Implements of Green
(Part of my Green This House program.)
We picked up a few spray bottles from The Container Store to start mixing up our own green cleaning fluids. The decorative labels were printed off MarthaStewart.com, while the text itself was inspired by B_E_E’s cleverness.
Besides diluting Ecover’s Floor Soap according to directions for the floor cleaner, I’ll be using Care2’s recipe for an all-purpose cleaner made from washing soda, a dab of liquid soap, and hot tap water (plus a few drops of papaya essential oil someone gave me).
Our homemade air freshener is basically water with a few drops of green-tea and lavender essential oils. Quite scrumptious, and as good as any $15 “home fragrance spray” from Crabtree & Evelyn. (You need to give the bottle a good shake before you spray to redisperse the oils, natch.)
Marie said,
May 1, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Great idea - I love the labels and bottles!
Amber said,
May 2, 2006 at 10:44 am
I love to see people cleaning with homemade non-toxic things, ESPECIALLY when you’ve made such gorgeous labels for them (oh-so-much more attractive than my scribbled on sharpie), and wanted to give a shout out to my favorite clean house book, Clean House, Clean Planet:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-0671535951-1
She’s got loads of information about cleaning and what’s going on with it, what’s in the commercial stuff, cost & effectiveness comparisons of her mixes (she give great recipes for cleaning stuff), etc. It’s the only stuff we use to clean house with. And she has an especially miraculous stain-remover spray. No, really. Miraculous.
Also, I have to make sure you know Dr. Bronner’s soaps. They are amazing and they’re from a great, conscientiously-run company that doesn’t advertise and makes great soap. For washing dishes, we use their “house-cleaning” soap, “Sal’s Suds” diluted with water, and it works for nearly anything you need to clean up.
Yes, I really really hate chemical household cleaners, and I hope other people get wiser about how gross and toxic and awful they are, too.
Jasmin said,
May 2, 2006 at 6:05 pm
Hey Amber,
I needed my homemade cleaners to appeal to my sense of aesthetics, as well! And the labels add a bit of fun and frippery so us greenies remember to let loose once in a while instead of bearing the weight of the world on our shoulders.
Yes, lots of people have recommended that book to me. I’ll have to see if my library has it.
Everyone seems to be talking up Dr. Bronner’s … We like products from Method and Seventh Generation, as well.
The Worsted Witch » Face Off, Naturally said,
May 31, 2006 at 3:16 pm
[...] My dear friend Juanita kvetched to me about the cost of natural skin-care products—the kind that’s free of known and suspected carcinogenic, reproductive, and developmental toxins. “I’m not willing to sell my kidney just yet,” she muttered. Well I hear you and raise you a liver, girlfriend, because lordy, peace of mind doesn’t come without some serious kaching. But, being the smart alecky kid that I am, I told her she could save a tidy sum simply by raiding her kitchen cabinet and refrigerator, which works brilliantly for inexpensive and au naturale cleaning liquids, as well. Free yourself from the shackles of the capitalist consumerist machine, I whooped, only partly in jest. [...]
The Worsted Witch » Test Kitchen Witch said,
June 23, 2006 at 11:58 am
[...] 1. Tea Tree Oil Mold Killer The hub’s low snorts of derision about the efficacy of our homemade cleaning fluids quickly turned into shouts of glee when he used Care2.com’s recipe for tea tree oil mold remover to clean our bathroom ceiling. He said it was better than the bleach-based products we used in the past. “Plus, no cancer!” I hollered up the ladder at him. He still wore goggles, however, so the oil wouldn’t irritate his eyes, and a face mask we have lying around, because the smell can get quite overwhelming. (Oddly enough, I thought it smelled rather bleach-like.) [...]
The Worsted Witch » Eco-Me Home said,
July 19, 2006 at 1:00 pm
[...] I’ve written about the importance of making over your home into a chemical-free sanctuary, while sharing some of my own favorite on-the-cheap homemade cleaners that easily trump toxic, immune-system-stressing chemicals any day. [...]
The Worsted Witch » said,
January 11, 2007 at 12:50 pm
[...] For my sister-in-law, the five basics for non-toxic cleaning and 10 simple ways to clean green. (I make my own because it’s cheap, green, and safe.) [...]
The Worsted Witch » Mail Call: Finding Eco Products said,
February 5, 2007 at 10:51 am
[...] Related articles: 1. Martha Stewart Living Jan 2007 2. Totally Bamboo 3. Vinegar: Disinfectant of Champions 4. Test Kitchen Witch 5. Eco-Me Home 6. Hub’s Guest Review: Seventh Generation Laundry Liquid Detergent 7. Maybe Baby: Chemicals & Kids 8. Implements of Green 9. Eulogy for Swiffer [...]
Gypsy said,
March 24, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I love the photo - I am just writing a blog entry on natural cleaners and would love to put the photo on my blog - with full credit of course - as an example of how funky green cleaning can be (far funkier than what I do I’m afraid!). Would that be OK?
Leah said,
March 30, 2008 at 11:29 am
I’ve been using that same air freshener for a while. :) Did you know you can also use washing soda and hot water to clean tarnish from silver jewelry? You just put a piece of aluminum foil in a bowl, put the jewelry on top, sprinkle on some washing soda, and pour hot water until everything is covered. It works really well, and much less toxic than commercial silver cleaners. Also, it’s less likely to damage stones and pearls.
Andria said,
April 5, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I am LOVING those bottles and stickers!
Nancy said,
October 1, 2008 at 8:37 am
I’ve searched and searched for the cute labels at Martha’s website. Can someone tell me where to find them?
Thanks!
The Worsted Witch said,
October 14, 2008 at 10:04 am
[...] Ecover floor soap we bought two years ago? Because you only need a capful of detergent to mix up a large spray bottle of cleaner, the original bottle is still almost three-quarters full, so even though we paid more [...]
SmartDogs said,
February 22, 2009 at 10:17 am
We’ve got dog-friendly bamboo floors through most of our house. I use a microfiber mop with vinegar and water to clean them and they shine when I’m done. We also use a large dustmop to pick up dust and dog hair - I can sweep over the whole house in 10 minutes or so; and a good old-fashioed Hokey Floor sweeper to pick up bits on the floors and rugs.
The microfiber mops are a nice replacement for swiffers. Buy several cloth heads so you can switch them out frequently to prevent smearing.
Now if I could just train the dogs to do this for me….