Welcome to our newsletter! I thought a good place to start is with some simple things we can do to start living green. I have collected information about non-toxic and less toxic alternatives to some of our household cleaning products, and some recipes for homemade cleaning products that are simple to make, effective to use, and much cheaper than manufactured cleaners, and the best part is you probably already have most of the ingredients right in your cupboard!
A good all-purpose cleaner can be made with 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Vinegar whitens, cleans hard surfaces and windows, shines metal, removes mildew, stains, grease and wax build-up, and is an excellent water softener. However, do not use on marble because it will attack it. Vinegar and water can be used to clean carpets, mop floors, and clean bathroom and kitchen counters. Vinegar cleans toilet rings and breaks down soap scum and hard water stains on tile and fixtures. (Spray vinegar inside toilet, pour additional 1/2 c. vinegar in toilet bowl and add a couple spoons of baking soda. Let work for 15 minutes before flushing.) I am told vinegar will even cut skunk odor (put out small bowls of it in affected area). Adding 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle will soften your clothes with the added benefit of breaking down any detergent that is left on the clothes, making them safer fo those with sensitive skin. You can take stickers off with vinegar--wait 15 minutes after sponging it on. The Sierra Club daily tip for December 12th says: "Replacing commercial household cleaners in your home with a bottle of vinegar and water or other homemade concoction reduces your potential exposure to toxic chemicals and saves energy that would have been used in the manufacturing process. If every household replaced one product with homemade stuff it would save millions of barrels of petroleum."
When it comes to air quality, there is no substitute for clean. So mix up a bottle of vinegar and water and start cleaning! Instead of covering up one odor with another scent it is better to wipe it out at its source. For example, mildew and its musty odor can be tackled with vinegar or borax instead of bleach (bleach doesn't prevent new growth and is irritating to eyes, skin, and the respiratory system). And don't forget to tackle the moisture. House plants can remove odors from the home, and make sure you open up the windows regularly to let in fresh air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency the air inside the typical home is on the average two and a half times more polluted than the air just outside--and in extreme cases 100 times more contaminated--largely because of household cleaners and pesticides. Cleaning products were responsible for nearly ten percent of all toxic exposures reported to the US Poison Control Centers in 2000. Of these, nearly two-thirds involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home. After cleaning and airing (and not polluting!), if you want to add a fresh scent to your home you can put a pan of water on the stove with a sprinkling of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a slice of apple and let it simmer (smells just like apple pie!). Or experiment with fresh herbs, spices, extracts like vanilla, citrus fruit peels or slices, or essential oils, all of which make a non-toxic addition to your simmer pot. (Manufactured air fresheners can contain toxic chemicals like xylene, a neuro-toxin, and fermaldehyde, a carcinogen,) And throw that whole lemon skin into the garbage disposal to freshen it and the kitchen.
Here is a quick list of alternative cleaners and fresheners:
- Ketchup cleans copper (and if accidentally swallowed you don't have to call poison control!).
- Apple cider vinegar gets rid of warts (Put on cotton ball, cover with bandaid. Repeat nightly until gone--as little as 2 weeks.)
- Cream of tartar, a natural leftover formed when grape juice is fermented into wine, removes rust and is a good porcelain cleaner--use like comet. (It' also lends its unique flavor to Snickerdoodles, recipe to follow:)
1 c. shortening Cream shortening through vanilla. Mix flour through salt and add to
1 1/2 c. sugar creamed mixture. Chill dough. Roll into balls the size of small
2 eggs walnuts and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place 2" apart
1 1/2 t. vanilla on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10
2 3/4 c. flour minutes, or until lightly browned on edges and still soft. Cool
2 t. cream of tartar on wire racks.
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
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2 T. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
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