10 Simple and Cheap Ways to Clean Green

Over the last twenty years, we have learned more and more about the dangers of conventional commercial cleaning products. The link between various cancers, headaches, asthma, and sinus problems and the chemicals found in most popular cleaning solutions has been well established. This new knowledge has lead to a movement towards cleaning house with all-natural and less toxic alternatives. Lucky for us, just about everything you need to keep your home sparkling clean is probably in your pantry. In fact, with the following list: baking soda, distilled white vinegar, borax, washing soda, lemon juice, olive oil, rubbing alcohol, cornmeal, cinnamon, cloves, and optionally your favorite essential oils, you can make every cleaning product you'll probably ever need. Following are ten easy recipes for your most common cleaning tasks.

Cheap Laundry Soap - You can make gallons of laundry detergent simply and inexpensively by boiling two gallons of water on your stove. Buy a bar of Zote pink soap (found in the laundry aisle) and shave or grate it into small chunks. Mix the soap flakes with the hot water to create a sort of watery sludge. Then add one-half cup of Borax and one-half cup of Washing Soda (not to be confused with baking soda). Everything you need with the exception of the pot and the water should be found in the laundry section of your local store. If you have trouble finding the washing soda, it is Arm & Hammer brand and you should be able to find it at Stop and Shop or online at Amazon.com. Once you have mixed everything together, you have an effective and inexpensive laundry detergent. Use a half-cup for regular loads and 2/3 cup for large loads.