HOW TO GREEN YOUR HOME THIS SPRING: Organic cleaners and DIY solutions
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Thanks to the green movement, New Yorkers are more conscious about what we put in our bodies and homes, and the larger impact our decisions have on our planet.
Traditional chemical cleaning solutions are number one on the toxicity list. For the past year, S.C. Johnson & Son, makers of Windex, Drano, and Glade began disclosing chemical ingredients in products sold in the U.S – with staggering results: the products Americans have been using contain chemicals leftover from WWII warfare, and are turning our air and water into toxic hazard zones.
With spring-cleaning right around the corner, New Yorkers need natural cleaning solutions that fit with our green values, without breaking the bank. Luckily, the market for organic cleaners is growing, and many brands such as Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Mrs. Meyers are available at chain grocery stores for almost the same price as our familiar chemical cleaners.
WHY SWITCH TO GREEN CLEANING?
Changes you can see: Your home will be cleaner and healthier when you disassociate toxic smells of bleach and chlorine with “clean and fresh. ”
Changes you can feel: Your body will thank you! The absence of harsh chemicals will decrease your risk of cancers, help you breathe easier, ease skin ailments, and improve your quality of life.
Changes for your future: Toxic cleaning products have long-term effects on the environment, including (but not limited to) phosphate induced algal blooms that starve organisms of oxygen and cause ecological imbalance in rivers and lakes.
What to look for on the shelves: There are a variety of Organic cleaning products that are safe and effective, without the laundry-list of first aid/poison warnings on the label.
Let’s face it: we have enough pollution to worry about in NYC, the least we can do is control the air quality and toxic levels inside our own homes.
BE GREEN AND SAVE GREEN:
Use this list to make do-it-yourself cleaning formulas with products you keep on your shelves.
Your DIY Natural Cleansing Tool Box
- Baking Soda: cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours. Mix with salt for oven-scouring.
- Soap: unscented, non-petroleum distillate soap will clean just about anything. I swear by Dr. Bronners all-purpose biodegradable soaps – for natural laundry detergent, body soap, shampoo, and dish soap (for camping).
- Lemon: A powerful food-acid that kills most household bacteria.
- Borax: (a.k.a. sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.
- White Vinegar: cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, stains and wax.
- Washing Soda: (a.k.a SAL Soda) a mineral that removes grease, stains, softens water, and cleans walls, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use this one cautiously because washing soda can irritate mucous membranes.
- Tee Tree Oil: is an excellent disinfectant and can be used on any surface, including the skin!
- Trisodium phosphate (TSP): a mixture of soda ash and phosphoric acid, it can be used on many jobs, such as cleaning drains or removing old paint. Label this one carefully because TSP is toxic if swallowed.
DIY Formulas for your Green Spring Cleaning
Bedroom and Laundry
HOW TO CLEAN, ALL-PURPOSE-LY:
Paired with a Microfiber cloth for catching dirt, grease, dust, and removing water stains.
- Mix 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax)
- 1/2 gallon (2 liters) of water.
HOW TO MAKE NATURAL LAUNDRY DETERGENT:
- 1 cup Ivory soap (or Fels Naptha soap),
- 1/2 cup washing soda and
- 1/2 cup borax. Use 1 tbsp for light loads; 2 tbsp for heavy loads.
HOW TO GET RID OF NASTY APARTMENT SMELLS:
• Baking soda or vinegar with lemon juice in small dishes,
• Houseplants reduce odors and increase air quality,
• Keep fresh coffee grounds on the counter, or bowls of dried herbs.
• Simmer water and cinnamon or other spices on stove.
HOW TO WASH YOUR WINDOWS:
- Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with
- 1 liter (qt) warm water. Rub with a crumpled newspaper for a streak-free clean.
PROBLEM SPOT – CARPET STAINS:
- Mix 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and vinegar.
- Rub paste into carpet and let sit for a few hours, then vacuum.
PROBLEM SPOT – MOTHBALLS:
- Aromatic or Juniper Cedar chips (available in craft stores) or cedar oil in a cheesecloth are great for repelling moths.
- Dried lemon peels are also a cheap and easy natural moth deterrent. Toss them into your drawer or wrap them in cheesecloth to hang in your closet.
Kitchen:
HOW TO CLEAN DISHES OR RECEPIE FOR EVERLASTING ROOMIE-LOVE:
- Mix equal parts of borax and washing soda for dishwater detergent.
- Mix vinegar and hot water for washing those dishes by hand.
- For phosphate and bleach-free commercial dish washing soaps, try Ecover Ecological or Trader Joe’s powders.
HOW DISINFECT YOUR SURFACES:
- Mix 2 teaspoons borax,
- 4 tablespoons vinegar,
- 3 cups hot water.
- For more strength, add 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap.
- To disinfect kitchen sponges, put them in the dishwasher when running a load.
Bathroom:
HOW TO REMOVE RUST:
- Sprinkle a little salt on the rust, then squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked. Leave the mixture on for 2 – 3 hours and scrub scrub scrub.
HOW TO CLEAN THAT PESKY TOILET BOWL:
- Mix 1/4 cup baking soda,
- 1 cup vinegar. Pour mixture into the bowl, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub with a toilet brush and rinse.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR BATHTUB AND TILES:
- This one is simple: Rub a damp sponge with baking soda on surface, then rinse with water.
- For tougher jobs, wipe surfaces with vinegar (sparingly), then apply baking soda.
PROBLEM SPOT – BATHROOM MOLD:
- Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%),
- two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.
Happy green spring cleaning!
Image by : http://www.flickr.com/photos/go_greener_oz/ / CC BY 2.0[ad#Author test Google Adsense]
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[...] HOW TO GREEN YOUR HOME THIS SPRING: Organic cleaners and DIY solutions | Directory Of New York City [...]
[...] HOW TO GREEN YOUR HOME THIS SPRING: Organic cleaners and DIY … [...]
[...] Check out these great ways to clean your home naturally: [...]
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Wow this is a great post. I really had no idea there were so many ways to clean with non-toxic household items. I’ve used baking soda for some stuff but I never considered using it to clean a toilet!
.-= Chris @ Organic Cleaning Products´s last blog ..Organic Cleaning Products vs. Conventional Cleaning Products =-.
What a great resource!
I would like to add something for people who are into protecting our earth and environment. Now, with all the global issues that we have to embrace into our lives and our childrens lives, we should all do our part to help a least a little bit. Why not Eliminate your Electrical Bill and Save Thousands a year with Solar Panels for your Home, they are extremely easy to build and this will be an easy way for you to do your part in helping our planet and save a tonne of money at the same time. Think about it.
I simply wanted to say your website is one of the nicely laid out, most inspirational I’ve come across in quite a while. Thx!
Love your blog. Thanks for all the home remedies for cleaning.
Great job.
Dove
.-= Dove´s last blog ..Doves Creme de la Creme – Coral =-.
Organic vs Non-Organic Food
Over the past two decades the world has become increasingly health and environmentally conscious. The world of social activism is no longer confined to protest marches and leaflet campaigns. Today, consumers realize that they have the power to evoke change by voting with the most important tool at their disposal, their wallets. Today, it is a well known fact that if you want a cleaner environment and healthier food you should choose organic products.
What makes food organic? In strictly scientific terms, organic substances contain carbon, the building block of life. By this definition, everything that we eat is technically organic. However, agricultural parlance has changed the definition of organic when it relates to food and other consumables. Inorganic food encompasses everything that organic food is not.
Organic food must be free from all synthetic chemicals.
This starts at the ground level when a farmer prepares his field. He cannot use any petroleum-based fertilizer or chemically altered material in his soil. Manure and compost are acceptable natural products; Miracle Gro is not.
Chemicals are also not allowed for pest or disease control. A farmer can treat his crops with insecticidal soap or neem oil, but cannot use store-bought sprays unless they are certified organic.
Organic food cannot be genetically altered in any way.
Traditionally, changes to plants and livestock were accomplished through selective breeding techniques and hand pollination. These techniques are still certified organic.
Genetically modified food, or GM food, has been tampered with at the genetic level. Sometimes varieties of plants have been cross-bred to create hardier or tastier strains. GM seeds can be drought resistant or have higher yields. Purists feel GM technology tampers with the work of Mother Nature and is therefore inorganic.
Organic food cannot come in contact with inorganic food.
In order to ensure that pesticides or other chemical treatments don’t rub off on organic produce, it must be packaged and shipped separately from conventionally farmed food.
Proponents of organic food say that the products are healthier than conventional produce. Fewer chemicals mean fewer carcinogens. They also say that the food just tastes better. At the same time, organic soil may still produce run-off, but it isn’t toxic run-off that will permanently damage the water table. Animals that are fed exclusively on organic products, such as free-range chickens or grass-fed beef are generally believed to be treated more humanely, though this isn’t always the case.
Summary:
1. Organic and inorganic foods are differentiated by their farming processes, not their chemical makeup.
2. Organic food is chemical free, GM free, and free from contact with inorganic food while inorganic food is anything that doesn’t meet those strict guidelines.
3. Many consumers believe that organic food is healthier, tastes better, and is better for the environment than inorganic food.
I’ve dedicated my life to what I believe in and what I love which is health and being healthy.
You can follow the link to visit my store or also my facebook fanpage. You can add information to my facebook fan page, take information to bring back to blogs like this so we can all educate people better and start to make a difference even if it’s a small change.
Thanks and I hope to post more info like this here!
Organic cleaners are a great way to preserve the environment and to save a buck. I have read many articles that explain how to make every day household products like laundry detergent with products we use every day. Hats off to this video that takes it a step further and shows how to make organic products. With the economy the way it is, saving every penny is important and making your own cleaning products is a great method. We are in the dumpster rental industry and we see people throw away materials that could be recycled every day. We do our part to take out the items that can easily be recycled but it is just not possible to get them all. The article above explains a great method of another way to help preserve our environment.
.-= Marc Segel´s last blog ..Local Dumpster Rental Now Has a Preferred Partner in the San Jose Area =-.
Sometimes it sounds too good to be true but vinegar, baking soda and soda crystals really are some of the best cleaning agents around. I use them for the laundry, windows, kitchen,… you name it! They are allround and even better they’re ultra cheap and not harmful to the environment.
.-= Denise @ Femita´s last blog ..Spring Cleaning- 10 Tips For a Spotless Interior =-.
nice blog for information…
.-= vacuum cleaner brands´s last blog ..Backpack Vacuum Cleaner =-.
It’s good to be natural, when it comes on cleaning, but we can’t be sure if the germs, bad odor, rust, and etc. will be removed by using it, That’s why it is best to used organic cleaners, Why? because it is created to eliminate any kinds of dirt.
Very informational, to the point and helpful. Thanks.
I have used several of these green remedies and most work quite well, but if you have a subborn stain, rust, ect. tea tree oil works on just about anything. However I believe it is probably the most expensive to use as well.
Great tips on how to be eco friendly.
Washing detergent and any cleaning chemicals are more harmful than we think. I appreciate articles like these to help with more stubborn stains and cleaning problems.
Thank you!
[...] 2.HOW TO GREEN YOUR HOME THIS SPRING: Organic cleaners and DIY With spring-cleaning right around the corner, New Yorkers need natural cleaning solutions that fit with our green values, without breaking the bank. … Luckily, the market for organic cleaners is growing, and many brands such as Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Mrs. Meyers are available at chain grocery stores for almost… http://www.directoryofnewyorkcity.com/blog/2010/03/how-to-green-your-home-this-spring-organic-cleaners-and-diy-solutions/ [...]
It is highly recommended that you hire only cleaners that use plant based detergents that biodegrade in water, without any residue. Carpet Cleaning New York, is safe for babies, pets, and anyone who suffers from allergies, as well as making a point to keep our environment clean, together with the carpets.
[...] lets take common household cleaners. Instead of purchasing expensive, harmful chemical products use natural cleaners instead. For an example, if you like coffee, you know what a pain it is to clean the pots and sanitize the [...]
This will help me in my search for cleaning services in my area
Hey there. Mainly wanted to actually write a quick note and tell you that I no doubt approve with your post. Entirely spot on.
There is another article similar to this one, please check 9 Ways to Practice Eco and Green during Christmas and Holiday Season
Very interesting post. There is always a “green” alternative depending on what you are trying to clean, although sometimes it takes a little work to put together.