spring greening
Gorgeously Green All-Purpose* Spray
from Sophie Uliano, author of Gorgeously Green
- 32-ounce plastic spray bottle
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure castile soap (peppermint is a favorite)
- 3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
- 20 drops tea tree oil
- 20 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil
Simply fill a large 32-ounce plastic spray bottle with the water. Add the vinegar, castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil and lavender or lemongrass essential oil.
Lavender is lovely for the bathroom spray and lemongrass for the kitchen, so make two separate bottles at the same time. In the hot summer months, add about 10 drops of citronella essential oil to the spray, as it is an excellent insect repellent.
*Safe for acrylic, ceramic, wood, marble and granite.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
one of many green living recipes from The Good Wife blog
- 1 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup liquid soap
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon tea tree oil (optional)
Add soap to water and let dissolve. Stir in baking soda, then add vinegar. Add tea tree oil. Shake before using. Sprinkle on a wet bowl brush, scour and rinse. Clean bowl thoroughly and often.
TIP: Drain water from the toilet bowl for better cleaning. For serious stains or rust, empty water out of bowl and scrub with a wet pumice stone. When wet, the stone will not scratch porcelain.
To remove hard-water rings: Spray undiluted vinegar around the inside of the toilet then sprinkle borax onto the vinegar. Let it soak for about half an hour. Repeat if necessary.
See the rest of the Go Green – Green Cleaning article by The Good Wife for more recipes to accomplish the cleaning powers of products such as Comet, Off!, Mr. Clean, Windex, laundry and dish detergent.
bucket by Casabella made from recycled soda bottles
Spring has sprung – now, it’s time to get your hands dirty and home spotless!
Turn spring cleaning into spring greening by using recycled materials (like this bucket) and making your own non-tox cleaning solutions (some recipes below).