Can You Be Clean & Green at the Same Time?

Earth Day is fast approaching. Anyone out there, besides me, remember when it first started?
Growing up in the late 60's & 70's I seem to recall a big public service push for people to "save the earth". Seems like if more people had listened then, the earth would be in much better shape now. But Earth Day wasn't in style then. It was basically promoted by the crunchy granola type of personality, so as a result, main stream America wanted nothing to do with it. My, how times have changed - and for the better!
Fast forward to today. Green is everywhere. Main stream America has embraced it and has taken notice. Green is now a viable, affordable option for your average family.
How can you be green and clean at the same time? Well, you can go old school or new school.
OLD SCHOOL: Make your own cleaners. This is much easier then it sounds. And really, really cheap. (Did I say really cheap? Dirt costs more then these cleaners!) Some ones to try:
• all purpose cleaner: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tsp baking soda, 4 cups of water, a few drops of essential oil (for fragrance). Mix in a spray bottle and use on everything.
• glass cleaner: 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 cups water. Mix in a spray bottle, spritz and wipe glass with a lint free cloth.
• scouring powder: baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge or directly onto the surface, like a bathtub. Scrub and rinse. Dissolves in water, so it leaves no chalky residue.
These three recipes are all you need to have a sparkling clean & green house for pennies. Literally, pennies. Mix as needed and you are good to go.
NEW SCHOOL: you can buy cleaners that are certified green. My favorites:
• Seventh Generation Natural Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner. This stuff works great, smells great, and since it's a concentrate, you mix it with water, so a bottle lasts forever. And I mean forever!
• Clorox Green Works Product Line. Easy to find, not too expensive, seem to work well. I buy the dish soap and use it as hand soap also.
• Dr. Brommer's Peppermint Soap. Have you tried this stuff? This one product can be used for everything, and I mean everything around your home. Wash clothing? check. Wash dishes? check Wash hair? check. Brush teeth? check. You can use it full strength or dilute it. If you are going camping, or cross country on a motorcycle (been there, done that) this would be the one product to take. And it's been green since w--a--y, w--a--y, w--a--y before being green was even a concept. And reading the label is a hoot! It’ so mainstream now, you can even find it at Target
That should be enough to get you started being clean and green. But if you would like more green cleaner "recipes", try this site. http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm You can find concoctions to clean anything. And I mean anything.
Be clean, be green, be organized....evelyn