Healthy Home – 3 Essential Ingredients for Cleaning Green

Did you know that three really inexpensive items can go a long way to keeping your house clean while being environmentally safe and non-toxic?

• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Vinegar

Baking Soda

Pick up a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda next time you go to the store and read all the great ways you can use this product in your home.  Aside from leaving a box in the fridge to absorb smells, you can use baking soda to:

• Scrub down sinks, countertops, pots and pans, coffee pots, silverware and cutting boards with out scratching.
• Remove dirt and soap scum from sinks, counters, tubs, showers, and toilets in the bathroom.
• Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Then pour in 1 cup of vinegar. Let the mixture foam for a few minutes. Then flush with a gallon of boiling water. Lastly if you have a disposal, finish up with some ice cubes to sharpen the blades and old citrus rinds to freshen up. (HT: LifeLearningToday)

Salt

Salt works  very well as a natural scrub. A few weeks ago I accidentally let a  pot of tomato soup boil over on my cooktop. It was such a mess. I was really worried about scratching the ceramic top, but had heard that salt is a safe scrubbing agent. I sprinkled salt over the mess and was amazed at how well I was able to remove the spill with just salt and hot water.

Vinegar

Vinegar is useful in cleaning so many things – either by itself or mixed with salt or baking soda. Here are just a few things you can do with vinegar:

• Dilute vinegar in a spray bottle of water and use to clean your windows and mirrors
• Once a month fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run through the brew cycle. Rinse thoroughly with two cycles of cold water. (HT: Because you value your body)
• Mixed with baking soda, vinegar is wonderful for scrubbing toilets and cleaning drains

Life Learning Today has 31 more tips for green cleaning. What are your favorites?