Green House-Cleaning Solutions

I cringe every time I see one of those advertisements featuring a mom running behind her kids, dogs, and husband, spraying air freshener on pillows, carpets, bedspreads, and curtains, as if "Springtime Fresh" chemicals will banish every nasty smell, from cigar smoke to dirty socks. The fact is, most of those sprays will mask odors for a time, but the causes of the odors won't disappear. They will lurk there, just under the lab-produced, pretty freshener, and as time passes, they will rise back up, turning that lovely "Springtime Fresh" scent you sprayed into something more like "Springtime Fresh/Burnt Salmon/Gym Socks."

Okay, so I'm exaggerating a little, but I exaggerate because I care. Over the decades, I've developed allergies to more and more common household products, and I've heard increasingly from friends with similar problems. And one of my cats, poor boy, sneezes if someone even opens a bottle of floor cleaner anywhere in the house. I don't want this to happen to you. Plus, I hate to think of all the harsh chemicals we're spraying in our homes and pouring down our drains. Why use nasty chemicals when there are far greener cleaners out there that do the job just as well--sometimes better? A few years ago I switched to completely all-natural cleaning products for the house and the laundry. We were already using organic, earth-friendly shampoos and body washes, so it just made sense.

The good news is that there are so many eco-friendly companies making great cleaning products now for everything from polishing stainless steel to cleaning the toilet bowl. And the major chains are carrying some of the best brands, like Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, Method, and Seventh Generation. Even some of the old standby brands have come out with "green" lines, so there are more options than ever. Hooray.

The bad news, though, is how costly some of these products can be. I'm a big fan of Mrs. Meyer's scrubs and all-purpose cleaners, but they often cost more than their less earth-friendly counterparts. I love how well they clean, and I love that they're good for the earth, so I still buy them on sale, but I have long wanted to supplement them with less-expensive alternatives. So, what's a girl with a conscience (not to mention a sensitive nose) but not a lot of cash to do?

The answer turns out to be simple: make my own cleaning supplies. I found a terrific book by Karyn Siegel-Maier called The Naturally Clean Home, and I've been mixing my own scrubs, soaps, soaks, and powders ever since. I still use store-bought favorites for some cleaning, but Siegel-Maiers' book proves that with a small initial investment in basic supplies, you can save a significant amount of money while getting your home truly clean. She offers formulas for making everything from carpet deodorizer to car wash.

I have tried several of the formulas in The Naturally Clean Home, and I love how well they work. I especially love that I can customize the scent of the cleaners I make using all-natural essential oils--or I can leave the cleaners completely scent-free. My favorite formulas are the ones she offers for deodorizing carpets and for washing the dishes. At the beginning of the book she provides a list of basic, all-natural supplies--like baking soda, castile soap, white vinegar, borax, and essential oils--for making the formulas, and once you've gathered up the supplies, you can make many different cleaners.

Here's one of her formulas for a dishwashing liquid (page 30):

• 20 ounces liquid castile soap
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops rosemary essential oil
• 4 drops eucalyptus oil

Combine all in a clean, 22-ounce squirt bottle.  Shake before each use. 

Okay, so now it's serious truth time. I love a really clean home. I love the floors to sparkle, and I love the drapes and cushions to smell like flowers and citrus and sunshine. However, until I acquire Snow White's magical powers to train woodland creatures to help me with the housework, I will never, ever love housecleaning. So, I must trick myself to get the housework done.  One of the best ways I've found to do this is to use pretty containers for all my cleaning products.  If the scrubs and powders and liquids I mix look like spa treatments, I actually want to use them on my carpets and dishes and windows more.  I know it sounds crazy, but between the pretty, jars (which I use again and again, upping the green factor) and beautiful, organic scents that I've chosen myself, I don't mind cleaning nearly as much as I used to.  

Plus--and maybe best of all--my cat and I can breathe while I do that cleaning.