Many of the products used to clean are homes create unhealthy indoor air quality for our families. Making your own cleaning products not only saves you money, improves your indoor air quality, makes your home less toxic, but it is simple and easy.
There are many natural window cleaners available at coops and natural food stores; however, these products can be expensive, and in my experience, their performance leaves much to be desired. It is very simple to make your own window cleaning solution with vinegar and water. This homemade window solution is very effective and inexpensive.
To make homemade window cleaner, combine 3 teaspoons of vinegar to one quart of warm water. Pour the solution into a reusable spray bottle, and you have the safest, best window cleaner for your home. To prevent streaking, do not clean your windows while the sun is on them and use crumpled newspaper to wipe them dry. The newspaper can still be recycled after cleaning your windows. It is hard to break the paper towel habit when it comes to cleaning windows, but once you do, you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Vinegar is very inexpensive. A gallon of organic vinegar costs about $12.00 (non-organic vinegar costs about $3.00 a gallon) and will last you for many years of window cleaning. You will find many other uses for vinegar beyond cooking , such as killing weeds and rinsing laundry, as you explore this amazing liquid. It is also relatively easy to make your own vinegar from juice, then you would have a truly homemade window cleaner!
This post was included on Green Options Tip O’ the Day, which contains many great simple ways to make your life greener!
I recently switched to homemade cleansers myself. The look on my husbands face was hilarious when he reached for the window cleaner to clean his glasses and found the whole shelf empty of all the toxic cleansers it had been filled with. THe first day he cleaned with vinegar, he complained the whole time of the smell (although he did grudgingly admit it worked great) until I reminded that windex didn’t smell that great either but he never complained about that. He was worried that it would leave our place smelling like vinegar but was surprised at just how fast the vinegar smell goes away, leaving everything with a clean smell that was full of synthetic scents. 90% of my cleaning is done with vinegar, baking soda, borax and fels naptha. I do have a few other items fromthe local natural store but only because I haven’t yet figured out a good solution to remove pee smell from the carpeting in the kids’ room.
Does vinegar work on poison ivy too? I’ve been trying to figure a way to get it out of our yard — other than digging it out by hand!
Straight vinegar will make the leaves turn yellow, but the poison oak (we don’t have ivy) comes back the next year. It is really hard to kill naturally, but a friend told me that boiling water works. I haven’t tried that yet. Even burning doesn’t work (and not advised because the smoke can cause a very bad, bad reaction in the throat and lungs that can stop breathing). If you can find someone that doesn’t get it, have them dig it up is the best way I have found. Also, Tecnu makes an extreme version that is homeopathic that works wonders! You can use it right away after exposure, and you won’t get it, and it works for relieving the rash. I hate poison oak!
With two little ones running around the house my wife and I are always looking for ways to keep a chemical free house. Thanks for some great tips, I’ll be back to read more.
A friend told me you can make your own fabric softner but I have not found anything on the web. If you know how could you share with us?
I’ve actually been thinking about implementing the same practices in my home and residential cleaning business. Great thoughts and thank you for the helpful information.
To get rid of pee, or any bodily extrements, get the enzyme pet cleaner spray in the pet section, like at Walmart. It’s in a white bottle, with yellow and red label. It smells like baby powder and the enzymes eat the germy residue after you’ve cleaned up the mess.
I’m looking for the best possible stain remover for cleaning toilet bowls.
Look up oil pulling for teeth. That is a miracle cure, and the best way to clean teeth. For a clean feeling sea salt water is the best thing to clean teeth. imo. I make a mouth wash from filtered water, peppermint oil drops and stevia powder for that fresh minty taste.
If you are on the health warpath. Why stop at just changing out the products? It costs more, but using a HEPA filter is the way to go. Our Atlanta Maids are using these now and are getting rave reviews. There are all types of theories on green cleaning. One proven fact is start from the highest level and work down. If you clean from the top of the house, the dirt goes downward. If you have the correct filtration system, the dust doesn’t need to settle, it gets captured correctly the first time. We have a great deal of success using these filters with customers who have allergies.
how can i make a SUBSTITUTE FOR PINESOL???
I just had a cleaning company in my local town (charleston, sc) come out and clean my home. They (Castle Keepers)were really good and used green cleaning practices. I am so glad for your blog post, b/c I think it’s such an easy thing to switch to and makes a huge difference, especially when children are in the home.
Also steam cleansing is effective it only uses a little bit of water and electricity. It’s effective merely because the high temperature kills germs and mold spores that might be hiding inside your home. It’s environmentally friendly merely simply because you will find no chemicals involved.
What most of us need to realize is that we can remodel our living and working spaces without the worry that we are using too much of what is necessary from the environment. In this way, we are not only showing our appreciation to comfortable living spaces but we are also doing our part in showing to everyone that we do care for the environment. It is good to know that as young as our kids are, they are already being taught about the importance of conserving our natural resources and not doing harm to them.