Essentials for Green Cleaning (Grandma Knew!)

My list of must-have cleaning products is a lot like my grandma's used to be. They're not only effective, but also green:

   • Vinegar and baking soda- mix either with warm water and clean just about anything:

o Baking Soda - cleans chrome, keeps the refrigerator and freezer smelling good, polishes silver without elbow grease, washes fruits and vegetables in a pot of cold water with 2-3 tablespoons baking soda; 2 tablespoons boosts the grease-cutting power of dishwashing liquid and there's so much more!
o Vinegar - used straight on a paper towel, gets the grime off the top of the fridge, the grease off the stove; a cup used poured inside an empty dishwasher, run empty, removes soap build-up; removes mineral deposits from coffee makers and stains from coffee cups, and hundreds more uses.

   • Sheepskin Mit - for dusting without greasy stuff like Pledge, shining leaves of plants, and a set of Miracle Dusters
   • Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - I never thought I'd fall in love with a cleaning product til this thing came along. I use it to clean, well, everything. Especially plastic refrigerator and dishwasher handles because nothing else takes off fingerprints as well.
   • Microfiber Cleaning Cloth - cleans fingerprints and such from computer screens, flat screen TVs, camera view finders, cell phones, Ipod touch screens, etc..
   • Clorox Anywhere Spray - it cleans everything, but it's less toxic to use around children and pets.
   • Borax - mixed with lemon juice removes toilet bowl stains without scrubbing, and Bon Ami, a borax-based powder cleanser sold in supermarkets and hardware stores for more than 50 years, safely cleans pots, pans, sinks, oven interiors and other corroded zones.

What do you use keep your house clean and green?

Posted August 8, 2007, filed in Less is More, Clutter Hacks