What if I also told you to purchase these five magic ingredients you could spend less than $20 (maybe even less than $10?!) Ready to sign on yet?
Green cleaning doesn’t have to be hard, in fact it’s fun, cost effective, and a great way to get Kiddos involved in everyday cleaning tasks. And it all starts with 5 magic ingredients!
You’ve clicked through and I still haven’t let you know my cleaning secrets yet! Yes, I’m teasing you. But let me give you some great tips in why you should switch over to Green Cleaning.
Green Cleaning is…
– easy!
– a home free of harsh toxins
– homemade cleaners with multiple uses
– cost effective
– natural!
Green Cleaning is not…
– hard!
– stinky houses
– living with dirt, grime, or germs
– one cleaner for every type of mess
– antibacterial (and it doesn’t need to be!)
If the idea of making your own cleaners terrifies you, look for brands that make green cleaners. Method and Seventh Generation are two of the most common (and I adore Method’s all-purpose cleaners!)
Ready for those magic five ingredients to a cleaner house?
1.) Lemon is a natural bleacher and helps deodorize homes. Stick lemon slices in a microwave safe container with some water to deodorize your microwave! Lemon can also be used to remove hard water stains from bathroom hardware; it dissolves scums and grease too!
2.) Hydrogen Peroxide is a natural bleaching agent. You can also use it to sanitize surfaces naturally by spraying it on your countertops.
3.) Vinegar (Distilled White, specifically) dissolves soap scum and kills mold and bacteria. And that strong smell prominent when poured disappears completely when it dries. Great as a glass cleaner and perfect for bathrooms and sinks.
4.) Baking Soda (or Borax or Washing Soda) softens water, deodorizes, neutralizes minerals, and helps soap clean better. It’s a great abrasive for cleaning scummy sinks and tubs and lifts dirt off any surface.
5.) Castile Soap (I love Dr. Bronner’s) is, well, soap (just without all those yucky added ingredients!). It cleans by dissolving oil that binds dirt to surfaces. Can’t go wrong with soap and hot water, it’s the best cleaner!
*6.) Essential Oils. This is a bonus, just in case you are looking at these ingredients and thinking how you don’t want your house to smell like the inside of a bottle of salad dressing. Essential oils can be added to your natural cleaners to make them smell much better! Plus essential oils like lavender and thyme contain antibacterial properties so you can sanitize naturally!
Below you will find some of my favorite all-purpose homemade cleaners.
Drain Declogger: Pour one cup baking soda down your drain, then one cup vinegar. Once the bubbling has stopped, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain as a chaser.
All Purpose Cleaner: 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon soap, 2 cups HOT water. Mix ingredients in spray bottle, shake gently and spray (perfect for messy kitchen counters!)
Soft Scrub: 1/2 cup baking soda, soap, 5-10 drops essential oil. Mix soap into baking soda until it resembles frosting, add a few drops of essential oil, rub on, wait, wash off.
Window Cleaner: 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon soap, 2 cups water. Mix in a spray bottle and spray!
Want to make it a family event, allow your toddlers to measure and mix!
The biggest green move you can make in your cleaning routine is to ditch those old-fashioned paper towels. Opt instead for microfiber towels or natural fiber sponges.
Stick around the blog for more fun green tips. Next week I’ll be going over how to green-up your laundry!
Thanks for looking, stay green!
Ally Jean Blog 