DO-IT-YOURSELF DISINFECTANTS FOR YOUR HOME
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
DO-IT-YOURSELF DISINFECTANTS FOR YOUR HOME
Do-It-Yourself Recipes for a
Healthier Home
Try these easy DIY recipes:
Creamy Soft Scrub
All Purpose Cleaner Window Cleaner
Furniture Polish
Tub & Tile Cleaner Drain Opener
Laundry Detergent
All Purpose Cleaner Window Cleaner
2 cups baking soda direction of the grain. Use
Use on hard surfaces like 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup liquid castile soap soft brush to work the polish
countertops, kitchen floors, 1/4 cup white vinegar
windows, and mirrors. 4 tsp. vegetable glycerin (acts into corners or tight places.
2 tbsp. corn starch as a preservative) Tip: For water spots, rub well
2 cups white vinegar 2 cups warm water 5 drops of essential oil
with non-gel toothpaste and
2 cups water Make sure to shake well be- (lavender, tea tree, or rose-
mary; acts as antibacterial wipe away with soft cloth. To
20-30 drops of Essential Oil fore using to disperse the
agent) remove scratches, rub with
(optional) corn starch throughout the
one part olive oil and one part
mixture, as it may settle to
Tip: Warm in the microwave the bottom of the bottle. Mix and store in a sealed jar. lemon juice then rub with a
using a glass container until This scrub has a shelf life of soft cloth.
barely hot to boost cleaning about 2 years.
power for tougher jobs. Drain Opener
1/2 cup baking soda Tip: To increase effective- Laundry Detergent
ness, spray vinegar first and 3 cups washing soda
Tub & Tile Cleaner 1/2 cup vinegar let set in. Then continue with
3/4 cup baking soda soft scrub. 2.5 ounces of soap flakes
1/2 cup white vinegar Pour baking soda down the
drain then follow with the Furniture Polish
1/4 cup lemon juice Soap flakes can be created by
vinegar. Cover and let sit for
3 tbsp. liquid castile soap 1/4 cup olive oil grating favorite soap against
at least 30 minutes. Flush 1/4 cup white vinegar cheese grater. Blend ingredi-
3 tbsp. salt
with boiling water. 20-30 drops lemon essential ents together in a food pro-
10 drops essential oil
(optional) oil or lemon juice (optional) cessor and store in a glass
Creamy Soft Scrub container. For every load, use
Mix together ingredients in a Shake well before using. Dip 2 tablespoons (3 tbsp. for
large bowl and pour into a Use for areas that may need
a clean, dry cloth into the heavily soiled loads). Suitable
container. Mixture may be scrubbing like the kitchen
counter, stove, bathroom polish and rub wood in the for HE and non-HE ma-
too thick to put in a spray
sink, etc. chines.
bottle.
Shopping Checklist for Green Cleaning Essentials
FACT: Household
cleaning products Baking soda Lemon juice
do not have to list
Washing soda Essential oils
ingredients on the
bottle! White vinegar Club soda
For More Information, Salt Spray bottles
contact us at
Soap (bar and liquid castile) Glass containers
Phone: 412-404-2872
www.WomenForAHealthyEnvironment.org
Women for a Healthy Environment
Safer Solutions for Removing Persistent Stains/Spots
Purpose Safer Solution
Grease remover Mix equal parts of castile soap, baking
soda, and hydrogen peroxide together.
Scrub stain with toothbrush then wash.
Mildew remover Scrub with equal parts vinegar and salt
then rinse with water.
Wine stain remover Blot stain then apply salt generously
and let sit for 5 minutes before rinsing
Top 12 Cleaning
clothing or vacuuming carpet.
Ingredients to Avoid
Spot remover Dab stain with club soda, lemon juice,
1. Ammonia or salt.
2. Ammonium Quaternary Perspiration spot remover Make paste of baking soda and water.
Compound (Quats)-Benzyl
Scrub into stain and let sit for 30
Chloride
minutes before washing in cold water.
3. Bleach
Copper cleaner Create paste of lemon juice and salt.
4. Chlorine Rub into copper and let sit for 30
5. Ethanolamines (Mono,
minutes before rinsing.
DEA, TEA) Rug/carpet cleaner Pour club soda on stain. Leave for 2
6. Formaldehyde (also look
for quaternary-15 or
quaternium-15) Household Cleaners
Did you know?
7. Fragrance
Fumes from some cleaning products may induce asthma in other-
8. Glycol Ethers (including 2-
wise healthy individuals. NEVER mix bleach & ammonia together!
butoxyethanol, butyl
cellosolve) Seek products that are fragrance-free. The ingredient “Fragrance”
can contain any combination of over 3,000 different chemicals.
9. Nonylphenol (NPEs) and Look for disinfectants that contain hydrogen peroxide, rather than
Alkylphenol ethoxylates bleach.
APEs)
If you use bleach, make certain that you use a diluted portion and
10. Phthalates (often hidden in never mix with other chemicals. The diluted mixture is one table-
fragrance) spoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of water. In order to disinfect,
11. Sodium Hydroxide the mixture must remain on the surface for at least two minutes
before wiping.
12. Triclosan and Triclocarban
Houseplants are one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality, so if
you’re missing the fragrance of some of your old, toxic household cleaners,
invest in a few air-filtering plants!
Certain common indoor plants (peace lilies, gerber daisies, and spider
plants, to name a few) are known to eliminate significant amounts of indoor
pollutants, such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.
www.WomenForAHealthyEnvironment.org
You can also read
