We’re celebrating Earth Month this month, and there are a lot of different things that you can do to “go green” without making huge changes to your daily routine or putting too much effort into it.
I have mentioned before that I write at ChiquitaMoms.com, and I recently wrote a post about 10 easy ways to go green. I do lots of simple things in my home to live a little greener, including buying from green brands, using green products, and things like that.
We are currently also in the process of having solar panels put on our house – not cheap, but in the long run it will save us thousands of dollars. But by far, my favorite green thing I do is make my own cleaning products.
One of the reasons I love making my own cleaning products is because I know I’m not using harmful chemicals that my kids can get their hands on. I’m using ingredients that aren’t harmful to the environment, my family, or our pets. While it might sound like a lot of work, it actually takes just a few minutes to do, and because you are using concentrated ingredients, they seem to last longer.
And did I mention that making your own cleaning products is much less expensive than buying these products? Yeah, pennies on the dollar, and I’m not joking.
So how do you do it? Well with a few simple ingredients like vinegar, water, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, you can clean just about anything in your home! Here’s how to make your own cleaning products.
Make Your Own GLASS CLEANER
Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water. That’s it. You can use it on windows, glass, mirrors, and any glass surfaces. No harsh chemicals, and if you use Scott Naturals paper towels or old newspapers, you’ll get streak-free glass every time!
Make Your Own ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER
I use the recipe from Gorgeously Green (check out this page because there are a TON of make your own cleaning product how-to’s there!), and I have for years. I can’t tell you the last time I bought all-purpose cleaner.
Simply fill a 32-ounce spray bottle with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar, 1 teaspoon pure castile soap (I sometimes omit this and it works just as well), and 3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide.
You can add about 20 drops of tea tree oil, lavender oil, or lemon grass oil for a clean scent. Use this anywhere you would normally use all-purpose cleaners, including any kitchen and bathroom surfaces that are not granite.
Make Your Own SCOURING POWDER
You don’t need to buy Comet; just use baking soda instead! It’s cheaper and less abrasive, and won’t harm the kids or pets if they get into it.
I mentioned Scott Naturals products and that they help make Spring Cleaning easier – start your SCOTT Naturals™ Test Drive at ScottBrand.com or check ‘em out on Facebook.
You can even pledge to switch to SCOTT Naturals for four weeks. The state with the greatest participation rate will receive a $50,000 donation to be applied to local conservation efforts; just another easy way one small step can lead to a big change.
Just think – if everyone tried SCOTT Naturals™ for just four weeks, we’d save over 2 million trees!
