First to clarify what I will be talking about at the beginning, I won’t be telling you about sponges and mops, I’ll underline some unusual products which can easily replace the commercial detergents most of us use on a daily basis. I’ll also give you a ton of recipes involving these ingredients so you’ll be able to clean everything from windows to carpets and upholstery. I hope I got your attention and I also hope this article can help you get rid of the dangerous chemicals most commercial cleaners contain.

Common Household Ingredients

Every self-respecting green living home-maker should have in stock plenty of white distilled vinegar and baking soda. Those two ingredients are essential for almost every homemade recipe, when I first decided to throw out my commercial detergents I was really surprised how well they work. Further on I’ll tell you some of my favourite recipes which I have gathered form all kinds of green cleaning blogs.

If you want to find even more all you have to do is Google green cleaning. In their basics most recipes are the same, the major difference are the proportions. Feel free to experiment and change every recipe so it can suit your needs better. Another important thing you’ll need in order to prepare toxic free cleaning solutions is hydrogen peroxide. It is greatly underestimated and not many people see it as a cleaner.

I can assure you once you understand all its wonderful properties you’ll forget about bleach. Here is a presentation I found, it describes how you can use hydrogen peroxide. To be honest with you I haven’t tried them yet but I’ll tell you about some recipes which involve this ingredient later on. Continuing with another thing you need for your green detergents – lemons and other citrus fruits. The acids in those fruits have antibacterial qualities and can remove some stains and disinfect the area.

Last but not least is the final ingredient I would like to tell you about – essential oil, although it has antibacterial qualities people use it to make air-fresheners. I’ll tell you my version of homemade air-freshener it is way better than any commercial one I have ever tried. Enough small talk, I’ll start with the recipes and the first one is for removing liquid and solid stains form carpets, rugs, upholstery and most fabrics.

The Power Of Baking Soda

Much has been said regarding this almost magical substance and much more is going to be spoken about it. Nevertheless the properties of baking soda are well known by most housewives and it isn’t used only for cooking. A quick lesson in Chemistry – sodium bicarbonate is white solid crystal which is most commonly seen as white powder. It is alkaline and neutralizes acid, it also has highly absorbent qualities.

Next time you spill something on your rug – coffee, juice, wine, etc. after absorbing as much as possible with a towel apply baking soda. Leave it to completely dry for about an hour or two and then thoroughly vacuum the area. You’ll be more than surprised when you see that the stain is fully removed. Baking soda is also used for preparing a homemade toothpaste. Some people say their teeth are whiter but I have heard that continuous use can peel the enamel.

All Hail The Almighty Vinegar

Next on our list is the vinegar, some people love it others can’t stand its smell and taste but no one can deny its qualities. If you check Wikipedia you’ll see that vinegar is the most available mild acid on the market and also a wonderful cleaner. Vinegar can dissolve mineral deposits form smooth surfaces such as glass and metal, it also has antibacterial qualities. You can use it to eliminate odour, believe it or not once the surface is dry the smell of vinegar disappears.

Use it in 1:1 proportion an you have a wonderful window and floor cleaner, be careful not to use it on waxed flooring because it will remove the layer. Diluted with water, vinegar can be used to remove stains form carpets and rugs. Combined with baking soda vinegar can be used to unplug drains, you pour the soda first and then add vinegar. After ten minutes flush with hot water and you’re done.

The Bubbling Hydrogen Peroxide

I will lie if I told you this is not my favourite cleaner because it is. Aside form its antibacterial qualities it is the perfect substitute for bleach. Hydrogen peroxide contains two atoms hydrogen and two oxygen. It is mostly used in medicine to disinfect open wounds, once it comes in contact with blood it starts to boil and stops bleeding. It also has bleaching properties – removing tough stains and whitening fabric but it doesn’t damage them.

And the best thing about it is that once it gets exposed under sunlight it becomes plain water, no residue not need for rinsing. You can use it directly onto the stain or in a paste-like combination with baking soda. Either way it will do the job. I hope you liked the recipes and throw out most of your potentially dangerous cleaning solutions. Of course those recipes are for general cleaning, if you want to have a sparkling clean germ-free home contact a professional cleaning company.