🌿 Non-toxic Cleaning &
Household Products

Using items you are likely to already have in your pantry

✨ Natural • Safe • Effective • Budget-Friendly

🔍 Quick Solutions

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Natural Ingredients
📋
Cleaning Recipes
👕
Laundry Solutions
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Related Guides

🌱 The "Green" Solutions

🧽 Cleaning Solutions

Common substances used for centuries to keep homes clean, pest-free and healthy naturally

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🌸 Air Freshening

Non-toxic aroma therapy and air freshening options for a naturally fresh home

🧴 Personal Care

Chemical-free personal care products for your health and wellbeing

🐛 Pest Control

Safe alternatives for pesticides, insecticides and weed control

🏠 Your Natural Cleaning Cabinet

💡 Pro Tip: These basic items can replace almost every commercial cleaning product in your home!

Simple cosmetic preparations like coconut oil, wheat oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, eggs, clay, vinegar and herbs keep your hair shiny and skin smooth.

🥄 Baking Soda

•Absorbs odor and deodorizes

•Cleans without scratching

•Polishes aluminum, chrome, jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel, tin

•Deodorizes refrigerators, carpets, upholstery, vinyl, drains

•Extinguishes grease fires

•Softens fabrics and removes stains

•Makes relaxing bath soak

Personal Care: Effective deodorant and toothpaste. Important: Use only aluminum-free baking soda (like Bob's Red Mill).

🐦 Bird Owner Tip: Great scrubbing agent for cages!

🍶 White Vinegar

•Perfect for steam cleaners (pet stains & smells)

•Dissolves mineral deposits and grease

•Removes soap traces, mildew, wax buildup

•Polishes metals and deodorizes

•Cleans brick and stone

•Removes metallic taste from coffeepots

•Shines windows without streaking

•Carpet cleaning ingredient

💡 Usage: Normally used in solution with water, but can be used straight for tough jobs.

🍋 Lemon Juice

•Natural deodorant

•Cleans mineral build-up, tarnish, grease

•Natural disinfectant

•Perfect for cleaning glass

•Removes stains from aluminum, clothes, porcelain

•Mild lightener/bleach with sunlight

🧂 Salt

•Non-scratching abrasive cleaner

•Combine with lemon to clean copper pans

•Also see "Epsom Salt"

🌽 Cornstarch

•Cleans windows

•Polishes furniture

•Shampoos carpets and rugs

•Starches clothes

🧼 Soap (NOT detergent)

•Look for vegetable-oil-based liquid soaps

•Castile soap: shampoo or body soap

•Olive-oil based: gentlest to skin

•DIY: dissolve bar soap ends in warm water

Learn about anti-bacterial soaps

💧 Hydrogen Peroxide

🍷 Isopropyl Alcohol

Excellent disinfectant and cleaning agent

⚠️ Use in well-ventilated space with hand protection

🪢 Steel Wool

Removes rust and stubborn food residues. Perfect for cookware and BBQ grills.

⚗️ TSP (Trisodium Phosphate)

Mixture of soda ash and phosphoric acid.

⚠️ Toxic if swallowed, but no fumes. Good for drains, removing old paint

⚠️ Borax: Use with Extreme Caution

🚨 Serious Health Concerns:
  • • Can cause serious health problems, including death
  • • Workers must wear protective clothing and masks
  • • Acute eye and respiratory tract irritant
  • • Quite toxic when ingested
  • • Toxic to pets (especially cats who lick it off coats)
⚠️ If You Must Use Borax:
  • • Remove all traces after use
  • • Disinfects and inhibits mildew/mold growth
  • • Boosts soap/detergent cleaning power
  • • Removes stains and deodorizes
  • • Can kill insects with sugar as attractant

🍺 Beer

Metal polisher: Excellent for polishing without staining. Moisten soft cloth with beer and rub on metal decor, copper pots and pans.

🛢️ Mineral Oil

Key ingredient in furniture polish and floor wax recipes.

🧊 Washing Soda

  • • Cuts stubborn grease on grills, broiler pans, ovens
  • • Can replace laundry detergent
  • • Softens hard water

📋 Natural Cleaning Recipes & Solutions

🥬 Fruit/Vegetable Wash

Recipe: Mix 3 parts water + 1 part vinegar. Rinse fruits and vegetables with this solution.

🔥 Oven & Stove Cleaning

Method: Make soupy paste of baking soda + water

  1. 1. Smear paste over oven/stove
  2. 2. Wait 5-10 minutes
  3. 3. Wipe off with sponge or paper towel

🐕 Pet Stains

Steam Cleaner: Add white vinegar for natural urine stain removal

Manual Method: Mix equal parts rubbing alcohol + white vinegar

  1. 1. Test on hidden area first
  2. 2. Spray and soak affected area
  3. 3. Let stand 10 minutes
  4. 4. Blot with folded towel
  5. 5. Repeat if odor persists

🧽 All-Purpose Cleaners

Recipe #1: Borax Base

Mix 1/8 cup borax + 1 quart hot water. Put portion in spray bottle. Always test small area first.

Recipe #2: Vinegar & Salt

Simple vinegar and salt mixture, or 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water.

Recipe #3: Essential Oil Fresh

2 cups water + 4 drops each:

  • • Brier rosehip • Geranium
  • • Lavender • Lemongrass
  • • Peppermint

Combine in spray bottle, shake before use

🦠 Sanitizing/Disinfectant (More Effective Than Bleach!)

🧪 Virginia Polytechnic Institute Study: Vinegar + Hydrogen Peroxide kills virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on contaminated surfaces.

This combination is more effective than bleach and completely non-toxic!

📋 What You Need:

  • • TWO spray bottles (don't mix solutions!)
  • • Straight vinegar in one bottle
  • • Straight hydrogen peroxide in other bottle
  • • DO NOT DILUTE THEM

💡 Tip: Leave peroxide in original bottle (light destroys it) and add spray head

🎯 How to Use:

  1. 1. Clean surface first (sanitizers need clean surfaces)
  2. 2. Spray one solution on surface
  3. 3. Spray the other solution on same surface
  4. 4. When they mix, powerful sanitizing action occurs
  5. 5. Rinse if desired (result is non-toxic)

✅ Safe for: vegetables, cutting boards, counters, sinks, cages, toys, toilets, floors

💧 Bonus: Also great for sanitizing drinking water

🚿 Drain Cleaner

🔧 Method:

  1. 1. Try plunger first (not after commercial drain opener)
  2. 2. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain
  3. 3. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar
  4. 4. Cover the drain
  5. 5. Chemical reaction breaks down fatty acids into soap and glycerin

⚠️ Safety Warning

Never use this method after commercial drain opener! Vinegar can react with drain opener to create dangerous fumes.

🏠 Floor Cleaner & Polish

🪵 Wood Floors

Apply thin coat of 1:1 oil and vinegar. Rub in well.

🎨 Painted Wood

Mix 2 tsp washing soda into 1 bucket hot water.

📱 Vinyl/Linoleum

Few drops vinegar in cleaning water + capful baby oil for preservation.

🧱 Brick & Stone

1 cup white vinegar in 1 bucket water. Rinse with clear water.

🚿 Grout Cleaning

Spray grout with vinegar, let sit 15 minutes, steam clean and wipe.

🍃 General Floors

Few drops vinegar in cleaning water works for most floors.

✨ Metal Cleaners & Polishes

Different metals require different natural cleaners - just like commercial products!

🥈 Aluminum

Clean with cream of tartar and water solution

🎺 Brass

Polish with lemon-baking soda solution OR vinegar-salt solution

🔧 Chrome

Polish with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminum foil (shiny side out)

🍳 Copper

Boil in water + 1 tbsp salt + 1 cup vinegar, OR try salt, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, cream of tartar mixtures

👑 Gold

Clean with toothpaste

🍽️ Pewter

Clean with paste of salt, vinegar, and flour

🥄 Silver

Boil in aluminum foil-lined pan with water + 1 tsp each baking soda and salt

🔩 Stainless Steel

Clean with undiluted white vinegar

🍺 Universal Polish

Beer works excellently on all metals without staining. Moisten soft cloth and rub until shiny.

🧽 Stain Removers & Specialty Solutions

🩸 Stain Removers

🏠 Hard Surfaces

Hydrogen Peroxide is the best stain lifter when used fairly soon. Even 2-day-old blood stains can be lifted!

For blood stains: Use hydrogen peroxide + cold water. Peroxide foams and lifts stain before washing.

🪑 Carpet/Furnishings/Clothes

First: Try simple water (never soapy water - attracts dirt and hard to remove)

• Non-toxic Carpet Cleaning Tips

• Bi-O-Kleen "Bac-Out" Stain & Odor Remover

• White vinegar and water works in a pinch

🦠 Removing Rust (Important for Bird Safety)

⚠️ Important: Rust is toxic to birds and must be removed from cages and toys.

🍵 Tea Bag Method (Safest)

  1. 1. Boil 1/2 liter water + 4-5 tea bags (strong brew)
  2. 2. Steep 5 minutes, remove bags, let cool
  3. 3. Submerge rusty parts 1-8 hours
  4. 4. Rust dissolves, parts turn blue-grey
  5. 5. Rub off color with fine wire wool + oil
  6. 6. Clean as usual

✅ Doesn't harm item, doesn't affect brass, delays future rusting

🪢 Wire Pad Method

Scrub lightly with wire brush or brillo pad. Remove rust flakes without scratching paint. Dip in vinegar for easier removal.

🔧 Rusted Joints

Disassemble cage to work with smaller pieces if rust developed in joints.

☠️ Toxic Methods (Use Away from Pets/Family)

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner: Removes rust on contact, wipe with wet rag

Kerosene: Fine steel wool + kerosene for rust stains (wear protection, avoid flames)

Naval jelly: For severe rust, dissolves rust, some convert to primer

🧽 Carpet Rust Removal

Mix 1 part rubbing alcohol + 3 parts water in spray bottle. Spray area and blot with paper towels. Repeat until rust is gone.

🔥 Oven Cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda on moist surface, scrub with steel wool

🧽 Scouring Powder

Mix equal parts: 1 cup baking soda + 1 cup salt + 1 cup borax

🚽 Toilet Issues

Clogged: Squirt liquid dish soap, wait 15 minutes

Bowl cleaner: Baking soda + vinegar OR borax + lemon juice

🛁 Tub & Tile

Rub baking soda with damp sponge and rinse, OR vinegar first then baking soda

🪟 Window & Glass Cleaner

🧽 Glass Cleaner Recipe

Mix in clean spray bottle:

  • • 1/4 cup white vinegar OR 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • • 2+ cups water
  • • Alternative: cornstarch-vinegar-water solution

Wipe with old newspaper for best results

💡 Pro Tips

Avoid streaks: Don't wash windows when sun is shining directly on them

👕 Safe Laundry Solutions

🧺 Effective & Less Toxic Alternatives

💡 The Secret: Soap is more effective and less toxic than detergents, especially for natural fabrics. Leaves items like diapers softer than detergent!

🌿 For Natural Fabrics (Cotton, Linen)

  • • Use soap to soften water
  • • Add 1 cup vinegar to keep colors bright
  • • Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup baking soda for soft, fresh smell
  • • Hand wash silks/wools with mild soap or protein shampoo
  • • Wash down/feathers with mild soap or baking soda

⚠️ Warning: DO NOT use vinegar with bleach - creates hazardous fumes!

🧪 For Synthetic Fabrics/Blends

Use biodegradable detergents without phosphates, fragrances, or harsh chemicals. Often imported from Europe, available at health food stores or by mail.

Recommended brands: Seventh Generation, Ecos, Mountain Green

📋 DIY Laundry Recipes

🌿 Herbal Laundry Soap

Ingredients:
  • • 2 cups distilled water
  • • 2 tsp dried, powdered soapwort (roots, leaves, stems)
  • • 4 drops each: alfalfa, carrot, rosehip, lavender, lemongrass extracts
Instructions:
  1. 1. Boil water, cover, simmer 20 minutes
  2. 2. Remove from heat, add soapwort, mix
  3. 3. Let cool, mix in remaining ingredients
  4. 4. Bottle and store
  5. 5. Use 1-2 oz per load instead of detergent

💰 Money-Saving Alternatives

  • • Oxy Ball: Reusable alternative to detergent
  • • Baking Soda: 1/2 cup per load
  • • Reusable laundry/dryer balls: Work great, eco-friendly, save money!
  • • Hydrogen Peroxide: 8 oz of 3% hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach

🌀 Instead of Dryer Sheets...

🔗 Aluminum Foil Ball

Crumple aluminum foil into ball and toss in dryer

🍶 Vinegar Rinse

Add 1/2 to 1 cup vinegar to rinse cycle

👕 Separate Fabrics

Separate synthetics and cottons when drying

Information contained on this website is provided as general reference only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought.

GreenAndHealthy.Info strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!