By Fisher Swanson
Here are some simple and green cleaning supplies that you will
want to have on hand when you start to do your spring cleaning.
Cleaning With Vinegar
White distilled vinegar is a great addition to your cleaning
supplies. It works well for cutting grease and fighting odors.
It's a wonderful laundry aid as it both softens water and fights
odors, just add it to your rinse cycle or use as you would fabric
softener. While vinegar has a strong smell, the smell dissipates
fairly quickly so you don't have to worry about a residual smell.
Put white vinegar mixed with water in a spray bottle and use
it for quick cleanups in the kitchen or as a maintenance spray
in your bathroom. It's also effective for cleaning mildew. You
can buy white vinegar at your local grocery store in the salad
dressing section. Buy it by the gallon and don't be afraid to
use it, it's a safe cleaner. Warning: Do not mix with chlorine
bleach!
Cleaning With Isopropyl Alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, is effective
in many cleaning projects. Put it in a small spray bottle and
it works well for cleaning and shining chrome faucets. It also
can be helpful when trying to remove ink stains from fabric
and upholstery. Always pretest the alcohol in an inconspicuous
spot before using on a stain. Isopropyl Alcohol can be purchased
in the grocery store or the drug store. It's usually in the
first aid aisle. Look for sales and save.
Cleaning With Salt
Salt makes a wonderful and ecological friendly cleaner. A paste
of salt and vinegar help clean tarnished brass or copper. If
you spill wine or grape juice on your carpet you can cover the
stain with salt to absorb much of the stain. Soaking washable
fabrics in salt water will help remove many stubborn stains.
Salt can be purchased in the spice section of your grocery store.
Buy in bulk and save. For cleaning purposes use plain salt not
iodized salt.
Cleaning With Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the most versatile substances you can
have in your home. It makes a wonderful mild abrasive for surfaces
that you want to be careful not to scratch. Just make a paste
of baking soda with water. You can use it instead of Comet or
other abrasive cleaners for cleaning bathroom fixtures. It works
well for cleaning spots off chrome and stainless steel. It can
be added to your laundry as a booster (1/2 cup should work)
to help clean really dirty clothing or fight odors. Baking soda
can be purchased in the baking section at your grocery store.
Look for two pound boxes or bags at big box stores to save money
and have plenty of it around.
Cleaning With Borax
Borax is an effective ingredient in many cleaning recipes and
also is a good laundry booster. Add one tablespoon of Borax
to 1 quart of water and use it as a safe all-purpose cleaner.
Dissolve 1/2 cup of borax in a sink full of water to clean delicate
dishes like fine China. Follow the directions on the box to
use it as a laundry booster. If you do construction or landscaping
work and have really dirty work clothes adding Borax to your
laundry helps a lot. Borax can be purchased in the laundry section
at your local grocery store. Sweeten musty basement floors by
sprinkling around on the concrete, let it sit for a while, then
sweep up.
Cleaning With Washing Soda
Washing soda is often confused with baking soda but it's quite
different. For starters, you don't bake with it! It's not edible.
It is great as a laundry additive, to boost the cleaning of
your detergent. You can make an effective scouring powder out
of washing soda and baking soda. Mix 1/4 cup washing soda with
1 cup baking soda and use it as you would Comet or Ajax scouring
powder. Washing soda can be purchased in the laundry aisle of
your local grocery store.
Cleaning With Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide works well for cleaning cuts, so it should
be no surprise that it is effective for blood stains. It can
have a bleaching effect so you will want to pretest it before
applying it to a fabric stain. Keep a spray bottle of peroxide
handy to tackle tough blood stains, even dried ones. For blood
stains on carpet, pour peroxide directly on the stain and blot
with clean cloth. Pretest this solution on a remnant. Hydrogen
peroxide can be purchased in the first aid section of your local
drug store or grocery store. Always keep a bottle on hand.
About the author:
Fisher Swanson writes for ThriftyFun.com. ThriftyFun.com has
over 10,000 pages of useful information to help people save
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