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We would like
to encourage you to gradually eliminate toxic chemicals from your
cabinets and thereby from our ocean. Excessive packaging ends up in
the landfill or requires more energy to be recycled into something
else. Vote with your dollars for cleaner alternatives.
Here are some
tips to start a phase-out of the worst offenders:
Do your best
to avoid purchasing bleach, ammonia, harsh cleaners, Ajax, Comet,
Kleenex brand tissues, and disposable plates, cups and silverware.
Also be
aware of products in excessive packaging that cannot be reused. Buy
100% post-consumer waste toilet paper.
Cut down on
the number of cleaning products you purchase. Use phosphate-free
detergent to avoid toxins in the waterways.
Ready to go
another level? Now skip buying Borax, Bon Ami, furniture polish and
paper towels! (If you really need them, buy 100% post-consumer waste
facial tissues and paper towels.)
Try out some of the safe, effective
and cost-effective alternatives…
STEP ONE:
Prepare a spray bottle containing 1 part distilled white vinegar to 4
parts water. Vinegar disinfects and breaks up dirt. You will be amazed
at its many uses. And you can buy a gallon for around $4 in the
grocery store!
KITCHEN
SURFACES
Use
your vinegar spray bottle.
REFRIGERATOR
To
clean interior and enamel-finished exterior walls, dissolve 2
tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water and wipe all
surfaces. For stubborn spots, rub with baking soda paste. Be sure to
rinse with a clean, wet cloth. This no-scratch method works for the
stove top and other appliance surfaces.
To
clean a stainless steel exterior, dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking
soda in 1 quart of water. Wipe on and rinse thoroughly.
OVEN
Use
your vinegar spray bottle. Spray on cool oven surface. Use baking soda
on stubborn spots.
Make a
scrubbing paste of baking soda, salt and water. Use a fine steel wool
if necessary.
While
the oven is still warm, sprinkle water on a spill and then sprinkle
some salt or baking soda. When cool, scrape and wipe.
SINK
Drain
cleaner #1 (light): Mix ½ cup salt in 4 liters of water. Heat (but not
to a boil) and pour down the drain.
Drain
cleaner #2 (for metal plumbing only): Pour ½ cup baking soda down the
drain or disposal, followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. Allow the
mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with a
gallon of boiling water. For slow drains, use this drain cleaner once
a week to keep drains fresh and clog-free. (Note: do not use this
method after trying a commercial drain opener; the vinegar can react
with the drain opener to cause dangerous fumes.)
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
To
eliminate odors as well as to clean and sharpen blades, grind ice and
used lemon and/or orange rinds until pulverized.
POTS & PANS
Use
baking soda and apple cider vinegar to clean baked-on food. The baking
soda provides grit for scrubbing and fizzes with the vinegar to speed
up cleaning time.
Burned
and crusted-on food: Soak or boil a solution of 2 tablespoons of
baking soda per quart of water in each pan. Let stand until particles
are loosened, then wash as usual. To cut grease: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons
of baking soda to the soaking water.
DISHES
Drinking glasses: Occasionally soak drinking glasses in a solution of
vinegar and water to get them clean and sparkling.
Cut a
lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section. Use it to
scrub dishes and pots (or surfaces).
AIR FRESHENER
Baking
soda or vinegar with lemon juice in small dishes absorbs odors around
the house.
Having
houseplants helps reduce odors in the home.
CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE
Add ½
cup of baking soda to the wash when you add your liquid detergent. The
baking soda absorbs odor and makes whites whiter and brights brighter.
In the rinse cycle, it acts as a fabric softener.
Use
vinegar in the rinse cycle as a natural fabric softener. (It breaks
down detergent much better than regular fabric softener.)
For
sour towels, use a small amount (1/8 cup) of hydrogen peroxide in the
bleach dispenser of the washing machine. (Don’t pour directly on
fabric.)
Lemon
juice acts as a natural bleaching agent. Put lemon juice on white
clothing and linens and allow them to dry in the sun. Stains will be
bleached away.
Dry
your clothes outdoors on a line or rack.
TRASH CANS
Always
place a recycle container beside the garbage can. The convenience will
encourage recycling.
Avoid
using plastic liners whenever possible.
ANTS
Follow
the trail of the ants to determine where they are getting in. Seal the
holes.
Wipe
surfaces with your vinegar spray bottle so ants can’t follow their
trail.
Peppermint or cinnamon oil (cheap brand is fine) will keep them away.
Sprinkle turmeric in their path.
NOTE: Powdered baking soda can be sprinkled over a small
kitchen fire to extinguish it.
BATHROOM
SHOWER/TUB
To
clean stainless steel, chrome, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain or
enamel fixtures, dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of
water. Wipe on fixtures and rinse.
Metal
shower head: To remove deposits which may be clogging your metal
shower head, combine ½ cup white vinegar and 1 quart water in a pot.
Submerge the shower head and boil for 15 minutes.
Plastic
shower head: Combine 1 pint of white vinegar and 1 pint of hot water.
Completely submerge the shower head and soak for about an hour.
Scouring powder: Mix 1 cup baking soda and ¼ cup vinegar in a small
bowl. Rub on surface with damp sponge. Let stand for a few minutes.
Rinse well.
For
Mold: Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a
spray bottle. Spray on areas with mold. Wait at least an hour before
rinsing or using shower.
Remove
lime deposit stains on shower stall panels with this all-purpose
cleaner:
o
Mix ½
cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda into ½ gallon (2 liters) of water.
o
This
cleaner also works on chrome fixtures, windows and mirrors.
To
soften hard lime deposits around faucets, cover the deposits with a
vinegar-soaked towel. Leave the towels on for about an hour before
cleaning.
Rust
stains: Apply full-strength vinegar or lemon juice and let stand until
spot disappears. Repeat if necessary.
TOILET
Dump
vinegar in toilet at night. Scrub in the morning.
To
clean and deodorize, sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then squirt
with vinegar and scour with toilet brush.
Mix
liquid castile soap and baking soda, scrub with toilet brush.
SINK
To
clean porcelain surfaces, rub with cream of tartar sprinkled on a damp
cloth.
See
drain cleaners in Kitchen section.
MIRRORS
Use
newspaper or a microfiber towel instead of paper towels!
See
all-purpose cleaner recipe under Shower/Tub section above.
Use
your vinegar spray bottle.
Add the
juice of half a lemon to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.
Mix ½
cup cornstarch into 2 quarts of warm water. Apply with a sponge and
wipe with an absorbent cloth or towel.
Note:
You are more likely to get streaks if you wash windows when the sun is
beating on them.
No-steak glass cleaner: Mix ¼ cup white vinegar and 1 tablespoon
cornstarch into 1 quart of warm water. Apply with a sponge or spray
bottle. Wipe dry with newspaper or microfiber towel.
GROUT
Use
your vinegar spray bottle.
Measure
3 cups of baking soda into a medium-sized bowl and add 1 cup of warm
water. Mix into a smooth paste and scrub into grout with a sponge or
toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly.
MEDICINE CABINET
To cool
a sunburn, apply vinegar.
Use
apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse and detangler.
FURNITURE
Use
your vinegar spray bottle with a microfiber towel. It picks up germs
and bacteria. (Note that microfiber towels work best damp.)
Mix up
this polish fresh each time you need it: Mix the juice of 1 lemon with
a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of water. Apply a thin coat on
your wood surface and let sit for five minutes. Use a soft cloth to
buff to a deep shine.
Mix 2
parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice. Apply mixture to furniture
with a soft cloth and wipe it dry.
Hide
scratches in wood by rubbing with the meat of a walnut.
FLOORS
FLOOR MATS AND DOOR MATS
Use
floor mats and door mats to keep dirt from being tracked in.
WOOD
Mix ¼
cup olive oil and ¼ cup vinegar into 1 gallon of water. Apply and wipe
clean.
LINOLEUM
A
pencil eraser removes scuff marks from a floor.
CARPET
Soak a
spot on the carpet immediately with club soda and blot until the stain
is gone.
To
remove grease spots from carpet, first absorb any excess with a
sponge. Then rub a liberal amount of baking soda or cornstarch into
the spot. Let it sit overnight. Remove the excess and vacuum.
Rub a
potato on soiled carpet. Then wash with mild soap and water.
MISC
Soften
hard paint brushes in hot vinegar for a few minutes. Wash in soap and
warm water and let dry.
To
remove price tag stickers, sponge vinegar over them several times,
wait 15 minutes, then rub them off.
Suggestions:
Use a
re-usable microfiber towel. They are designed to lift dirt and dust
without the need for cleaning products. Wash them in the washing
machine. A good quality cloth can last for several years.
Use
compostable sponges.
Use
handkerchiefs instead of tissues.
Dispose of household
hazardous waste appropriately:
Playa del Rey: HYPERION TREATMENT PLANT
7660 West Imperial
Highway, Gate B, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
Hours of Operation:
Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 am–3:00 pm
RESOURCES:
www.naturalstep.org
www.organicconsumers.org
www.envirochangemakers.org
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