Environmentally Friendly Products

A little bit of effort can go a long way.

By choosing to use environmentally friendly products such as recycled paper, non-aerosol products, organically-based cleaners and other earth-friendly products, you can do your part to help protect the environment and our natural resources. 

Clean Green

Some ordinary household cleaning products are considered hazardous materials. An easy way to familiarize yourself with most household hazardous wastes is to look on container labels for danger symbols. Products may be poisonous, corrosive, highly flammable or even explosive. When hazardous materials are disposed of improperly, they can be a threat to your health and to the environment, including our waterways. To help produce the threat, use environmentally friendly products to replace the toxic ones. Alternative products can be made by using simple ingredients found in most stores. Some of the basic ingredients you will need include: baking soda, water, vinegar, borax, lemon juice, salt, a pump spray bottle and little elbow grease.

Start with a few recipes and discover the alternatives that work best for you. Remember, some of the alternatives work more slowly and require more scrubbing than their commercial counterparts, but they are safer for your family and the environment. Non-toxic alternatives are also less expensive and require less storage space.

Easy Recipes for General Cleaning
All Purpose Cleaner
1 gallon hot water
1/2 cup washing soda
Mix well, wash surface, rinse.

Window and Glass Cleaner
1 gallon water
1/2 cup white vinegar
Apply with cloth or mist/
spray bottle; dry with clean cloth.

Wood Furniture/Floor Polish
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix well; rub on surface; buff
with clean, dry cloth.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1/2 cup borax
Drop of mint extract
Scrub bowl

Rust
Soak with lemon juice. Rub with salt. Dry in direct sunlight and wash.

Mildew: Clean with hydrogen peroxide (an environmentally-safe alternative to chlorine-based
products); then scrub with a thin paste of lemon juice and borax to inhibit mildew formation.

Spot/Stain Removers: Immediately soak in cool water and sponge. Hot water can set the stain.

Grease: Rub with cloth dipped in borax or apply a paste of cornstarch and water. Let dry and brush off.

Oil Stain: Before laundering, rub white chalk into oil stain.

Ink (ballpoint): Sponge with rubbing alcohol or hair spray. Rub with soap, rinse and wash.