green cleaning

With Princess's allergies I am trying out more green cleaning ways. It is hard though as we all love the smell of 'clean' from Mr Clean... sigh

The following is a few ideas from a local paper I saw.

Shower Heads

• metal shower heads
• to remove deposits, combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 quart water. Then completely submerge the shower head and boil 15 minutes
plastic shower heads
combine 1 pint white vinegar and 1 pint hot water. completely submerge the shower head and soak for about 1 hour metal shower heads

Tub and Tile Cleaners

• BASIC CLEANING
• sprinkle baking soda like you would a scouring powder. rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly
• Vinegar removes most dirt without scrubbing and leaves no film. use 1/4 cup or more to 1 gallon water.
• FILM BUILDUP
• to remove film buildup on bathtubs, apply vinegar full strength to a sponge and wipe. next, use baking soda to scour. Rub with a damp sponge and rinse well.
• rub the area to be cleaned with half a lemon dipped in Borax. rinse well and dry with a soft cloth
• GROUT CLEANING
• to clean grout, put 3 cups baking soda into a medium-sized bowl and add 1 cup warm water. mix into a paste and scrub into grout with a sponge or toothbrush. rinse well. dispose of left over paste when finished

Floor Cleaners

• for greasy, no wax floors
• 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup washing soda, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap, 2 gallons hot water
• combine all ingredients, stirring well to dissolve the washing soda.
• mop as usual
• Bonus- a pencil eraser will remove heel marks from a floor!

Toilet Cleaners

• Basic Cleaning
• sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, the squirt with vinegar and scour with toilet brush
• deodorize the bowl by using 1 cup Borax, 1/2 cup white vinegar. flush to wet the sides of the bowl. sprinkle the Borax around the bowl, the spray with vinegar. leave for several hours or over night the scrub with toilet brush
• Stubborn stains
• use Borax and lemon juice for stubborn stains like toilet bowl rigs. mix it into a paste. flush toilet to wet the sides, then rub on enough paste to cover the ring. let set at least 2 hours and scrub thoroughly
• pour a single 12 oz can or up to a full 2 liter bottle of Coke into the toilet bowl and let sit for several hours or over night. scrub and flush the Coke and stain away
• QUICK CLEANING
• drop 2 denture tablets into the bowl and clean as you normally would with a regular cleaner.
• for less stubborn stains, sprinkle with baking soda around the rim and scrub with a toilet brush