Clean Your Home Naturally - All Purpose Spray

For an all-natural, all-purpose spray, without the aerosols, follow the recipe below:

1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

1 T Citra Solv Cleaner and Degreaser concentrate
1/2 tsp liquid dish soap or castille soap
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp total antiseptic essential oils (cinnamon, clove, lavendar, lemon, lime, resmary, tea tree, thyme)

Combine the above ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Use this spray to clean bathroom, kitchen and other household surfaces.

This cleaner will keep indefinitely.

Here's another recipe for an all-purpose house spray:

Rinse Aid - Do or Don't

The light on your dishwasher is blinking,"Add Rinse Aid."

Should You?

What is rinse aid? Supposedly prevents spots on your dishes by preventing water form forming droplets, instead it causes the water to runs off dishes. Usually rinse aids are not biodegradable, and often they contain chemical fragrances.

Want a cheap and easy eco-alternative: fill the little reservoir with white vinegar

Voila! Non spotty dishes, without environmental by-products!

Cleaning Pots and Pans Naturally

What is the best way to clean greasy pots and pans with burnt residue?

Baking soda!

Sprinkle 2 Tbs into bottom of pan, fill with two inches of water. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Do you have a really terrible situation?

Sprinkle 2 TBS of baking soda into bottom of pan. Add 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar (be prepared for the foam). Stir foaming paste around the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add two inches of water and let stand for 10-15 minutes, then scrub.

Burnt Pots?

Mix 2 TBS of baking soda plus 1 quart water. Bring to boil and then take off heat the let cool to room temperature.  For baking dishes, heat above mixture in 350 F for 5-10 minutes. Then let cool and scrub clean.

Good Plastic Bad Plastic

From: http://www.everythingconnects.org/plastic-pollution.html

Safe Plastics

1 PETE
2 HDPE
4 LDPE
5 PP
7PLA

NOT Safe Plastics

3 PVC
6 PS
7 Other

Other Tips:

• Don't mix hot food and plastic
• Toss out old scratched food containers
• Hand wash plastic
• Use glass storage conatiners
• When using plastic wraps and bags avoid #3 PVC plastic and look for companies that use #4 LDPE

From: http://www.oneworldoneocean.com/blog/infographics

Green Oven Cleaning - The Eco Way To Degrease

Check out these retro ovens at:
http://www.antiquegasstoves.com/pages/dixie.html 

Sprinkle baking soda evenly over the bottom of the oven. Spray with water from a srpay bottle until the soda is damp. Let stand for 12 hours and then wipe clean with a scrubber sponge.

For really tough grime:

16 oz baking soda
4 Tbs Citra Solv Cleaner and Degreaser concentrate
water

Mix baking soad and concentrate. Add water a little at a time to form spreadable paste. Spread over bottom of oven and let sit for 1-3 hours. Wipe clean and rinse to make sure no residue left behind.