13.9.10

Green Cleaning Tutorial

I'm really passionate about the environment (if you haven't already gotten that hint). I do my best to use earth-friendly practices in my housework routines. Alot of people think that "clean" means bleached and lemon-scented. In reality, having that "clean" smell can actually be dangerous. According to the EPA (yes, I frequent their site. Nerd.) the air inside an average home is five times as polluted than the air outside. A big culprit: toxic cleansers and disinfectants.

Now, I admit that I'm a sucker for Febreze, especially this time of year. Having a home that smells like apples and cinnamon or pumpkin pie is nirvana to me. I do try to balance to balance my spritzing habit with soy based scented candles. And obviously, if you have a sickness going through your home, a child who is high-risk for infection, or another need for disinfecting I won't give you the stink eye for spraying some lysol on the doorknobs. Just know that there are almost always other options, especially in our more eco-concious consumer world, to the typical harsh cleansers available. Like this, this, or this, which can all be found in most retailers today.

Okay, let me step down from my soapbox and get to the real point of my blog.

Did you know that you can thoroughly clean your sink and drain with items you probably already have on hand?
You may not buy big quantities like I do, but together these cost about $3.

It's easy, effective, and safe. Let me show you....

Start out with a dirty sink. Get as much gunk into the drain and run the disposable to clear it all out.


Sprinkle in some baking soda. No measuring, just eyeball it.


You don't need near this much, I got a little happy because I was trying to take pics at the same time.
Half of this amount would be plenty.


Using a wet sponge (or whatever you like) thoroughly scour the sink. You can add more water to make a nice paste to work with. You won't have to use much elbow grease; baking soda is a natural and gentle abrasive.


Once the basin is scrubbed well move most of the baking soda into the drain. Make sure to get all the nooks and crannies here, then push everything down into the pipe.


Now it's time for Mr. Vinegar. Pour the vinegar all around the basin and into the drain. Again, just eyeball it.


Everything will bubble up, natural scrubbing bubbles! Scrub a little more with the bubbles.


Once the bubbling action has ceased rinse everything with hot water.




You have a clean and healthy sink!


You can use these same ingredients all over your house. I know you may be thinking "I don't want my kitchen to smell like vinegar!", but don't worry, it won't. Baking soda and vinegar are both natural odor eliminators. So while it may have a pungent smell for a minute, in the end it actually neutralizes odors unlike chemicals that just mask them. Vinegar is also a mild disinfectant; it won't kill every germ, but it will do a pretty satisfactory job. I usually do this two to three times a week, however you could do it as often as you see fit. There is no need for gloves or open windows. It's even safe enough for kiddos to do (with supervision, of course) and they would get a kick out of the bubbling action.

So strive to be a green cleaner this week. It's healthier for you, the planet, and your wallet :)

Until next time,
Barbie

1 comment:

  1. I'll have to get some baking soda for cleaning. I used to not be a fan of cleaning with vinegar...but it really isn't bad after it's rinsed away. I just can't clean the counters with it...can't rinse those that well.

    ReplyDelete

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