Your cleaning closet probably consists of a giant chemical stew of detergents, disinfectants, bleaches, softeners and polishes. They do work to keep our homes clean and sweet smelling, but many also contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. To help you fix this household problem here’s some tips and the eight basic do-it-yourself cleaning ingredients.

Eight green cleaners:

• Baking soda provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times.
• Borax disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes. It's very handy in laundry mixes. 
You can usually find it in the laundry aisle.
• Distilled white vinegar also disinfects, and breaks up dirt. Choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, which might stain surfaces. 

• Hydrogen peroxide disinfects and bleaches.
• Lemons cut grease. Bottled lemon juice also works well, although you might need to use a bit more to get the same results.
• Olive oil picks up dirt and polishes wood, and the cheaper grades work well.
• Vegetable-based liquid castile soap is a non-petroleum all-purpose cleaner. 

• Washing soda is a stain remover and general cleaner, and it helps unblock pipes. It's caustic, so wear gloves when using it. Look for washing soda in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores. 


Some additional green cleaning tips:

• Pick up an empty spray bottle at the hardware store, and keep those old rags and used toothbrushes for wiping up and scrubbing.
• To make an everyday glass cleaner that’s as good as the store bought brand just add a tablespoon of lemon juice, or a quarter cup of vinegar, to about two cups of water. Fill a clean spray bottle, and wipe with a rag or old newspaper.
• There are also some effective, safer products on the market today, made without harmful ingredients.
• Clean greener and save some money by doing something as simple as switching from liquid to powdered detergents for your laundry and dishwasher. It also saves lots of plastic bottles.
• Start small by switching out just one product for something less toxic or use a cup of hydrogen peroxide in the wash instead of bleach to brighten up the whites.

I’m Patty Kim from the Green Guide for Howdini dot-com.

What’s in your cleaning closet? In most homes, the answer is a giant chemical stew of detergents, disinfectants, bleaches, softeners and polishes. There’s no doubt that they work to keep our homes clean and sweet smelling. But many also contribute to indoor air pollution, they're poisonous, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products you'll find in your house.

Put your home in environmental rehab by replacing store-bought brands with an ample supply of these...the 8 basic do-it-yourself cleaning ingredients.
Baking soda provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times

Borax disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes. It's very handy in laundry mixes. 
You can usually find it in the laundry aisle.

Distilled white vinegar also disinfects, and breaks up dirt. Choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, which might stain surfaces. 

Hydrogen Peroxide disinfects and bleaches.

Lemons cut grease. Bottled lemon juice also works well, although you might need to use a bit more to get the same results.

Olive oil picks up dirt and polishes wood, and the cheaper grades work well. 

Vegetable-based liquid castile soap is a non-petroleum all-purpose cleaner. 

And finally, washing soda. It's a stain remover and general cleaner, and it helps unblock pipes. It's caustic, so wear gloves when using it. Look for washing soda in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores. 


Don't forget to pick up an empty spray bottle at the hardware store, and keep those old rags and used toothbrushes for wiping up and scrubbing.

The Green Guide offers a whole host of simple do-it-yourself recipes for all sorts of household cleaners. Just to give you an idea of how easy it really is, let's make an every day glass cleaner that’s as good as the store bought brand:
Add a tablespoon of lemon juice, or a quarter cup of vinegar, to about two cups of water. Fill a clean spray bottle, and wipe with a rag or old newspaper.

Of course, not everyone wants to make their own cleaning supplies. There are some effective, safer products on the market today, made without harmful ingredients.

You can also clean greener by doing something as simple as switching from
liquid to powdered detergents for your laundry and dishwasher. It'll save lots of plastic bottles, and it'll save you money in the end.

If you want to start small, try switching out just one product for something less toxic.. use a cup of hydrogen peroxide in the wash instead of bleach to brighten up the whites.

Check out the links on our website for greener, cleaner recipes and product suggestions. We’re all in this together.
I’m Patty Kim from the Green Guide for Howdini.com.