white waxflower

Today is the first of a three-part series: Green Up Your Clean Up! I am a big advocate of green cleaning. Not because I'm out to save the planet (although that's very important, too), but because I don't want to fill our house with nasty chemicals on a weekly basis. I don't want to get too preachy, so I'll just leave it to you to do your own Googling about the harmful affects our common cleaners have on us. 

Kitchens and Bathrooms

All-Purpose Cleaner: use on windows, mirrors, counter-tops (check to make sure the vinegar won't ruin yours first), glass, bathtubs, sinks, faucets, toilets, refrigerators, microwaves and stove-tops.

• 1 part distilled water
• 3 parts white vinegar
• a few drops tea tree oil (optional)
• essential oil (for fragrance - optional)

That's all you need! It's the cheapest way to clean imaginable, and it's just as effective at getting rid of germs as your store-bought cleaners. Adding the tea tree oil works as an extra-strength disinfectant, but I leave it out because I don't care for the smell. Also, if your hood or stove-top have built-up gunk on them,  sprinkle some baking soda on the spot and rub it. It works wonders!

Drain Cleaner: use to clear your drains, get rid of odor, and clean out disposal.

• baking soda
• white vinegar
• small pot boiling water

Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons into the sink drain, then follow with about 1 cup of vinegar. Allow it to sit (and fizzle) for 5-10 minutes, then pour the boiling water down the drain. This is an excellent way to routinely clean out your drains and pipes without using a lot of chemicals, and it's also a great way to get rid of bad smells, and keep fruit flies from buzzing around when bits of food are in the sink and the disposal can't get to them:)