Part I - Home Detox

Detoxifying your home is one of the easiest things you can do to Go Green. It may not be convenient as purchasing pre-made solutions, but I promise the results are worth it. Not to mention keeping Green in your wallet. As I learned this week from our guest speaker at MOPS, the reasons are plentiful. Chemicals cause cancer. Now, I don't have studies to site, nor do I pretend to be an expert. I'm just going to do my best to keep myself and my family away from harsh chemicals. These include air fresheners, cleaners, bleach, dryer sheets, etc....the list goes on and on...

Making Homemade Laundry detergent is easy peasy! I got this recipe from here, The Eco-Friendly Family Blog. (one of my favorites!)

Here are the ingredients you need:
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1/2 cup of Oxiclean
1 bar of soap, finely grated (I used my food processor)

You can find all this in the laundry aisle at the grocery store. Two batches fit nicely in a 1/2 gallon size mason jar and I reuse a scoop from an Iced Tea mix.

Mix it all up and adding 2 TBSP to each wash should do the trick. Depending on how soiled your clothes are you should adjust accordingly. For HE washers use half the amount. For cloth diapers, use the same recipe but eliminate the soap.

Here are some recipes to make at home. Some of which I use and love, while others are on my to-do list. I found this awesome list at www.care2.com. I use variations of these cleaners, and it's really about your own preferences. You could Google and find lots of different recipes.


How to make a Non-toxic Cleaning Kit

Shopping List:
Baking soda
Washing soda
White distilled vinegar
Natural liquid soap or detergent
Tea Tree Oil
6 clean spray bottle (or reuse the ones you already have!)
2 glass jars
Optional:
Vegetable glycerin
Fresh Lemon
Additional Essential Oils

Non-toxic Formulas:

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture‐like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit. Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

WINDOW CLEANER
1/4‐1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

OVEN CLEANER
1 cup or more baking soda
Water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven.

ALL‐PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid soap
2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER
Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5% vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

MOLD KILLERS
Tea Tree Treasure

Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar Spray few hours. Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82% of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.