Make your own green cleaning products - Save money and your lungs

By Katie Machol Simon on Thu, Dec 31, 2009 at 11:27 am

I found these great recipes for cleaning products on Planet Green, from laundry soap and carpet deodorizer, to furniture polish and window cleaner. Below, I've listed a few to get you started, then check the rest of them out in these articles: "Never Buy Cleaning Supplies Again! Make These 8 Cleaners at Home" and "Detox Your Home: Assemble a Green Cleaning Kit".

All-purpose cleaner

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Castile soap

1 tbsp Borax

1. Combine all the ingredients and add to a spray bottle.

Powdered Laundry Soap

1 bar Castile soap, grated

2 cups Borax

2 cups washing soda

1 cup baking soda

1. Combine all of the ingredients and store in a covered jar. Use ¼ cup per load.

Mold Killer

2 teaspoons tea tree oil

2 cups water

1. Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse.

2. Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

(Recipes courtesy of Planet Green)

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Kick off this new year starting from the inside out - the inside of your house, that is. While you're at it, why not incorporate your resolution to be greener as well?

Regular household cleaning products are full of toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment by polluting the water and the air we breathe. They also can cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation. Green cleaning products are the other alternative, being free of the aforementioned negative side effects, but they can be quite pricey.

Here's a green cleaning tip that will kill two birds with one stone: Save you money on cleaning products and prevent you from putting those toxic chemicals down the drain and into your body. How? By making your own cleaning products from items you probably already have on hand.