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[trace7]

These are just some of the greener cleaning things I do here at my place. My lightbulb moment came when I was using a tub/shower chemical and my son came in a said, that stuff stinks, why do you use it.. AH.. HA... that was a few years ago and I started to research alternatives cleaning methods and which were cost effective and what really worked. Nuff said.. now on to the meat of this subject... RECIPES for a Greener Clean...

Simply put.. baking soda, white vinager are in most peoples cupboards to begin with. So that is where we can start.

Earth Shaker ( similar to scouring powder )
I recycle parm cheese containers for this one because of the flip top shaker.
Fill your container with baking soda and then dump it back into a zip top plastic bag. Add 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil. I love herbs, so I use rosemary and sage oils. But you could use lemon, tangerine or peppermint or what ever your like. Mix it all together to distribute the EO's and then pour it all back into the cheese container.
That's it, your all done.. now use it as you would scouring powder.

My next favorite one is a soft scrub type called Earth Scrub. I love this stuff.

1 2/3 c baking soda
1/2 c liquid soap
1/2 c water
2 tbs vinager

Stir the liquid soap into the baking soda.
Add water and stir to make a smooth paste.
Add vinager and stir again.
Pour into a squeeze bottle.
Shake well before using and keep tightly closed between uses.
I reuse my dish liquid containers for this. I use ecover dish soap, for the liquid soap in this recipe, but you could just about any kind. I like the clear ones best.

My favorite laundry soap......... this takes a bit more work to make, but costs justs pennies and it really works well. we're farmers and we know dirt, lol
This is a "Gelled" type laundry soap. It will gel up to a consistancy like soft jelly. It melts very easy in your wash water. There is never any left on your clothes after the wash cycle. One more point to make here is, with homemade laundry soaps, there are not the suds like in commerical brands. Suds don't clean cloths. The suds are just for "eye appeal" it's from by- products added to the store bought product.

1 bar of solid soap, grated ( I use Zote or fels naptha ) I buy my Zote at a Dollar General store for yes, 1.00 a bar. Its a good size bar too.
1 c washing soda
1 c borax
a big bucket (2 gal ) I recyle the buckets cat litter comes in. You want a bucket with a tight fitting lid for this.

1. grate soap, entire bar.
2. add 6 cups of water to a big pan and add grated soap.
3. heat til soap melts completely. whisking as it melts.
4. add washing soda and borax and stir til dissolved.
5. remove from heat
6. pour 4 cups of hot water into your bucket, then add your melted soap mixture and stir.
7. add in 1 gallaon plus 6 cups of water and stir again.
8. let sit 24 hours.

Use 1/2 c per load.

One book I highly recommend and it's my holy grail of cleaning is "clean house, clean planet. Some of my recipes are from this book, some are not and I will post others if you are interested.

I wash my windows with equal amounts of water and white vinger and I have a spray bottle fliied with water and rubbing alcohol to clean around the toilet.

Trace... here's to greener cleaning
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Mise en place

[trace7]

It's pink is from the Zote bar soap.

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Mise en place

[Qui]

Wow Trace...thank you...

And no allergic reaction to odors...

I use vinegar water already...but the other 3 will be new to me...
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... Pat ...
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Whatever you are...Be a good one.

[trace7]

[tango]

Cool thanks I just printed off the laundry soap!

I make my own all purpose cleaner don't know if it's green or not??

1 (16 ounce) bottle rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup sudsy ammonia
1 teaspoon liquid dish soap, like dawn or joy
water
Directions
Pour ingredients into empty gallon container or empty gallon milk jug.
Fill the rest of the container with water.
Put into spray bottle and refill as needed
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[trace7]

[tango]

I use this for the shower

Shower Cleaner

32 oz plastic spray bottle

1 cup of vinegar

2-3 tbl Dawn dishwashing liquid

1 oz fabric softener

Water to fill the bottle


Spray the entire shower/tub after each bath/shower and after a few days it will sparkle! (I spray on all before I get out while the walls and doors are still wet, spray the floor after getting out. Just leave the spray bottle in the shower so its handy).

How do you know if the recipes are green??

I will Trace7
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[trace7]

[tango]

LOL not confusing at all!!

So the Dawn or Joy & fabric softner would not be considered green? But it works & is cheap to make, so it would be more frugal?! Cool love learning new stuff!
Thanks Trace7
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[trace7]