Green alternatives

Ingredient products to use:

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
Cleans, deodorises, softens water and a good scouring powder.

White vinegar
Cuts grease, is a deodoriser and mild disinfectant.

Pure soap
A general purpose cleaner that biodegrades completely.

Lemon juice
Mild bleach, a deodorant and a cleaning agent.

Borax
A naturally occurring mineral salt. It cleans, deodorises, bleaches and disinfects, and is used to control pests such as ants and cockroaches.

Washing soda
Cuts grease and removes stains.

Recipes

In the bathroom

Toilet cleaner
Make a paste from borax and lemon juice for cleaning toilet bowls.
or
Mix 1/2 cup of liquid soap together with 2 cups of baking soda. Dilute with 1/4 cup of water and add 2 tbsp vinegar. Finally add 1/2 tsp of tea tree or eucalyptus oil and mix well. Place in a squirt bottle and leave for 24 hours before first use. Shake well before each use.

All-purpose cleaner
Clean tiles, sinks, toilets and baths with baking soda, using a damp cloth.

Grout and mildew cleaner
Dip an old toothbrush in vinegar and scrub the tile grout to remove mildew and mould and prevent new growth.

Mirror cleaner
Apply eucalyptus oil with a wad of newspaper to prevent mirrors fogging up.
In the kitchen

Surface cleaner
Use baking soda on a damp cloth to clean bench tops, sinks, windows and refrigerator or freezer surfaces.

Dishwashing detergent
Use pure soap to wash dishes and add white vinegar to the rinse water to give glasses extra shine.

Oven cleaner
Dissolve three tablespoons of washing soda in one litre of warm water. Spray on, wait
20 minutes and clean. For tough stains, scrub with steel wool and baking soda.

Pot cleaner
To remove burnt-on food, cover the burnt area with water, add two teaspoons of baking soda and bring to the boil. Leave to cool and scrape off.

Silver cleaner
Line a bowl with aluminium foil, fill with hot water and add a quarter of a cup of table salt. Put the silver in and leave until tarnish disappears.

Silver and metal polish
Make a paste with lemon juice and baking soda. Rub it on with a soft cloth, rinse with water, dry and polish.
In the living room

Window cleaner
Add 500 ml of white vinegar to 1 litre of warm water and wipe windows with a damp cloth. Use wads of newspaper to dry and polish.

Furniture polish
Use olive oil for unvarnished or unpainted furniture. Spread lightly and dry with clean cloth. For varnished or lacquered wood, mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with one tablespoon of white vinegar and one litre of water in a spray bottle. Spray lightly and dry with a clean cloth.

Carpet cleaner
Sprinkle baking soda on carpet before vacuuming to deodorise. To remove stains, make a spray from 1/4 cup of borax and 2 cups of water. Spray on and wipe off with a damp sponge.

Alternatively, try lemon juice or undiluted white vinegar, or immediately rub with soda water, or sprinkle salt or cornflour on the stain and vacuum after 30 minutes.

Air freshener
Simmer vinegar or herb mixtures in water, or try cinnamon and cloves.

In the laundry

Bleach
Use one cup of lemon juice in half a bucket of water and soak overnight, or substitute half a cup of borax per wash load to whiten whites and brighten colours.

Stain remover
Use eucalyptus oil to remove stains before washing. Simply apply a few drops and let it evaporate.

Laundry detergent
Grate a third of a cake of pure soap (or buy soap flakes from the supermarket), and mix with 1/3 of a cup of washing soda. Dissolve in hot water, and top up with a little more water. The mixture will set to a soft gel. Use 2-3 cups per wash load.

In the garage

Battery cleaner
Dissolve two teaspoons of baking soda in one litre of water to clean battery terminals.
Smear vaseline around the base of the terminals to prevent further build-up.

Chrome polish
Use flour or baking soda on a dry, clean cloth.

Car polish
Wash your car as usual on grass and allow it to dry - then sprinkle cornflour over the paint and polish to give that extra sheen.

Smell remover
Get rid of that new car smell by wiping vinyl surfaces with a strong solution of white vinegar, and air well. An open container of baking soda absorbs odours, especially dog and stale cigarette smells.

Used oil
NEVER tip or spill oil (used or new) down drains, gutters or onto the ground. Take it to a household hazardous waste drop-off facility.

Rust remover
Mix lemon juice and salt, apply and expose to sunlight.

Fuel use
Keep your car well tuned as this will increase engine life, use less fuel and generate less pollution. Alternatively, why not ride a bicycle instead?

Tar remover
Moisten a clean cloth with eucalyptus oil and rub. Alternatively, rub butter onto the tar and wash off with a safe cleaner.

Paint
Choose water-based over oil-based paints. NEVER tip paint down drains, gutters or onto the ground. Take it to a household hazardous waste drop-off facility.

Recipes:

General Cleanser
Always use the simplest, mildest product that will get the job done. Try warm water mixed with EITHER soap, vinegar, or bicarbonate of soda.

Mint Fresh Oven Cleaner
Mix 1/4 cup salt with 1/4 cup baking soda. Add 1/4 cup water and 1 tblsp mint juice for a pleasant smell. The 'mint juice' is made by soaking 5-6 mint leaves in a cup of boiled water for five minutes. To use - apply the paste mixture to the interior of the oven, leave overnight and remove with a damp cloth.

Disinfectant Cleaner
Add 10-15 drops of an essential oil with anticeptic properties to 1 litre of white vinegar. To use - place in a spray bottle, apply and wipe off with a cloth.

Glass Cleaner
Put three tablespoons vinegar into 1 litre warm water. Baking soda in water is also an economical cleaner for windows, stainless steel and chrome and laminate surfaces. To use - spray and polish off with a soft cloth or newspaper

All Purpose Household Cleaner
Add 2 tblsp of white vinegar to one cup of water. Mix well before adding 1/4 cup of liquid soap. Add 1/2 tsp of essential oil. To use - spray and wipe.'

A Bench-top Shaker for General Cleaning
Add baking soda with a few drops of essential oil and put in a shaker container. To use - sprinkle on any surface you wish to clean and wipe with a cloth.

Floor polish
Beeswax, one part lemon juice to two parts olive or vegetable oil, or three parts olive oil to two parts vinegar.

Air Freshener
Find source of odour and eliminate, then place bowls of potpourri or wood-chips scented with aromatic oils.
To Absorb Odours
Place two to four teaspoons baking soda or vinegar in small bowls in refrigerator, and at bottom of rubbish bin.

Dishwashing
Use liquid or powdered pure soap. For more difficult jobs, add two to three teaspoons vinegar to the dishwater. For baked on foods, place 4 tablespoons of baking soda in the bottom of ‘oven-proof’ dirty dish and add just enough water to cover bottom of dish. Heat for 30 minutes, switch off oven and leave dish in overnight. Alternatively (at lower energy cost) spread a baking soda paste over burnt-on food and leave to soak overnight, then wipe off paste.

Environmentally friendly dishwasher
Put bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in the soap powder container, and white vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser. You may need to occasionally use baking soda to scrub out the inside of tea mugs.

Lime Deposits
Add undiluted vinegar, until it stops foaming

Soap Scum
Make up a paste of vinegar and washing soda. Wear gloves. Apply to scum mark and wipe off.

Detergents
Instead of washing powder, use soap flakes or powder, adding washing soda to ‘soften’ water if you tend to get scum from soap.

Fabric softener
Add one-cup vinegar and/or one quarter cup baking soda during final rinse.

Spray Starch
Two table-spoons cornstarch dissolved in half a litre of cold water in spray bottles. Use fresh.

Nappy Freshener
Mix one capful of eucalyptus oil with a squeeze of lemon juice and add to your bucket and soak overnight – then rinse.

Nappy Wash
Use pure corn starch powder or make up a paste of baking soda and water.

Metal Cleaners -
Aluminium - soak overnight in vinegar and water, rub.
Brass - mix equal parts salt and flour with a little vinegar, and then rub.
Chrome - rub with undiluted vinegar.
Copper - rub with lemon juice and salt or hot vinegar and salt.
Gold - lukewarm soapy water, dry and polish.
Silver and Stainless Steel - rub with paste of baking soda and water.

Drains
Never tip oil or fat down drains (and always use a strainer when draining pots, or peeling vegetables). If a drain is blocked, pour a frothing mixture of up to three cups vinegar and three tablespoons baking soda down drain, then seal tightly with a rubber plug - flush 30 minutes later with hot water.

Effective Micro-organisms
E.M. is a beneficial living bacteria/yeast/actinomyces product being used globally to clean up drains and revitalise waste water systems and septic tanks, and as a safe environmental household cleaner. For more information contact www.bokashi.co.nz
The Environment Centre sells Bokashi buckets and zing.