Green cleaning

I had a whole day on Sunday stuck in the education center, with many books at my disposal. I found some great simple cleaning supply recipes I wanted to share. I think people don't realize what sort of nasty chemicals are in many cleaning supplies, and why we still use them. A lot of cleaning supplies, such as bleach, were grandfathered in before safety testing was the norm. Now they are on the GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) list, but that doesn't mean they don't have any potential to cause reactions, it just means no one has reported one major consistent problem they can pinpoint back. Also, chemicals go down the drain into our water, so please remember that less is more when it comes to clean up supplies.

From Green Up Your Cleanup by Jill Potvin Smith:

All surface spray-
2 tsp borax
1/4 tsp castile soap
Hot water to fill the spray bottle

All purpose liquid cleaner-
1 gal hot water
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 Tbsp liquid soap or detergent

Glass soap-
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 tsp dish soap (if glass is greasy)
3-8 drops essential oil (optional)

Dishwashing Powder-
1/4 c citric acid
1 1/2 c borax
15 drops essential oil (optional)

Disinfectant-
2 cups water
1/4 tsp tea tree oil (what I did my undergrad thesis on, it works!)
1/4 tsp lavender oil

Here is a link to a fantastic and all inclusive sustainability blog. It is very impressive, and you should look at more than just the page for cleaning products. http://www.sustainableeats.com/category/cleaning-products/. I am excited to get a chance to spend more time on it in the future. I'm also excited to try her hydrogen peroxide/lemon juice mildew cleaner on my bathroom ceiling.

And finally I wanted to plug a great book I just read. It is not as do-it-yourself as I like to recommend, but it does tell the best things to buy, and what you need to cut from your life to be more sustainable, plus it is a fun read. It is The Eco Chick Guide to Life by Starre Vartan. A fun read, I borrowed it from the ranger station, and you should make it part of your summer reading list.