Today’s Green Tips Advent Calendar window opens to give you an alternative to using toxic chemicals in your home. As demonstrated by Judy our Secretary, making these at Repair Cafes and at her How to Make Green Cleaning Products course on 23rd November, here are some Green Tips for some green cleaners…
Natural cleaning products are becoming more popular because many chemicals in general cleaning products are harmful to you and the environment, and some of these toxic chemicals have been linked to cancer and other illnesses. Natural cleaning products can be more expensive to buy, but they can also be made at home with store cupboard ingredients.
Want to waste less, spend less and help the planet? Making your own natural cleaning products is a great start.
Green cleaning products are typically made with ingredients that are biodegradable or recyclable, and don’t contain artificial fragrances, phosphates, or chlorine. Here are some ingredients you can use to make your own green cleaning products:
- Vinegar – A versatile cleaner that can cut through dirt. Mix one part vinegar with one part water in a spray bottle. You can add herbs or lemon rinds for scent. Don’t use vinegar on stone or ceramics.
- Baking soda – A powerful paste made from baking soda and water can remove grime and stains from sinks, countertops, and other surfaces. Baking soda also has antibacterial properties.
- Castile soap – A plant-based soap that’s gentle but effective at cutting through grease and dirt. Castile soap is biodegradable and can be used for a variety of cleaning tasks.
- Lemon – The acidity of lemon makes it a good cleaning agent that can dissolve caked-on dirt and has a refreshing scent.
- Citric acid – A natural descaler that can be used on kettles, washing machines, dishwashers, and other home appliances.
- Essential oils – Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial with a pleasant smell. Other popular scents include eucalyptus, lemongrass, lavender, and any citrus.
There are lots of recipes for cleaning products on the internet, to start you off, here is a simple recipe for a multi-surface cleaner. You can wash out and re-use an old spray bottle to save plastic too. All you need is:
- A half litre spray bottle (or double up quantities for a litre bottle)
- A quarter of a cup of white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of eco friendly washing up liquid
- A few drops of essential oil
- Hot water
How to make it:
- Add the vinegar to the bottle and make a mark on the bottle where it comes up to.
- Add the washing up liquid and make another mark.
- Add about 6 or 7 drops of any essential oil such as lemon or lavender. (You can do without this, but then it smells a bit vinegary.)
- Fill the bottle very gently with hot water so it doesn’t bubble up too much.
- Put the top on and turn it up and down a few times to mix. Remember to label the bottle so you don’t forget what’s in there.
That’s it! Yes it is that easy and you now have your bottle marked ready for next time so you can just put the vinegar and washing up liquid straight in up to the marks without measuring them.
You can also use some of the above ingredients on their own, here are some examples:
Lemon
- Remove fridge odours. Cut a lemon in half and leave it in the fridge for about 30 minutes – that should neutralise any bad smells.
- Polish furniture. Combine two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice, then apply with a microfibre cloth to make wood gleam.
- Get sparkling dishes. Fill a dishwasher-safe container with a cup of lemon juice (or a few lemon wedges), put it on the top rack and run the load as normal for added shine.
- Buff your pots and pans. Sprinkle coarse salt on the cut side of a lemon and rub on copper, aluminium or brass kitchenware, then rinse.
- Clean your oven. Fill an oven-safe baking dish with water and lemon juice, bake for 30 minutes at 250 degrees Celsius, wait for the oven to cool and then wipe away any grime.
Baking soda
Did you know you can use baking soda and lemon juice to unblock a drain? Here’s how:
- Pour 1/4 of a cup of baking soda down the drain and then 1/2 a cup of lemon juice on top.
- Wait about an hour for the foaming reaction to break down whatever’s clogging the drain, leaving it clear and fresh.
Baking soda is also great at removing smells from carpets and fabrics. Try this:
- Sprinkle the baking soda onto the floor or fabric and leave it for 15 minutes, to absorb the smell.
- Hoover up the baking soda, which will take the smell away with it.
- For maximum freshness, you could add some essential oils to the baking soda beforehand.
We hope that you have found these Green Tips useful, if you have any of you own please do share them with us. If you want to learn more there will be another How to Make Green Cleaning Products course in the New Year, find tickets at https://ticketmaster.co.uk/glamishall soon. Have a great Christmas (and a green clean up afterwards!)