Spring Cleaning

It's time for spring cleaning, why not join the green movement and use some natural cleaners around your home?

Lemon Juice
An acidic cleaner that works well on many surfaces but be careful on granite, marble and tile that may be damaged by contact with acids. A great cleaning and deodorizing solution, especially in the bathroom. Use lemon juice on hard-water stains, soap scum, even rust stains in the shower, tub, and toilet. Mix lemon juice with salt to remove stubborn stains from coffee pots. Or you can mix lemon juice with baking soda for a softer, paste-like cleaning solution. Add a little to olive oil for an effective wood polish. Blend it with water to make a potent air freshener.

Baking soda
Makes a great, simple but effective cleaner.
- deoderize your refrigerator by placing an open box in the fridge and hte freezer
- mix with warm water for an inexpensive mildly abrasive cleaner for tubs, sinks, etc.
- mix with warm water for a simple drain cleaner and disposal deoderizer. Add some vinegar for those more difficult drain clogs
- mix 1c with 2T corn starch and sprinkle on carpet to freshen up a room

Vinegar
Don't be fooled by the smell. White vinegar is actually a deodorizer and a disinfectant. Plus, when diluted in equal parts of water, it also makes is a great all-purpose cleaner. Avoid using vinegar solutions on marble or grout, but it's perfect for all of the other surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom.

Cornstarch
Another great natural deodorizer, cornstarch also makes an effective glass and surface cleaner. Plus, you can combine 2 tbsp of cornstarch with 3/4 cup of baking soda for an inexpensive carpet freshener.

Borax
Also known as sodium borate, borax is best known as a hard-water laundry soap, but it also cleans wallpaper, painted walls, and other painted surfaces. This versatile, naturally-occurring mineral also preserves cut flowers and can be used to repel roaches and other bugs without toxic fumes or chemicals that can harm the environment. Borax can be an irritant, so protect your eyes and hands, and, of course, do not ingest it.