Homemade GREEN Recipes for Cleansers

Green Cleaning Recipes - make a green cleaning gift basket for Christmas gifts :)

Pot & Pan Soak

Baking soda
Vinegar to dampen

Sprinkle baking soda in your pots and pans with stuck-on food. Pour in enough vinegar to dampen the baking soda and let it bubble. Even after the bubbling stops, let it do its work for an hour or two - overnight for stubborn, burnt-on food. The next day you should be able to simply wipe the dirt off - no hard scrubbing needed!

Scouring Cleanser

1/4 cup baking soda
water to dampen

Works well for a light scrub over faucets and light soil. You must rinse thoroughly, though! Baking soda can cling to surfaces.

More Abrasive Scouring Cleanser

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup lemon juice

This is a great scouring cleanser for wood-block cutting boards, sinks, even stove tops. Try to keep lemons on hand and just squeeze a halved lemon onto the surface to be cleaner (you'll get about 1-2 tablespoons of juice per lemon half). You can also use prepackaged lemon juice, but be aware that there are preservatives such as sodium benzoate, which is not healthy to eat, so isn't really healthy to clean with, either!

Shiny Mirror Spray

1 cup vinegar
3 cups water
10 drops lavender oil

Keep a batch of this in a marked spray bottle - it's better than commercial window cleaners when it comes to streaking. Use a cotton rag for wiping it down (paper towels often leave tiny bits of paper and paper dust behind). And think about it - vinegar is edible, water is healthful, lavender oil promotes a sense of well-being. This stuff is actually good for you!

Quick Toilet Fizz

1 - 2 denture tablets

Drop in an inexpensive denture tablet between cleanings to release debris and remove calcium deposits.

Floor Wax

2 cups vinegar
2 cups mineral oil

Mix together and apply with a clean mop.

Alice's All Purpose Cleaner
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon borax
1.5 cups of very hot distilled water
1/4 cup of castille soap or dishwashing soap (I do less)
10-15 drops of essential oils

Pick your favorite recipes - I'd do an all purpose cleaner with a cute homemade label, some washclothes or microfiber clothes (Get huge packs at wholesale stores like Sam's or Costco!), a scouring cleanser in a parmesan cheese shaker, some CrunchyClean Laundry Detergent, a CrunchyClean Linen Spray and some homemade shiny mirror spray. Voila!

Remember - order by tomorrow to ensure delivery by Christmas!