Green Cleaning

Lets face it, a big chunk of a mothers time is spent cleaning. In a perfect world, children wouldn't get dirty! But this is reality.. and in reality, washing the fingerprints off of the window, getting the smeared food off of the kitchen table, doing dishes, disinfecting, etc. It's just part of daily life. Now do you know what exactly are in those products that you're using? Household cleaners aren't monitored by the FDA, nor are companies obligated to put ingredients that were used, on the label.

Go here and here to read about what toxins probably appear in your cleaners

Also, click here to check out a small list of everyday products that contain known toxins

One of the first "green" things I did was convert from conventional cleaners to homemade, and the switch has been wonderful! It's pretty amazing to see something I've created, work just as good if not better than store bought products. If Ari were to get into the cleaners and ingest any, she would be just fine! What more could you ask for?

If you're looking to get started living more naturally, making your own household cleaners are a great place to start! The three recipes I'll be posting today are all-purpose spray, window cleaner, and wood cleaner/ polish.

**Note: my cleaners are made with vinegar, which is a natural disinfectant. Don't be afraid of using it because of the smell! Once it dries, all trace of the vinegar smell is completely evaporated (Same for alcohol).



My all purpose cleaner ingredients. I add two tablespoons of borax, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and the rest water. A few drops of coconut lime essential oil and we have ourselves a nice summery-smelling, efficient cleaner (Use on counters, tile, appliances, etc.)



Here we have my wood polish. 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of oil, juice from 3 lemon slices, few drops of coconut lime. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. *Lemon juice is essential, it prevents annoying spotting caused by the oil/vinegar combination. I lovee how fresh my dining room table looks after using this stuff.



Last but not least, window cleaner :) 2 cups isopropyl alcohol, 2 cups water, 4 tablespoons vinegar. The vinegar cleans while the alcohol makes for a streak-free shine.


So, there you have it. 3 home cleaners made easily (and cheaply!) from products you probably already have. There are a ton of alternatives to store-bought, chemical-laden products, so get creative - Happy cleaning!