www.thegreenguide.com/doc/120/diy
EIGHT ESSENTIALS
Circumvent the armada of commercial cleaners by keeping an ample
supply of these eight items, which make up the basic ingredients for
nearly every do-it-yourself cleaning recipe.
Distilled white vinegar: disinfects and breaks up dirt; choose white
vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, as these might stain
surfaces
Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water,
vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times
Borax: disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes; very handy in laundry
mixes
Hydrogen Peroxide: disinfects and bleaches
Lemons: cut grease; bottled lemon juice also works well, although you
might need to use bit more to get the same results
Olive oil: picks up dirt and polishes wood; cheaper grades work well
Vegetable based (liquid castile) soap: non-petroleum all-purpose
cleaners
Washing soda: stain remover, general cleaner, helps unblock pipes;
should be handled with gloves due to its caustic nature. Washing soda
is usually found in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores.
housekeeping.about.com/od/environment/a/vinbaklemons.htm
Vinegar, baking soda, and lemons all have natural cleaning powers that
rival manufactured cleaning solutions. They are easy and safe to use,
and can often clean for much less money than other cleaning products
on the market.
littlegreenblog.com/2008/03/10/vinegar-natural-clean/
www.grist.org/advice/possessions/2003/03/18/possessions-c...
How to clean your house without hurting the planet
www.naturodoc.com/library/lifestyle/green_clean.htm
www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/blogs/nontoxic/vinegar-...
Vinegar, from the French translation meaning "sour wine,"
can be produced from all kinds of fruits, berries, melons, coconut,
honey, beer, maple syrup, potatoes, beets, malt, grains and whey. But
the fundamental process remains unchanged no matter what the initial
ingredients may be: first a fermentation of sugar to alcohol, and then
a second go-round to vinegar.
The ancients stumbled upon the versatility of vinegar probably 10,000 years ago. The Babylonians used it as medicine, and also mixed it with herbs to flavor their meals. The Romans drank it as a beverage. Biblical references show how it was used for its soothing and healing properties, and as recent as World War I vinegar was still being used to treat wounds.
Vinegar is a highly affordable and super-safe eco-cleaning staple we should all get familiar with. Distilled white vinegar easily neutralizes alkaline soaps, effortlessly breaks down stubborn urine odors, quickly polishes patent leather, instantly removes static cling from clothing, flawlessly cleans mirrors and glass, simply deodorizes the air, effortlessly polishes chrome, carefully removes soap scum and hard water spots, dependably cleans your automatic drip coffee maker and, in a pinch, even lifts accidentally spilled white glue. This 10,000 year-old elixir is a modern-day cleaning miracle!
DallanQuilts, TravelerMarjorie, whispering wood, covilha, and 5 other people added this photo to their favorites.
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nelsonmelle 49 months ago | reply
I used your funny photo in a blog post. Thanks so much. Here's the link and a wink ;)
elycefeliz 35 months ago | reply
Thank you very much for adding this photo to the pool of Two Weeks Notice Theme: “Smells”
We will have a new theme running very soon... hope to see you there! : )
Mrs.Lyons 32 months ago | reply
Thank you for using cc on this photo. I have used it on my blog and linked back to you.
www.organicliving101.com/a-safer-home/household-products/...
ThoughtsHappen 27 months ago | reply
Thanks so much for putting this on Creative Commons. It was perfect for my post, "Cooking, Cleaning, or None of the Above" on my site Thoughts Happen, at www.thoughtshappen.net/2011/03/cooking-cleaning-or-none-o...