SAFE CLEANING SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR HOME

Try cleaning with safer alternatives:*

Ammonia: Cuts grease, strips the wax off floors and cleans windows
Baking Soda: Cleans, deodorizers, scours, polishes and removes stains
Bleach: Whitens practically anything and removes mold and mildew
Borax: Alternative for bleach, deodorizes, prevents mold, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap
Cornstarch: Cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs.
Ketchup: Cleans copper
Lemon juice: Cuts grease and stains on aluminum and porcelain, whitens.
Salt: Makes an abrasive, but gentle, scouring powder.
Vegetable Oil: A furniture polish.
White vinegar: Cleans windows, shines metal surfaces, removes mildew, stains, grease and wax buildup.
Combining forces: Sometimes combining some of the above ingredients creates better cleaners, but never combine bleach and ammonia together.
Ceramic tile cleaner: Use a combination of 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 gallon warm water and 1 cup ammonia.
Furniture polish: Combine 1 teaspoon lemon juice with 1 pint mineral or vegetable oil.
Mold growth prohibitor: Dilute 3/4 cup chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water and apply to affected areas or apply full-strength white vinegar.
Oven cleaner: Fill a small glass bowl with 1/2 cup full-strength ammonia, place in oven and close the door. Let stand overnight.
Painted wall and woodwork cleaner: Combine 1/4 cup ammonia with 1 gallon warm water or combine 1/4 cup liquid dish detergent with 1 gallon water.
Scouring powder: Combine baking soda with a touch of salt.
Toilet bowl cleaner: Combine baking soda and vinegar or use 1/2 cup chlorine bleach.
Window or mirror cleaner: Combine 3 tablespoons ammonia, 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 3/4 cup of water or 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1 quart of water. Wipe dry with newspaper.

SAFE CLEANING SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR HOME

Try cleaning with safer alternatives:*

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Ammonia: Cuts grease, strips the wax off floors and cleans windows

Baking Soda: Cleans, deodorizers, scours, polishes and removes stains

Bleach: Whitens practically anything and removes mold and mildew

Borax: Alternative for bleach, deodorizes, prevents mold, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap

Cornstarch: Cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs.

Ketchup: Cleans copper

Lemon juice: Cuts grease and stains on aluminum and porcelain, whitens.

Salt: Makes an abrasive, but gentle, scouring powder.

Vegetable Oil: A furniture polish.

White vinegar: Cleans windows, shines metal surfaces, removes mildew, stains, grease and wax buildup.

Combining forces: Sometimes combining some of the above ingredients creates better cleaners, but never combine bleach and ammonia together.

Ceramic tile cleaner: Use a combination of 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 gallon warm water and 1 cup ammonia.

Furniture polish: Combine 1 teaspoon lemon juice with 1 pint mineral or vegetable oil.

Mold growth prohibitor: Dilute 3/4 cup chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water and apply to affected areas or apply full-strength white vinegar.

Oven cleaner: Fill a small glass bowl with 1/2 cup full-strength ammonia, place in oven and close the door. Let stand overnight.

Painted wall and woodwork cleaner: Combine 1/4 cup ammonia with 1 gallon warm water or combine 1/4 cup liquid dish detergent with 1 gallon water.

Scouring powder: Combine baking soda with a touch of salt.

Toilet bowl cleaner: Combine baking soda and vinegar or use 1/2 cup chlorine bleach.

Window or mirror cleaner: Combine 3 tablespoons ammonia, 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 3/4 cup of water or 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1 quart of water. Wipe dry with newspaper.

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*“Try cleaning with safer alternatives” was an article by Meredith Cummings in the Sunday Telegram/ Worcester, MA (April 11, 2004).