HOUSEHOLD: Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning (HINTS, TIPS)

[Guest guest]

from another webpage:

 

Cleaning (HINTS, TIPS)

 

 

> Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning

>

> Baking Soda -

>

> A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking

> soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (it’s pH is around

> 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odors in water, and

> adsorbs odors from the air. Sprinkled on a damp sponge or cloth, baking

> soda can be used as a gentle nonabrasive cleanser for kitchen counter

> tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It will eliminate

> perspiration odors and even neutralize the smell of many chemicals if

> you add up to a cup per load to the laundry. It is a useful air

> freshener, and a fine carpet deodorizer.

>

>

> White Vinegar and Lemon Juice -

>

> White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic—they neutralize alkaline

> substances such as scale from hard water. Acids dissolve gummy buildup,

> eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood surfaces.

>

>

> Mold Killers and Disinfectants -

>

> For a substance to be registered by the EPA as a disinfectant it must go

> through extensive and expensive tests. EPA recommends simple soap to use

> as a disinfectant There are many essential oils, such as lavender,

> clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide), that are very

> antiseptic, as is grapefruit seed extract, even though they aren’t

> registered as such. Use one teaspoon of essential oil to 2 cups of water

> in a spray bottle (make sure to avoid eyes). A grapefruit seed extract

> spray can be made by adding 20 drops of extract to a quart of water.

>

> ***

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

i make my own nontoxic cleaner by filling a spray

bottle with filtered water, adding a little bit

(perhaps 1 oz.) of liquid castile soap (dr.

bronners... peppermint, lavender, or tea tree), about

30 drops of grapefruit seed extract, and 30 drops of

matching essential oil (peppermint, lavender, or tea

tree oil). it smells great, cleans well, and is safe

enough to brush your teeth with.

 

baking soda and a spray bottle of water is an

excellent way to clean an oven.

 

--- Julie Braswell <abnjb wrote:

 

> Cleaning (HINTS, TIPS)

>

> > Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning

> >

> > Baking Soda -

> > A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning

> attributes, baking

> > soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly

> alkaline (it’s pH is around

> > 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based

> odors in water, and

> > adsorbs odors from the air. Sprinkled on a damp

> sponge or cloth, baking

> > soda can be used as a gentle nonabrasive cleanser

> for kitchen counter

> > tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It

> will eliminate

> > perspiration odors and even neutralize the smell

> of many chemicals if

> > you add up to a cup per load to the laundry. It is

> a useful air freshener, and a fine carpet

deodorizer.

> >

> > White Vinegar and Lemon Juice -

> > White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic—they

> neutralize alkaline

> > substances such as scale from hard water. Acids

> dissolve gummy buildup,

> > eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood

> surfaces.

> >

> > Mold Killers and Disinfectants -

> > For a substance to be registered by the EPA as a

> disinfectant it must go

> > through extensive and expensive tests. EPA

> recommends simple soap to use

> > as a disinfectant There are many essential oils,

> such as lavender,

> > clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural

> fungicide), that are very

> > antiseptic, as is grapefruit seed extract, even

> though they aren’t

> > registered as such. Use one teaspoon of essential

> oil to 2 cups of water

> > in a spray bottle (make sure to avoid eyes). A

> grapefruit seed extract

> > spray can be made by adding 20 drops of extract to

> a quart of water.

>

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

We use vinegar for nearly everything! I buy 2 gallons at Sams for

around $4. We also use it in the wash as a fabric softner and

disinfectant (I put it in the fabric softner dispenser), and it helps

keep your clothes from fading.

 

We also use vinegar in our carpet cleaner instead of a solution, it

keeps our carpets clean, disinfected, and keeps the carpet really soft!

 

--Stacee

[Guest guest]

Hi Stacee,

 

Just curious :-)))<big smile>

Does vinegar leave a residual odour to your carpets & clothes ?

 

 

TIA,

Wee

 

 

 

On Behalf Of mainvillefamily

Tuesday, May 02, 2006 5:44 PM

 

Re: HOUSEHOLD: Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning

(HINTS, TIPS)

 

 

We use vinegar for nearly everything! I buy 2 gallons at Sams for

around $4. We also use it in the wash as a fabric softner and

disinfectant (I put it in the fabric softner dispenser), and it helps

keep your clothes from fading.

 

We also use vinegar in our carpet cleaner instead of a solution, it

keeps our carpets clean, disinfected, and keeps the carpet really soft!

 

--Stacee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I use vinegar for all the cleaning in my house - I've been thinking of

using it instead of mr clean to mop the hardoowd floors... will the

place smell like vinegar after? the mr clean has no phosphates, so i'm

not that worried - but I would like to switch

 

anyone try it?

 

mike

[Guest guest]

any kind of commercial cleaners, for the most part,

are chemical and toxic, even mr. clean. I use vinegar

and water mix on my hardwood floors, no smell after

about half hour. I put vinegar in a spray bottle with

some water and lemon juice and clean everything else.

 

Then my son uses what's left with baking soda for a

volcano!

 

--- Mike <realshows wrote:

 

> I use vinegar for all the cleaning in my house -

> I've been thinking of

> using it instead of mr clean to mop the hardoowd

> floors... will the

> place smell like vinegar after? the mr clean has no

> phosphates, so i'm

> not that worried - but I would like to switch

>

> anyone try it?

>

> mike

>

>

>

 

[Guest guest]

Vinegar is great to put into a load of laundry that has strong odors on them or

had gotten forgotten in the washing machine and soured. With soured clothes, I

put about a cup in the tub of the washing machine and run the load thru an

express wash cycle. With a regular load I put it in with the wash cycle..

 

It leaves no vinegar odor.

 

A friend wipes down her kitchen counters with vinegar, when she occassionally

has ants in her kitchen, and they won't come near her counters. They just

disappear.

 

Judy

[Guest guest]

> any kind of commercial cleaners, for the most part,

> are chemical and toxic, even mr. clean. I use vinegar

> and water mix on my hardwood floors, no smell after

> about half hour.

 

I'll try vinegar when i mop the floor a week from thursday (I mop

every 2 weeks - it's only a 1 room apartment...) maybe i'll throw in

some lemon juice as well

[Guest guest]

I also use vinegar as a primary cleaner, but I also use baking soda,

Borax, plain table salt, and Bon Ami. The table salt and the bon ami

(which is non-toxic) are for scouring. The Borax is a great

disinfectant, antifungal/mildew, fabric softener, deodorizer, etc. We

have had a lot of problems with mildew in our apartment (like, in the

corners of almost all the rooms, yuck!) but a paste made of vinegar

and borax rubbed into the wall and left on for two days, then

brushed/vacuumed off had stopped almost all the mold growth. any

reoccurance we just spray down with vinegar. Borax also does an

amazing job at cleaning sinks/tubs/toilets.

 

~Rachael

 

, " mainvillefamily "

<mainvillefamily wrote:

>

> We use vinegar for nearly everything! I buy 2 gallons at Sams for

> around $4. We also use it in the wash as a fabric softner and

> disinfectant (I put it in the fabric softner dispenser), and it

helps

> keep your clothes from fading.

>

> We also use vinegar in our carpet cleaner instead of a solution, it

> keeps our carpets clean, disinfected, and keeps the carpet really

soft!

>

> --Stacee

>

[Guest guest]

That is cool to know about the fabric softner. That would safe a lot of money

right there. A carpet cleaner? Hummmm I would of never thought of that. I'll

have to try that. Thanks for the great ideas.

 

Judy