Eco-friendly, money-saving home cleaning tips

Six states have passed legislation banning the use of phosphates in cleaning products and others are soon to follow. The good news is you don’t need harmful or expensive chemical products to keep your home clean. A few eco-friendly and economical items are all you need to make your living spaces sparkle.

For many cleaning jobs you need to look no further than your kitchen cupboards. If you’ve got a $1 box of baking soda, a $2 bottle of vinegar and a lemon, you’ve got what you need to clean most of your house.

Baking soda:
Baking soda is nontoxic, earth-friendly, multi-purpose and cheap. A few ideas to keep your home baking soda fresh include:

* Sprinkle onto carpets and rugs, let sit for 15 minutes then vacuum away dirt and odors.
* Add 1/4 cup to a load of laundry to help remove grease and freshen clothes.
* Sprinkle in the sink and bathtub; make a paste with water and use as a safe, gentle scouring powder.
* Spill some grease during cooking? Put a bit of baking soda on the mess, rub with a dry cloth and rinse with water.

Vinegar:
White distilled vinegar kills mold, bacteria and germs and is a great way to avoid using harsh chemicals.

* Before you step in the shower and turn on the water, spray the shower door with full-strength vinegar to help ensure hard water deposits won’t stick to glass.
* Clean grout by letting full-strength vinegar sit on it for a few minutes then scrub with an old toothbrush.
* Clean your drain safely using one cup of baking soda and one cup of hot vinegar. Pour both down the drain; let foam for five minutes and flush with hot water.
* Clean your microwave by bringing ½-cup vinegar and ½-cup water to a boil inside (remember to use a microwave safe bowl). Anything inside will just wipe clean.

Lemons:
The acid in lemon juice makes a great (and good smelling) bleach alternative.

* Remove stains from a countertop by allowing lemon juice to sit on the stain for five minutes. Scrub with baking soda and watch the stain disappear.
* Stain on a white T-shirt? Squeeze some lemon juice onto the stain, let the garment dry in the sun, and the stain will be bleached away.
* Add a few lemon peels to the garbage disposal and run it with hot water for the freshest smelling drain you’ve ever had.

For jobs where you need to purchase cleaning products, like dishwashing detergent, look for products that are safe for your family and the planet.

With a little ingenuity, consideration for the planet and a bit of elbow grease, it’s possible to save a great deal of money and get rid of the other types of grease that invade your home.

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