Use Environmentally Friendly Household Cleaners: Part 2

Floor cleaner

For linoleum or vinyl flooring, use a mild detergent or mix ½ cup vinegar with 1 gallon warm water. For wood floors, mix ¼ cup oil soap with 1 gallon warm water.

Furniture polish

Mix ¼ cup vegetable oil with 1/8 cup lemon juice. Apply with a soft cloth, then polish.

Garbage can cleaner

Mix ½ cup borax with 1 gallon warm water. Spray or sponge on, rinse, then let dry in the sun.

Glass, mirror, window cleaner

Mix ½ cup vinegar with 1 quart warm water in an empty pump-spray bottle. Apply to glass and rub dry with newspaper. For heavily soiled or greasy glass, mix 1 cup ammonia and 3 cups water. Wear rubber gloves and ventilate the room.

Mildew cleaner

Scrub mildew spots with a mixture of 1 cup borax and 1 cup vinegar. In an automatic washer, use ½ cup soap and ½ cup baking soda to clean a shower curtain, adding 1 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Oven cleaner

Mix ¼ cup baking soda with 1 quart warm water. Apply, wait 20 minutes, then clean, for stubborn stain, mix ½ cup ammonia, ¼ cup baking soda, and ½ cup vinegar into a paste. Leave it on the stain for 20 minutes, then scrub with a sponge or very fine steel wool.

Scouring powder

Use baking soda or a brand of scouring powder that does not contain chlorine.

Silver polish

Add 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon salt to a quart of water in an enamel or stainless steel pan. Bring to a boil and add a piece of aluminum foil. Add silverware, let it soak a few seconds, then polish it dry.

Sink, tub, and tile cleaner

Use baking soda water. Or put a plug in the sink, pour in ½ cup vinegar, sprinkle on baking soda, and then scrub.

Toilet cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda on your toilet brush and swish it around the toilet bowl. Or pout ½ cup borax into the bowl and let it stand for an hour before scrubbing and flushing.