Safer Alternatives for Household Products
The Basics:
Baking soda – cleans and deodorizes; scours and polishes; removes stains; softens water.
Borax – deodorizes; removes stains; boosts the cleaning power of soap; water softener.
Cornstarch – cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs.
Lemon juice – cuts grease and removes stains on aluminium and porcelain.
Pure soap – cleans everything; comes in liquid, bar, powder and flakes.
Table salt – use as a mild disinfectant; scouring powder.
Washing soda – guts grease; disinfects; boosts cleaning power of soap; removes stains.
White vinegar – removes mildew, stains, grease and wax build-up.
Aerosols
Air Freshener
All-Purpose Abrasive Cleaner
All-Purpose Carpet Stain Remover
All-Purpose Cleaner
Ant Control
Bleach
Carpet Cleaner
De-scaler
Disinfectant
Dish Soap
Drain Cleaner
Dusting Aid
Fabric Softener
Fertilizer
Flea/Tick Product
Floor Cleaner
Furniture Polish
Glue
Glue/Decal Remover
Grout Cleaner
Insect Bites
Insecticide
Metal Polish
Mildew/ Soap Scum
Mothballs
Oven Cleaner
Paint
Rat and Mouse Poison
Shoe Cleaner and Polish
Stains (All-Purpose Remover)
Stains (Blood/Chocolate)
Stains (Coffee/Tea)
Stains (Chewing Gum)
Stains (Deodorant)
Stains (Grass)
Stains (Grease)
Stains (Ink)
Stains (Wine)
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Wall and Wallpaper Cleaner
Weed Killer
Window Cleaner
Woodwork Cleaner
Aerosols
- Use non-aerosol products.
- Deodorants – roll-ons, creams, sticks.
- Cooking sprays – cooking oils.
- Shaving cream – tubes, brush and shaving soaps.
- Hair sprays – setting lotions, gels, pump sprays.
- Cleaners – pump sprays.
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Air Freshener
- Baking soda box left open in room.
- Use herbs or potpourri.
- Add cloves, cinnamon, vanilla to boiling water, simmer for 5 minutes.
- Set out a dish of vinegar.
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All-Purpose Abrasive Cleaner
- Mix 125 ml baking soda and 125 ml water. Mix.
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All-Purpose Carpet Stain Remover
- Mix 50 ml borax with 500 ml warm water. Spray on stained area and wipe with a damp sponge. Repeat until clean.
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All-Purpose Cleaner
- Mix together 1 litre warm or hot water, 15 ml soap flakes (or more for tougher cleaning jobs), 30 ml borax, 5 ml lemon juice and/or white vinegar. Melt soap flakes in water. Apply to surface. Rinse.
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Ant Control
- Caulk or weather strip ant entry points into your home.
- Pour a line of cream of tartar where ants enter house.
- Sprinkle red chilli, paprika or dried peppermint where ants enter house.
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Bleach
- Add 125 ml borax to wash load to whiten whites and brighten colours.
- Add lemon juice to rinse cycle and hang clothes outside in the sun to bleach.
- If bleach is necessary, use dry bleach flakes.
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Carpet Cleaner
- Use soap based cleaners; avoid using aerosols.
- Clean carpet stains immediately with club soda.
- Sprinkle carpet with dry cornstarch or baking soda and vacuum after 1 hour.
- Rub dry baking soda into grease stains on carpets.
- Combine equal parts vinegar & water to remove winter salt residue on carpets.
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De-scaler
- Heat white vinegar and water in kettles, steam irons and coffee makers for cleaning scale (according to manufacturer’s instructions).
- Apply pure white vinegar to taps, faucets and showerheads to dissolve scale. Repeat several times. Scrub with baking soda on an old toothbrush to remove material that remains.
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Disinfectant
- Wash items with soap and water or add 100 ml borax with 1 L water.
- Mix 50-100 ml eucalyptus oil with 1 L of water in spray bottle; shake mixture before use to disperse the oil.
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Dish Soap
- Dissolve soap flakes in hot water. Add a little white vinegar to cut grease. Not for use in automatic washers.
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Drain Cleaner
- Use plunger or mechanical snake first.
- Flush clogged drains with 60 ml baking soda followed by 125 ml vinegar. Close drain until fizzing stops and flush with boiling water.
- Clogged Drain Prevention: Mix 250 ml baking soda and 250 ml salt. Pour 60 ml of this mixture down drain followed by a pot of boiling water. Flush with cold water. Do this once every 2 weeks and your drain should remain unclogged and odour free.
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Dusting Aid
- Moisten dusting cloth with a few drops olive oil mixed with 2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice.
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Fabric Softener
- Rinse cotton and wool blankets with 500 ml white vinegar added to washer.
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Fertilizer
- Replace chemical fertilizers with peat moss, manure, fishmeal or organic compost.
- Lawn fertilizer is unnecessary if lawn is watered properly and you practice grass cycling.
- Grass Cycling: leave grass clippings on lawn; nutrients are reabsorbed into soil. Do not cut grass too short. Thoroughly water lawn (when necessary) in early morning (no more than a couple of hours). Aerate lawn every few years.
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Flea/Tick Product
- Put brewer’s yeast or garlic in pet food.
- Sprinkle fennel, rue, rosemary or eucalyptus seeds or leaves around animal sleeping areas.
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Floor Cleaner
- Mop floor with mixture of 200 ml white vinegar to 9 L of water.
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Furniture Polish
- Wipe furniture with mixture of 5 ml lemon oil in 500 ml mineral or vegetable oil.
- Try 3 parts olive oil, 1 part white vinegar.
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Glue
- Make a paste of 3 tablespoons (42 ml) cornstarch in 4 tablespoons (56 ml) water. Stir this into 2 cups (454 ml) boiling water. Continue stirring over gentle heat until mixture thickens and becomes translucent. Cool and pour mixture into container and store in refrigerator.
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Glue/Decal Remover
- Soak in white vinegar.
- Rub decals and hard-to-remove glue with peanut butter.
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Grout Cleaner
- Use undiluted vinegar with toothbrush.
- Try 3 parts baking soda with one part water.
- Use toothpaste or denture polish.
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Insect Bites
- Bee Stings: Apply a thick paste of baking soda and water or rub with an onion cut in half.
- General Insect Bites: To relieve itching, rub area with cider vinegar or baking soda paste or use a paste of meat tenderizer and water over bite.
- Mosquitoes: Soak bites in salt water, then apply skin cream.
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Insecticide
- Plant garlic cloves at 1-foot intervals in garden.
- Use traps or spray soaps.
- Blend 6 cloves crushed garlic, 1 minced onion, 1 tablespoon (14 ml) dried hot pepper, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure soap in 1 4.5 L hot water. Let sit 1-2 days; strain; spray on plants.
- Use chamomile tea as insect lotion.
- Burn citronella candles or mosquito coils.
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Metal Polish
- Brass – Worcestershire sauce.
- Chrome – Apple cider vinegar or baking soda with soft cloth.
- Copper – Vinegar and salt; or lemon and salt.
- Pewter – Rub with fine steel wool dipped in olive oil, wash in soapy water and dry; or polish with cabbage leaves.
- Silver – Soak in 1 L warm water with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt and a piece of aluminium foil; or soak in buttermilk or sour milk overnight.
- Stainless Steel – Wash with 1 L warm water and 3 tablespoons (40 ml) baking soda; rinse with hot water.
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Mildew/Soap Scum
- Use 56 ml baking soda, 115 ml vinegar and warm water.
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Mothballs
- Try one of the following – cedar chips, lavender flowers, rosemary, mint, white peppercorns, cloves, dried lemon peels.
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Oven Cleaner
- Sprinkle salt and baking soda on a spill while oven is still warm. Scour with steel wool and baking soda.
- Use salt for baked on grease.
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Paint
- Use water-based or latex paint.
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Rat and Mouse Poison
- Remove food sources that attract rodents.
- Place a screen over drains.
- Use live traps or mechanical snap-traps.
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Shoe Cleaner and Polish
- Stale beer or skim milk will clean smooth leather. Shine it with a little olive or nut oil on a clean cloth.
- Clean suede and other napped leathers by rubbing gently with the heel of a loaf of stale bread.
- Remove salt stains from winter boots by sponging with white vinegar.
- For grease stains on smooth leather, rub with an egg white, beaten stiff.
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Stains (All-Purpose Remover)
- Use paste of water and washing soda mix.
- Use club soda.
- Use lemon juice and hot water.
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Stains (Blood/Chocolate)
- Dab or soak in cold water immediately; don’t use hot water.
- Sponge on mixture of 58 ml borax in 450 ml cold water and let dry prior to washing.
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Stains (Coffee/Tea)
- Use equal parts moist salt and vinegar.
- Use baking soda solution of 3 tablespoons (40 ml) and 1L of water.
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Stains (Chewing Gum)
- Rub with ice and the gum will flake off.
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Stains (Deodorant)
- Rub lightly with white vinegar and launder as usual.
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Stains (Grass)
- Rub with glycerine (available at drug stores). Let stand 1 hour and wash.
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Stains (Grease)
- Rub with damp cloth sprinkled with small amount of borax.
- Rub with soap and baking soda.
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Stains (Ink)
- Soak in milk.
- Use hydrogen peroxide.
- Use cold water combined with 1 tablespoon (14 ml) each of cream of tartar and lemon juice.
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Stains (Wine)
- Use club soda immediately.
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Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- Use baking soda or vinegar.
- Drop 1000 mg. of vitamin C in the bowl. Leave overnight and then scrub.
- To disinfect use borax. Let stand for 30 minutes and scrub.
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Wall and Wallpaper Cleaner
- Rub smudges with a slice of stale bread or an art gum eraser.
- For grease spots, apply a paste of cornstarch or baking soda and water, let it dry in place, then gently brush off. Repeat if necessary.
- For crayon marks, rub with baking soda sprinkled on a damp cloth.
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Weed Killer
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Window Cleaner
- Use 115 ml vinegar in 4.5 L of warm water.
- Use newspaper to dry glass since newsprint will polish without leaving lint.
- Use the oldest newspapers in the house so fresh newsprint won’t come off on your hands.
- To keep bathroom mirrors from fogging, try rubbing with a dab of glycerine.
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Woodwork Cleaner
- Remove greasy fingerprints by rubbing with a soft cloth soaked in equal parts vinegar and water.
- Clean finished, unpainted wood with equal amounts of olive oil and lemon juice on a soft cloth.
- Unfinished woodwork can be cleaned carefully with a mixture of 2 parts olive oil to 1 part rubbing alcohol.
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