Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I say green, I mean safe for the environment. I don't particularly care if they have an official "green" seal or not. I just want something that will kill bacteria and viruses when someone is sick or after I have handled raw meat or eggs or to clean the toilet. I rarely use disinfectants except in those situations.
The items that have been mentioned are they truly safe and do they kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria?
Well, vinegar is certainly safe. You can drink it. You can rinse your mouth out with hydrogen peroxide. That sounds safe to me.
As for killing 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria ... Don't listen to the Clorox-driven advertising hype. In the examples you've given -- handling raw meats, etc. -- use plain old soap. You don't have to kill the germs, you just have to rinse/wipe them away.
2 c. distilled white vinegar
5-10 drops essential oil (lavender, cinnamon, etc)
Put in a spray bottle, label it, and go to town!
Homemade Window Cleaner:
1/2 tsp castile soap or plant-based liquid soap
3 T. distilled white vinegar
2 c. water
Put in a spray bottle, label it, and...well, read above LOL!
Homemade Produce Wash:
1 c. water
1 c. white vinegar
1 T. baking soda
20 drops grapefruit seed extract
Make in a deep pitcher--the vinegar and baking soda will initially foam. Pour into a spray bottle and spray your fruits and vegetables. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing.
Homemade "Pledge" Wood Cleaner:
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive or any vegetable oil
Mix ingredients and apply to rag to clean wood furniture.
Homemade Tub/Tile/Toilet Cleaner:
1/2 cup of borax
1/2 cup white vinegar
Sprinkle borax on surface. Spray with vinegar. Scrub.
Homemade Carpet Deodorizer:
1/2 c. baking soda
1/2 c. cornstarch
5 drops lavender oil
5 drops orange essential oil
Mix ingredients until there are no lumps. Put in a glass sugar shaker (or parm. cheese shaker) and shake over carpet. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before vacuuming.
Homemade Laundry Detergent:
16 c. baking soda
12 c. borax
8 c. castile soap, flakes, or glycerine, or soap flakes
3 T. essential oils (lavender is great!)
Mix first three ingredients.
Add essential oils. Use wire whisk to evenly distribute.
After you kill the 99.9% the 0.1% surviviors will breed some really tough bugs. Soap or detergent and water with the occsional dose of clorox works just fine.
2 c. distilled white vinegar
5-10 drops essential oil (lavender, cinnamon, etc)
Put in a spray bottle, label it, and go to town!
Homemade Window Cleaner:
1/2 tsp castile soap or plant-based liquid soap
3 T. distilled white vinegar
2 c. water
Put in a spray bottle, label it, and...well, read above LOL!
Homemade Produce Wash:
1 c. water
1 c. white vinegar
1 T. baking soda
20 drops grapefruit seed extract
Make in a deep pitcher--the vinegar and baking soda will initially foam. Pour into a spray bottle and spray your fruits and vegetables. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing.
Homemade "Pledge" Wood Cleaner:
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive or any vegetable oil
Mix ingredients and apply to rag to clean wood furniture.
Homemade Tub/Tile/Toilet Cleaner:
1/2 cup of borax
1/2 cup white vinegar
Sprinkle borax on surface. Spray with vinegar. Scrub.
Homemade Carpet Deodorizer:
1/2 c. baking soda
1/2 c. cornstarch
5 drops lavender oil
5 drops orange essential oil
Mix ingredients until there are no lumps. Put in a glass sugar shaker (or parm. cheese shaker) and shake over carpet. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before vacuuming.
Homemade Laundry Detergent:
16 c. baking soda
12 c. borax
8 c. castile soap, flakes, or glycerine, or soap flakes
3 T. essential oils (lavender is great!)
Mix first three ingredients.
Add essential oils. Use wire whisk to evenly distribute.
Use 1 1/8 c. per load.
Thank you for sharing those! Awesome!
I use ecover products as well as 7th generation products for some things like dishwashing and laundry... I really love ecover laundry products... i love that the containers that the products come in are easily recycled or reused, too.
For everything else - bathrooms, floors, walls, windows, car, furniture, etc - I use vinegar, essential oils, baking soda, salt, or Dr. Bronner's. I like the organic fair trade Dr. Bronner's - we use it for our hair, face, hands, and body, too. That stuff is super concentrated. We dilute it a bunch so one bottle really lasts us a long time. I buy the unscented variety. I have super sensitive skin and the baby-mild Dr. Bronner's is wonderful for my skin and face. Love a good scrub with a washcloth, some warmy soapy water, and Dr. Bronner's.
My favorite way to clean my sinks, tubs, and showers - bathrooms and kitchen - is to sprinkle a little salt, a little baking soda, and some drops of lemon or orange essential oil and scrub away with a scrubby sponge - I keep a bowl of warm water nearby. Smells so good!
I can't stand carpet, but you can make it a bit more tolerable by mixing some essential oil with some baking soda and sprinkling it into your carpet, rub it in a bit, and letting it sit about 20 minutes. The vacuum it up and it smells really good.
Baking soda also keeps ants out of your house - follow the trail of ants and put baking soda in the places where you think they are coming in from. Let it sit there for a few days, then vacuum up. We have had very good luck with this method. Our city has had a horrible problem with ants the past two years.
Our family doctor has told us that bleach isn't necessary. Hot soapy water and elbow grease is all you should ever really need he says.
Vodka mixed with a bit of water and some drops of your favorite essential oils make a really nice mister to help reshen the air.
So we are making good strides in learning how to keep our homes and yards clean and nice without using harsh toxic chemicals - now what about our bodies? Hair? Nails? Skin? Where do these body car products come from and what effects do they have on our environment when we wash them off and they go down the drain? Fake tans, hair color, nail polish, fragrances, makeup, lotions, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, even prescription and otc drugs... we bring so many chemicals into our homes without even thinking about it. It's time we thought about it.
There is no such thing as a "Green" disinfectant. There are only a few labs that certify a product as being Green..."Green Seal Certification" They charge the manufacturer a bundle for this certification. So it's used mainly for commercial/industrial products that must comply with GS regulations.
A disinfectant CAN NOT be certified as Green because it 'kills' things...like germs and bacteria, which are living organisims.
For household use, I would recomend any 'over the counter' disinfectants.
There is a botanical based disinfectant on the market called Benefect that is made from essential oils and it has met all the government (EPA) requirements to be registered as a disinfectant. It also has the Design For The Environment certifiication (EPA's non-profit program that works like Green Seal to create sustainable/enviromental solutions).
Benefect:: US Site (http://www.benefect.com/usa - broken link)
Always use vinegar or lemon on my cutting boards to clean them.
And just love, love, love .. Wild orange and cedar spice by Seventh Generation. Supposed to be a natural kitchen cleaner, but I use it for everything. Smells great!
As for killing 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria ... Don't listen to the Clorox-driven advertising hype. In the examples you've given -- handling raw meats, etc. -- use plain old soap. You don't have to kill the germs, you just have to rinse/wipe them away.
I understand what you are saying so I do use soap and water for the most part but it is kind of hard to use soap and water and rinse effectively things like countertops and the outside of a toilet or doorknobs when someone is sick. Not only am I concerned about the environment but I also don't want my son exposed to harsh chemicals.
I used to sell it... it is made from the Australian Tea Tree plant. It is a natural anti-viral, natural anti-fungal, and natural anti-bacterial substance!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Green Disinfectant
