Women’s Voices for the Earth

Green Cleaning Recipes

Furniture Polish

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup white distilled vinegar

20-30 drops lemon essential oil or 2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)

Shake well before using

Dip a clean, dry cloth into the polish and rub the wood in the directions of the grain. Use a soft brush to work the polish into corners or tight places.

Tip: To remove water spots, rub well with non-gel toothpaste and wipe away with soft cloth. To remove scratches use 1 part lemon juice and 1 part olive oil; rub with soft cloth.

**Lemon juice may be substituted for lemon oil, but then cleaner must be stored in refrigerator.

Laundry Detergent

1 cup soap flakes

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax

Soap flakes can be made by grating your favorite pure vegetable soap with a cheese grater. Mix ingredients together and store in a glass container. Use 1 tablespoon per load (2 for heavily soiled laundry), wash in warm or cold water. For soft water: Use 1 cup soap flakes, ¼ cup washing soda, and ½ cup borax. For hard water: Use 1 cup soap flakes, 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax.

Tip: Add ½ cup white distilled vinegar to rinse as a fabric softener.

Tip: For whites, use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach. Soak your clothes for 30 minutes in the washer with ½ cup 20% peroxide, then launder as usual.

**Gloves are recommended as washing soda may irritate skin after prolonged contact; not to be used with silks, woolens or vinyl.

Drain Opener

½ cup baking soda

½ cup vinegar

Pour baking soda down drain and follow with vinegar. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Flush with boiling water.

Tip: Prevent your shower from clogging by using a drain trap to catch hair.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Option 1

Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, drizzle with white distilled vinegar, let soak for at least 30 minutes, and scrub with toilet brush.

Option 2

Add ¼ cup borax to toilet bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Swish with a toilet brush and then scrub. A few drops of pine oil can be added for increased disinfecting. (Note: Some people are allergic to pine oil)

Tip: Let ingredients soak overnight to make for easy scrubbing, especially on persistent stains like toilet bowl rings.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Suggested Uses: Hard surfaces like countertops and kitchen floors, windows and mirrors.

2 cups white distilled vinegar

2 cups water

20-30 or more drops essential oil (optional)

Tip: Warming in microwave until barely hot with boost cleaning power for tough jobs. Only microwave in a glass container.

**Optional, but suggested to reduce vinegar smell; try lavender or lemon essential oil.

**WVE recommends purchasing industrial cleaning strength bottles from a custodial supply store because vinegar will corrode ordinary bottle components.

Creamy Soft Scrub

Suggested Uses: Kitchen counters, stoves, bathroom sinks, etc.

2 cups baking soda

½ cup liquid castile soap

4 teaspoons vegetable glycerin (preservative)

5 or more drops essential oil (optional- try tea tree, rosemary or lavender)

Mix together and store in a sealed glass jar; shelf life of 2 years.

Tip: For exceptionally tough jobs, spray with vinegar first- full strength or diluted. Let sit and follow with scrub.

Note: You can use essential oils as an alternative preservative, but using the vegetable glycerin significantly increases the shelf life of the product. If you plan to make a large batch to store, WVE recommends using vegetable glycerin.

**WVE recommends using a liquid castile soap that does not contain sodium lauryl (laureth) sulfate (SLS) or Dietholamine (DEA), which may have harmful side effects.