Clean and Green: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning
Nontoxic, earth-friendly cleaning products are nothing new. That's how people kept their homes clean before companies sold cleaners packed with synthetic chemicals. Your great-grandmother probably used vinegar and baking soda to scrub her house. This section shows that you don't need mass-produced chemicals to keep your home sparkling.
Here are the basics you'll need to green your cleaning:
Baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate (that's baking soda's chemical name) is a nontoxic, inexpensive, multipurpose cleaner. Many people keep an open box of it in the fridge to absorb odors, but you can use it in every room of the house. It's a cleanser, stain-buster, and all-around deodorizer. Try putting some in the cat's litter box to absorb odors. Or to freshen up a smelly carpet, sprinkle a layer of baking soda over it, leave the baking soda overnight, and then vacuum first thing in the morning.
White vinegar. Vinegar is all-natural and all-safe—and an excellent all-around cleaner. Like baking soda, it deodorizes and cleans. It's also a natural ant repellant: Spray or wipe vinegar along doors and window sills where ants come in to keep them out. And a half-vinegar, half-water solution will make your windows sparkle. (If the half-and-half mixture leaves streaks on the glass, try adding a drop or two of liquid castile soap, mentioned later in this list.) Be sure to use white vinegar; other kinds like cider vinegar may discolor what you're cleaning. ...