleaners: Part 1

Again, imagine being on a spaceship. Since you’d be living in close quarters, the fewer hazardous materials aboard, the better. The same principle applies to planet Earth. Because out garbage will always be with us, we are all responsible for ensuring that as little of it as possible is hazardous to people, wildlife, or the environment.

Typical commercial household cleaners are toxic, corrosive, flammable, and/or irritant. Safe alternatives exist, and you can make them yourself. The five basic ingredients are baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), borax (sodium borate), pure soap (liquid or flakes), salt, and white vinegar. Ammonia, though biodegradable, is caustic and irritant; use it only when necessary. The following recipes tell how to make low-cost, nonhazardous cleaners. For those that you use often, you might want to make up a batch and keep it in a jar or pump-spray container. (Remember that when ever possible you don’t want to use an aerosol spray).

All-purpose cleaner

Mix ½ cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar, 2 cups warm water. (For appliances, walls tile, etc.)

Carper cleaner deodorizer

Simply sprinkle baking soda liberally on a carpet before vacuuming. Or mix 2 cups baking soda with ½ cup cornstarch and 4 crumbled bay leaves. Sprinkle on carpet and wait an hour or more before vacuuming.

Copper and brass cleaner

Catsup removes tarnish from copper. You can also mix equal parts of vinegar, salt, and flour into a paste and coat the copper or brass object. Wait 10 minutes or more, then scrub, rinse, and buff with a soft, dry cloth.

Dishwashing liquid or powder

Use pure soap. For automatic dishwashers, use a commercial product low in phoshates or one labeled environmentally friendly.

Drain cleaner

The best be is not to let the drain become clogged in the first place. Never pour grease down the drain; pour it into an old can, let it harden in the freezer, and then discard it. Use a strainer on all drains.

It’s also a good idea to pour boiling water down any drain once a week.

Should you have inherited a sluggish drain, try the following: pour ½ cup baking soda, ½ cup vinegar, and 1/8 cup salt into the drain, let it settle, and then pour in some boiling water. Repeat in 30 minutes if necessary.