Green Clean Recipes...

Cleaning products that you make yourself are a healthier and cheaper alternative to commercial cleaners, not to mention easy and better for the earth in general. Take into account that commercial cleaners are possibly a danger to yourself, your children (babies are particularly susceptible) and your pets, so if that isn't reason enough to give your homemade cleaners a try I don't know what is.

I myself never even considered the dangers, even after cleaning my bathroom with Clorox Bleach so thoroughly once that I smelled bleach in my nose for DAYS. Also, it hurt! My nose stung, my eyes watered and I felt dizzy afterward for quite some time. When I first had Lucy I was still using regular cleaners and I never felt like I could pick her up straightaway after cleaning. I felt like I had a chemical reside on my hands even after I had taken a shower. Those of you with new babies know that taking a shower after cleaning the house isn't always possible with a newborn, right? So I'd clean and then of course she's need to be cuddled or would want to nurse and I'd reek of bleach or ammonia. Lovely! With my homemade cleaners I still (of course) wash up after cleaning, but I don't feel like the fumes have enveloped my body or leave a residue at all.

The harsh chemicals in most house cleaning products have been found to cause a variety of unpleasant side effect -- headaches, skin irritation, eye damage, allergic reactions and burns from caustic agents, and there are studies out that are testing out the theory that many of these chemicals can cause even more serious health risks such as a variety of different cancers and permanent respiratory and skin damage. Even the possibility that these chemicals could adversely affect my family is enough for me to get rid of them!

Here are the basics of what you'll need:

• Baking Soda - cleans and deodorizes.
  
• Lemon Essential Oil - great for cleaning wood furniture.
  
• Castille Soap (liquid)- cleans! I like Dr. Bronner's baby mild unscented.
  
• White Vinegar- cuts through grease, great for windows and floors.
  
• Washing Soda - cleans and is more caustic that baking soda, especially good for scrubbing.
  
• Lemon or lemon juice
  
• Olive Oil
  
• Club Soda
  
• Essential Oils of your choice for scent- add to any of the recipes. I like lavender and grapefruit.
  

Here are some recipes:

All Purpose Cleaners/Window Cleaners

• Add 1/3 cup of vinegar for every 4 cups of water in spray bottle. I actually tried this out on our bamboo floor and it worked amazingly by just spraying lightly and then mopping up with a microfiber mop.
• 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 gallon warm water; store in lightly lidded container.
• Club soda in a spray bottle will make your windows and glass sparkle like never before...add in wiping them down with newspaper (for windows) and supposedly they'll look amazing (I haven't tried this yet, but soon!).
  

Furniture Polish

• Mix 3 parts olive oil with 1 part vinegar. Use a soft cloth.
• Mix 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. Use a soft cloth.
  

Countertop Cleaner

• Mix baking soda with a small amount of water. Scrub.
• For stained areas, use paste of baking soda & water, let set a while. Scrub.
• Mix 3 TBSP washing soda into one quart warm water. Mix. Scrub.
  

Stovetop and Sink Cleaner

• Baking Soda and Castille soap mixture. I pour some baking soda liberally on the stovetop or sink and then add a couple of squirts of Castille soap, then I add a little water and scrub well with a scrub brush. I leave it on longer for burnt food bits on the stovetop.
• For stubborn stains try a paste of washing soda or Borax with water (use gloves) scrub and let sit, then rise with water.

Note: Even though these are green, clean and healthy please keep all of these ingredients and cleaners out of reach from kids and pets. They won't emit dangerous fumes or hurt your eyes, throat, etc but shouldn't be consumed or left at the hands little ones nonetheless. Better safe than sorry!

Lastly, my dear, dear friend Meg (she's literally been a friend of mine practically since we were in diapers) at Upcountry Views commented that I should try out a steam cleaner... what is more pure than plain old super heated water, right? I must have one! Does anyone use a steam cleaner and have any recommendations?

"God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done."
-Author Unknown

Cleaning the Green Way...

I'm a clean freak, and have become even more so with the arrival of Miss Lucy. This has become tricky as along with becoming (even more) of a clean freak, I've also become completely paranoid about the chemicals that go into our regular household cleaners and are then dispersed into my home for all to inhale. After reading the book Green Goes With Everything by Sloan Barrett I chucked each and every bottle of our harsh store bought cleaners-- goodbye Comet, goodbye Soft Scrub, Goodbye Clorox Bathroom Cleaner, Goodbye Windex.

In the book the author pretty much constantly pimps out her husband's company's green product line, something that somewhat turned me off and made the book a little less objective than it could have been, but she did still have a wealth of information about the adverse effects of these chemicals on on our bodies. So, instead of going out and buying up the entire product line I did some research of my own and found recipes to make my own green cleaning products. Four empty spray bottles, a gallon of the cheap white vinegar, a vial of tea tree oil, a jug of Castille soap and a box of both baking soda and washing soda later I was totally set up with all I need to clean my home. I've used these cleaners for almost 4 months now and they work just as well, if not better, than the commercial stuff. What I've noticed the most about them is that my throat and eyes don't burn after scrubbing the sink or the shower and I can pick up Lucy after cleaning without feeling like I reek of bleach for the rest of the day, even after a shower I used to be able to smell it on my hands and inside my nostrils. Ew. That's got to tell you something right there!

The only caveat to homemade cleaning products are I don't feel like I get the bathroom clean enough for my(somewhat obsessive) liking. To remedy this I popped on over to our local Whole Foods and purchased a ecologically friendly bathroom cleaner from one of my favorite local Northwest Companies Bi-O-Kleen. If you don't want to make the cleaners yourself I definitely recommend anything in their product line, I stock up on their Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator for Lucy's diapers whenever it is on sale (seriously, last time I bought 10 bottles). The bathroom cleaner was definitely more pricey than plain old Clorox Bathroom Cleaner, but with the money I save with not having to buy my other cleaners (it is so much cheaper to make them yourself) I'm still saving money in the end.

Lastly, I receive these daily emails from Ideal Bite with tips on being a "green" mama and I found the one that I received today to be particularly helpful. See here about some great ways to disinfect children's toys without using harsh chemicals that aren't good for your baby or the planet!

Coming up next -- recipes!

"My idea of a superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors."
-Bette Midler