Kitchen Cleaning Tips
Multipurpose Cleaner
1 part distilled white vinegar
1 part distilled water
Mix the two together and place in your favorite dispersal container (I purchased several spray bottles from Home Depot - I'm not sure if it is BPA-free, but I'm sure you could find one out there), and go to town!
*Tip: If you don't like the vinegar smell, you can always add fresh lemon juice to the mixture. The vinegar smell will go away as it dries, but if it's overpowering while you're working in a small, confined space - the lemon is the way to go. Because of the acidity, it is also a disinfectant.
Window Cleaner
1 part distilled water
1 part distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons Eco-Friendly Dish soap (I recommend Ecover)
Again, mix the two together and place in your favorite dispersal container.
You'll find the soap will actually go a long way in getting rid of the vinegar smell if you don't care for it. Turns out that when it dries, it dries streak free! I was amazed.
Quick Sanitizer & Deodorizer
1 Lemon
Using the juice from a lemon, you can sanitize your cutting board overnight (among other things). The properties in the lemon act as an antibacterial agent to sanitize your kitchen. Don't forget the wonderful lemon smell you get out of it.
Scour Cleaner
1/4 Cup of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Eco-Friendly Dish Soap
Mix two together so the baking soda and soap form a paste. You don't want it to be too runny, but you want to make sure it'll get the job done.
*Tip: to clean grout (specifically on the counter top), place this paste in the grooves and let it sit overnight. When you are ready to remove it, use your multipurpose cleaner or straight white vinegar to re-wet the cleaner. The action of the vinegar and baking soda bubbling helps (in my unscientific opinion) to lift up any stubborn dirt left in the grout. Just a little extra scrubbing will be required to remove all dirt.
Advisory - this still doesn't get all stains, I'm working on figuring out how to get rid of my tea stains in my kitchen counter grout. I am a huge tea drinker and hate the sight of the brown grout due to my "habit." If there are any extra suggestions, I am open and willing!
Reusable "Paper" Towels
This is an easy one. I took some older dish towels that I purchased to dry dishes with. Unfortunately due to grease, dirty hands and age, they don't look as pristine as they once did. I ripped them into four pieces and found that they work just as good as paper towels. Plop them in the washer/dryer with some bleach and your good to go.
If you are worried about cross contamination (some people are worried about this with chemicals), check out your automotive section of a local store. Pick up the multicolor microfiber towels that they have available and assign a color to a cleaning chemical.
Laundry Cleaning Tips
Eco-Bleach
1 Cup of Hydrogen Peroxide
12 Cups of Water
Mix hydrogen peroxide with water in a sizable jug. I find that re-using old distilled vinegar jugs perfect for this task. To make things even easier on you, fill the jug up with the 12 cups of water - mark the line with a permanant marker (note that this is the "water line"). Then all you have to do to refill it is fill the water to that line and just measure out the Hydrogen Peroxide.
Advisory: I would use this bleach like any clorinated bleach: with white clothing only. I have used it on light colors and found no issues, but if it is a really important item of clothing - I would exercise caution in case it does stain that one time.
Laundry Detergent (Dry) - From Natural Home Magazine
16 cups baking soda
12 cups borax
8 cups grated castile or glycerin soap flakes (I like to use Dr. Bronners, 3 bars of soap will yield 8 cups)
3 tablespoons lavender, lemon or grapefruit essential oil
Combine baking soda, borax and soap flakes. Add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk (It's actually easier to just use your hands). Use 1⁄8 cup per load.
Yield: This recipe makes enough powder to last a family of four one year.
Notes: Old plastic Cat Litter Tubs are the perfect size to store all the Laundry Detergent. Just clean it out, dry it, and you're good to go.
