10 Non-Toxic Deep Cleaning Recipes (PHOTOS)

From Networx.com's Linda Merrill:

You probably already know that you can clean with common kitchen pantry items like baking soda, vinegar and lemons. We found a few new ways to clean with these standard non-toxic cleaning agents. If you've got chemical sensitivities, these cleaning recipes are for you. Check out these 10 totally safe, non-toxic recipes and enjoy clean air and the chemical-free shine of your home:

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Mix ½ cup baking soda, 1 tsp dish soap and ½ tsp. hydrogen peroxide. Apply to a wet surface with a cloth. Rinse the surface well after scrubbing.

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Mix ½ cup baking soda, 1 tsp dish soap and ½ tsp. hydrogen peroxide. Apply to a wet surface with a cloth. Rinse the surface well after scrubbing.

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Comments

[Cathy Sparkle]

04:41 PM on 01/24/2011

I used to think making your own cleaning products sounded too hard. But our kit makes it easy by putting everything you need in one place: www.cathysparkle.com

[Carnacamarna]

11:12 PM on 01/20/2011

Wanna shine up your brass?

Get some ketchup, a thick cloth, and rub.

Wanna get rid of grime in hard to access spots?

A toothbrush and some "Arm & Hatchet ;-)" toothpaste will do wonders.

Need to clean grease off the stove?

Use powder laundry detergent (biological is better but if you have allergies or sensitive skin non-biological will work too).

Burn something badly into the bottom of a stainless steel pot?

Pour in some Pepsi or Coke or any Cola soda, bring to a boil, swish around, let cool, and wipe away.

[lioness76]

04:48 PM on 01/20/2011

Baking soda & vinegar are also good for cleaning your hair! I use about a tablespoon of baking soda to a cup of warm water as shampoo & about the same of apple cider vinegar to water as conditioner. It does take a few weeks for your hair to adjust to this, but my superfine, pinstraight, cornsilk-type hair has never had more body. Also, no guilt about what I'm putting into the water supply when I shower.

[colred]

08:12 PM on 01/19/2011

I'm experimenting with making my own oxygen bleach after reading the ingredients on the label--hydrogen peroxide, sulfacant (sp?), and water. I think I can do this.

The cheapest way to get a lot of stuff clean--water. And cleaning regularly.

[GraniteSkyline]

09:02 AM on 01/19/2011

# 6 The baking soda on silver tip is a great way to scratch and erode your silver.

An easier and gentler way is to coat the bottom of your sink or a large pan with aluminum foil, put in silver, toss in baking soda and a bit of salt, and then pour very hot or boiling water over it, and let stand. Swish silver around if necessary.

Most things get clean in a few minutes--very tarnished items may take a half hour or might need to be boiled in the mixture on the stove.

[westcountyPA]

02:54 PM on 01/19/2011

Your tip works when you burn the bottom of a pot also - whoops!

[fwwest]

08:35 AM on 01/19/2011

1 cup of vinegar mixed with 2 cups of water makes a great glass and refrigerator cleaner. Wipe the vinegar mis off glass with newspaper. Makes glass shine!

[Crushedknee]

03:07 PM on 01/18/2011

Not a cleaning product but it is homemade..­We have started making our own Ant bait..A mix of Borax and corn syrup for the sugar ants peanut butter for the Protein ants..Work­s great we Smear the stuff on index cards and lay them around the house ..While not really great to ingest it takes a lot to do harm. and it taste bad to mammals. Trick is for the Borax to be weak enough that is takes a few days to effect the ants..By then they have taken it to the nest and shared it around..So I've found about 1/6 to 1/5 Borax to corn syrup works best. Borax is taken directly from dry alkaline lakes with little to no processing so I don't feel like its unnatural.

[Crushedknee]

03:06 PM on 01/18/2011

Not a cleaning product but it is homemade..We have started making our own Ant bait..A mix of Borax and corn syrupfor the sugar ants peanut butter for the Protein ants..Works great we Smear the stuff on index cards and lay them around the house ..While not really great to ingest it takes a lot to do harm. and it taste bad to mammals. Trick is for the Borax to be weak enough that is takes a few days to kill the ants..By then they have taken it to the nest and shared it around..So I've found about 1/6 to 1/5 Borax to corn syrup works best. Borax is taken directly from dry alkaline lakes with little to no processing so I don't feel like its unnatural.

[poomplet]

02:28 PM on 01/18/2011

Given the brew haha about non-stick pans and their (alleged) associated toxic emissions/food transferences...

is showing a picture of one in this post really a good idea?

[GraniteSkyline]

08:08 AM on 01/19/2011

I don't know the exact date it goes into effect, but all pans made with problematic PFOAs are to be taken off the market this year.

To me, the pan in slide #3 appears to be a regular saute pan, and not non-stick.

[OldJazzyGirl]

01:15 PM on 01/18/2011

Use baking soda and vinegar to clean and freshen drains.
After handling chicken, put your cutting board in the sink and pour boiling water over the surface.
Pour a small amount of boiling water on counter to disinfect after chicken, etc. Immediately wipe with a very thick, folded cloth.
Do the same on a greasy stove top. Boiling water will cut the grime and shine it right up.
Somebody smoke in your house or car? Put out a bowl of vinegar. It will take the odor out overnight. If it is really bad, spray some vinegar in the air. Do the same in the car and wipe it down with vinegar and water.
Old musty books? Put them in the freezer in a zip lock bag.
Toilet bowl ring that won't go away? Wet paper towels with vinegar and lay them on the ring. It might take a day. Wetting the paper towels with vinegar first will prevent them from soaking up the water in the toilet bowl.
Cheap and effective toilet bowl cleaner? Pour in vinegar and brush.
Lime scale and hard creepy stuff around your sink faucet? Spray with vinegar and scrub with an old toothbrush. It will come right off.
Want sparkling dishes? Pour a quick glug of vinegar in the dishwasher's final rinse. It will also keep your dishwasher clean and free of lime scale clogs. AND it will remove any toxins from the dishwasher detergent.

The cheapest place to buy gallons of vinegar? Walmart.

[Daisytoo]

11:22 AM on 01/19/2011

Great tips! Thanks. Do you recommend white or apple cider vinegar?

PS .. I'm sure you must do this, but for clarification -- that cloth you use to clean counter after chicken. etc. should be tossed in the wash and not re-used until clean.

[StephBr]

05:24 PM on 01/19/2011

"The cheapest place to buy gallons of vinegar? Walmart."

NEVER EVER walmart, I get mine from Costco

[Parsifals]

12:59 PM on 01/18/2011

Another one I read and learned about is white vinegar as a cleaning agent for painted wood floors.

[Micky]

12:49 PM on 01/18/2011

I sure wish this article were in a printable form!

[StephBr]

05:25 PM on 01/19/2011

Why? Why waste paper?

[Action Sam]

12:36 PM on 01/18/2011

kosher salt and rubbing alcohol is great for taking resin off glass

[Raymond Chuang]

12:23 PM on 01/18/2011

I think a lot of people don't realize that many "natural" liquids like lemon juice and vinegar are either strongly acidic or strongly akailine, which makes them great as industrial cleaners.

Actually, if you can find one, try using a pressurized high-temperature steam cleaner--some of those cleaning devices can even go through baked on grease, a PAIN to clean with conventional chemical-based cleaners.

[DavidMG]

12:16 PM on 01/18/2011

A book called "Clean & Green" has 500 recipies for making your own cleaning and other household cleaning supplies. Only $10. I've been using it for years as do the people who help clean my place.