Green Cleaning Products? Expensive! Ouch!

[Maxie Coale]

Green cleaning products are quite pricey which is why you might want to consider using home made organic cleaning agents.

I unclog my sinks using vinegar, baking soda and water (tried it after reading this: Homemade Drain Cleaner – Green Living Ideas) and I don't think I'll ever go back to chemical based drain cleaners.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by eyewrist

Agreed. I use all those but don't forget orange oil, Simple Green; two very good degreasers and Borax a multipurpose cleaner...Oh and your Magic erasers to stained counter tops and the like. But i do use Oxicleaners.

I do use Borax.

My goal is to get away COMPLETELY from all commercial cleaners, including laundry detergent, by the end of 2011. So far I'm way ahead!

[eyewrist]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I do use Borax.

My goal is to get away COMPLETELY from all commercial cleaners, including laundry detergent, by the end of 2011. So far I'm way ahead!

Well, all you need is vinegar, orange oil and baking soda; maybe a little bleach as a disinfectantfor water and medical needs, aluminum foil and cream of tartar for burnt on foods. How will you get away from laundry soaps? Making you own soaps? I plan to attempt that sometime this year...saved my wood ash for that purpose

[Mortiechan]

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

I use Dr. Bronner's castille soap to wash dishes (and just about anything else) -- 16 oz bottle is under $10 and you can wash a LOT of dishes with 16 oz!! You don't get lots of foam, but it does clean really well, adding a little plain white vinegar or lemon juice helps cut really greasy loads. I find that the Orange works best for dishes and kitchen clean up.

Good recipes here for making your own dish soaps from castille soaps, or grated pure soap flakes.

^^ I use Bronner's too for everything! You can clean your clothes, dishes, carpet, counters and toilet all with one product! I use cruelty-free products, and all those are "green." I would def check out bronner's, also store brands like Wholefoods I think are non-animal tested/vegan which without a cruelty free stamp would make them not "green" because using animals wastes more than anything! But Bronner's is a one-stop-shot and lasts forever, for real.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Mortiechan

^^ I use Bronner's too for everything! You can clean your clothes, dishes, carpet, counters and toilet all with one product! I use cruelty-free products, and all those are "green." I would def check out bronner's, also store brands like Wholefoods I think are non-animal tested/vegan which without a cruelty free stamp would make them not "green" because using animals wastes more than anything! But Bronner's is a one-stop-shot and lasts forever, for real.

Love that stuff.

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I do use Borax.

My goal is to get away COMPLETELY from all commercial cleaners, including laundry detergent, by the end of 2011. So far I'm way ahead!

Can Borax be used on granite, marble, and other natural stone without etching the surface or eating into the calcium the way vinegar will?

[MissingAll4Seasons]

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

Can Borax be used on granite, marble, and other natural stone without etching the surface or eating into the calcium the way vinegar will?

Borax is completely non-reactive with stone, wood and textiles.

However, Borax is a natural herbicide/fungicide, so if you reclaim your greywater, just make sure that you capture any water with borax in it and put it somewhere that you don't want anything to grow (like a driveway or path) and it doesn't accidentally get flushed out into your garden or orchard

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

Borax is completely non-reactive with stone, wood and textiles.

However, Borax is a natural herbicide/fungicide, so if you reclaim your greywater, just make sure that you capture any water with borax in it and put it somewhere that you don't want anything to grow (like a driveway or path) and it doesn't accidentally get flushed out into your garden or orchard

Eeek! No, the grey water goes in the septic with the rest of it. Good to know, I have stubborn weeds I can kill in the gravel driveway. Good, finally a somewhat green cleaner I can use for that new stone.