Newsletters: January - February 2007
Eco Cleaning
By Linda Miklowitz
Household tasks are unavoidable and unending, but they donŐt have to be hazardous to your health. Following is a list of non-toxic solutions to common household tasks. Many were used a few generations ago, but fell into disuse with the advent of flashy products and aerosols. Gary A. Davis and Em Turner of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Waste Management Institute, provided many of these suggestions.
Air freshener: Open windows and doors for a short period. Place partially filled saucers of vinegar around the kitchen to neutralize unpleasant cooking odors. Boil cinnamon and cloves in a pan of water to scent the air. Sprinkle 1/2 cup borax in the bottom of garbage pails or diaper pails to inhibit mold and bacterial growth that can cause odors. Rub vinegar on hands before and after slicing onions to remove the smell. Set out bowls of potpourri to distribute a pleasant scent.
All-purpose cleaner: Use a vinegar-and-salt mixture or one with 4 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 quart warm water.
Disinfectant: It means reducing the number of harmful bacteria on a surface. Practically no surface treatment will completely eliminate bacteria. Try regular cleaning with soap and hot water. Or mix 1/2 cup borax into 1 gallon of hot water to disinfect and deodorize. Isopropyl alcohol is an excellent disinfectant, but use gloves and keep it away from children.
Drain cleaner: Try a plunger first, though not after using any commercial drain opener. To unclog, pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain, add 1/2 cup white vinegar, and cover the drain. The foaming chemical reaction of alkali and acid can break fatty acids down into soap and glycerin components to open the drain. Do not use this method after using a commercial drain opener because the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.
Floor cleaner and polish: Just a few drops of vinegar in the cleaning water can remove soap traces. For vinyl or linoleum, add a capful of baby oil to the water to preserve and polish. For wood floors, apply a thin coat of one part each oil and vinegar and rub in well. For painted wooden floors, mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon hot water. For brick and stone tiles, use 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon water and rinse with clear water.
Laundry cleaner: Detergents are specially adapted to clean synthetic fabrics, and they do not leave soil residues, even in hard water. However, detergents are generally derived from petrochemicals and contain phosphates, which deposit in streams and lakes and feed blooms of algae that deplete the dissolved oxygen fish need to live. Some detergents may even contain toxic naphthalene or phenol. Returning to soap, an effective cleaner for natural fabrics, leaves items like diapers softer than detergent can.
- For cotton and linen, use soap to soften water. A cup of vinegar added to the wash can help keep colors bright. (Do not use vinegar with bleach. The resulting fumes are hazardous.) Adding _-to-_ cup of baking soda will leave clothes soft and fresh smelling.
- Silks and wools may be hand-washed with mild soap or a protein shampoo. Down or feathers respond to mild soap or baking soda.
- For synthetic fabrics or blends (including most no-iron fabrics), there are biodegradable detergents on the market that do not contain phosphates, fragrances, or harsh chemicals. They are often imported from Europe.
Metal cleaners and polishes: These differ according to the metal to be polished, just as in commercial cleaners. Clean aluminum with a solution of cream-of-tartar and water. Brass may be polished with a soft cloth dipped in lemon and baking-soda solution, or vinegar-salt solution. Polish chrome with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminum foil shiny slide out. Clean tarnished copper by boiling the article in a pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar, or try differing mixtures of salt, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and cream-of-tartar. Clean gold with toothpaste, pewter with a paste of salt, vinegar, and flour. Silver can be polished by boiling it in a pan lined with aluminum foil and filled with water to which a teaspoon each of baking soda and salt have been added. Stainless steel can be cleaned with undiluted white vinegar.
Oven cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda on moist surface and scrub with steel wool, or use Arm & Hammer Oven Cleaner, certified non-toxic by Consumers Union.
Scouring powder: Make from baking soda or dry table salt, or buy Bon-Ami Cleaning Powder or Bon-Ami Polishing Cleaner.
Toilet bowl cleaner: Use straight bleach (do not mix with any other substance except water), baking soda and vinegar, or borax and lemon juice.
Tub and tile cleaner: Rub in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinse, or wipe with vinegar first and follow with baking soda as a scouring powder.
Window and glass cleaner: To avoid streaks, don't wash windows when the sun is shining. Use a vinegar-and-water solution, a cornstarch-vinegar-and-water solution, or lemon juice and water. Wipe with newspaper unless you are sensitive to the inks in newsprint.
