Just because you want to live green, it doesn’t mean you’re cornered into buying high priced Eco-friendly cleaning products that promise Earth-friendly cleaning! Here are some very cool tips for green cleaning while keeping on a budget:
Homemade Eco-friendly Cleaning Products
Try making your own Eco-friendly cleaning products at home. Here is a simple example, use vinegar to clean your windows. There are various recipes out there, but there is no error in using 1 cup white distilled vinegar with 1 cup of water for those dirty windows. Use microfiber cleaning cloths to dry right after applying the solution. You can also use baking soda to freshen carpets and cat litter boxes, by sprinkling it and leaving it overnight; the next day, vacuum or rinse.
Another great tip is to dust with a damp cloth, preventing the dusts of getting stirred back into the air. But the best cleaning formula still is using liquid soaps and detergents with warm water, since most dirt dissolves faster with higher temperature.
As an alternative, you can use tea tree oil to clean. It’s useful in lots of different ways. You can use a few drops in the dishwasher dispenser along with soap to freshen your dishes, or a few drops added to your load of laundry.
It also works well as an all-purpose cleaner by adding 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil to 2 cups of water. You can even add that same solution to a bit of soap and kosher salt to scrub dirty tiles and bathtub. Surprisingly, tea tree oil can also be used with water in a spray bottle to control mold!
Consider Using Your Toothpaste
Use toothpaste overnight to relieve irritation from bug bites, blisters and sores. The toothpaste will decrease the swelling and dry the blisters. It also works to:
- dry acne,
- relieve minor burns,
- clean and shine your fingernails,
- keep hair in place instead of hair gel,
- remove foods or cigarette smells when used to wash hands,
- remove carpet or clothes stains,
- clean dirty shoes, walls or piano keys,
- make your silver jewelry shinier,
- remove minor scratches on DVDs and CDs, and
- even defog diving goggles!
Toothpaste can be a brilliant money saver.
In general, to have a healthy and green living you should always avoid cleaning products with toxic chemicals that you find in many stores to clean your home. You are better off to look for products with inert materials, no strong smell, and always remember to stay away from products with labels that say “caution”, “fatal” and dangerous”. Green shopping is the first step to green living!