Cleaning products that save the planet (And your wallet!)

I'm always seeing "green" cleaning products at the store that cost a bundle and probably aren't that "green" anyway! About 2 years ago, I read a book called, "Clean House, Clean Planet" that introduced me to many easy to make recipes for cleaning products. Since reading that book, I have made all of my cleansers myself and it has been fun and profitable. Here are some of my favorites.



Glass cleaner

White vinegar

water

Peppermint or tea tree essential oil (optional)



Fill a spray bottle half with water and then half with vinegar. Add 25 drops of essential oil if desired. Cover bottle and shake. This glass cleaner works great on mirrors and windows.



Earth Paste

2 1/2C baking soda

1/2C liquid soap (I STRONGLY recommend Dr. Bronners liquid soap here. It is sold in the "natural" section of supermarkets and I've even seen it at Target in the health and beauty section! My favorite scent is the peppermint one.)

1/4C water

2Tbsp white vinegar



Mix together baking soda and liquid soap. Add water and mix well. Add the vinegar LAST as it will cause the mixture to foam up. Mix well and tackle that dirty bathroom! You might want to use the glass cleaner as a rinse after using Earth Paste. Sometimes the baking soda leaves a slight residue, but the glass cleaner gets it right off. Just spray it on and watch the residue dissolve.



Floor Cleaner

1 bucket water

1/2C white vinegar (I don't actually measure. This is an approximate estimate.)



Pour vinegar into mop bucket and start mopping!



Laundry detergent
(This may be one of my favorite recipes of all!)
Dr. Bronners sal suds (This can be found in natural food stores in the cleaning products section)
1/2C baking soda

Pour 1/4C sal suds into washing machine. Add 1/2C baking soda and start machine. The sal suds make the clothes smell sweetly of pine and the baking soda softens and deodorizes. In the summer I hang my clothes out on a clothesline to dry and they come out beautiful and fresh with no static cling!

Scented baking soda
1 box of baking soda (I prefer the 2 pound ones)
essential oil
Put 50 drops essential oil in a 2 pound box of baking soda and mix well with a fork. This baking soda can be used for cleaning surfaces, in laundry or just for deodorizing.

Shampoo and vinegar rinse
Dr bronners soap (I prefer tea tree)
2Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Pour the vinegar into a large cup and fill with warm water. Shampoo hair with dr. bronners soap and rinse. Pour vinegar rinse over hair and rinse again. I have waist length hair and this is how I've been shampooing it for the past year. After I found out how toxic shampoo and conditioner are, I never wanted to use them again. My hair feels better and looks prettier than it ever did when I used shampoo on it.