Spring Clean The Green Way

GREEN CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Furniture Polish Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
Strong All-Purpose Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 T clear, non-sudsing ammonia
1 T clear laundry detergent
2 cups water
Homemade Spray Cleaner Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water



Spring has sprung!
As the trees go green, environmentalists advise that now is the time to make spring cleaning follow suit by keeping the home energy-efficient and clean with non-toxic solutions. Items like vinegar and baking soda work just as well, or better, than many commercial cleaners, said Alan Muller of Green Delaware — an organization concerned with environmental and public health issues in the state. Natural items, he said, clean without leaving the toxic residue associated with many commercial cleaners.

“The most important (part of cleaning green) is not to go crazy with toxic chemical cleaners,” he said. “A lot of people, in my opinion, are exposed to real health hazards from household chemicals.”

As people clean all the nooks and crannies that have collected a winter’s worth of debris, Muller said they should also replace light bulbs and air filters with more energy-efficient models.

When it comes down to the actual house cleaning, finding all-natural solutions is often as easy as making a trip to the pantry, said Terri Houghton, owner of the Bethany Beach cleaning business Simple Steam Natural Housecleaning.

“You can use non-toxic natural cleansers like vinegar and baking soda and organic acids like lemon juice and peroxide,” Houghton advised homeowners, thereby avoiding hazardous household cleaners.

Fifty percent water and fifty percent white vinegar, along with 20 drops of tea-tree or cinnamon oil, works as a disinfectant for most surfaces, she said, noting that the solution also smells great.

When washing cotton curtains, Houghton recommends using hot water and a biodegradable laundry detergent which is free of phosphates — a fresh water pollutant.

When items need to be whitened, she also advised using the same technique that has been used to use to lighten hair for years — lemon juice and sunlight.

“If you have stains in table cloths or curtains soak them in a solution of lemon juice and hot water and dry them out in the sun,” Houghton said. “ Lemon juice is a natural bleach.”

Biodegradable dry powders are available for carpet cleaning, she said, and the service she offers with her business works to clean mattresses, cushions, bedding and pillows with steam.
“For anything you can't throw into the washing machine I would definitely recommend the dry vapor steam cleaning,” she said. “It’s dry vapor steam cleaning, and since it kills the bacteria and viruses, it neutralizes and deodorizes anything in its path.”


Source: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbc.../ENTERTAINMENT05/803270394/1040/ENTERTAINMENT