Lawn & Garden

One of the best ways to be safer in your home is to use safer alternatives to commercial cleaners whenever possible. There are many time-honored recipes and suggestions to help you make the switch toward safer household products. Ingredients followed by instructions guide you through an array of easy-to-make, easy-to-use safer alternatives. Some ingredients recommended as alternatives are safer but not non toxic and are noted by an asterisk (*).

Air Fresheners

Most commercial air fresheners do not freshen the air at all. Instead, they mask one odor with another, coat your nasal passages with an undetectable oil film, or diminish your sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent. For a safer alternative, you may wish to try one of the following:

· VentilationOpen windows or doors in the house for at least a short period every day. This will also help to reduce toxic fumes that may be building up indoors.

· VinegarDistribute partially filled saucers of vinegar around the room or boil one tablespoon of white vinegar in one cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors.

· Cinnamon & ClovesBoil these spices for a fragrant smell. For ease of cleaning, make a cheesecloth bag to contain the spices, and boil the cheesecloth bag. An excellent alternative when entertaining is to steep spiced
tea or cider.

· PotpourriBuy or make your own potpourri from your favorite herbs and spices. Place the potpourri in a small basket or jar or in small sachet bags.

Kitchen & Food Odors

· Vanilla*Place pure vanilla on a cotton ball in a small saucer. Place the saucer in the car or refrigerator to remove odors. It is highly recommended to remove even skunk odors. Keep the cotton ball out of reach of children; vanilla has a high alcohol content.

· Baking SodaPlace a partially filled saucer of baking soda on the refrigerator shelf. Replace every two months and when you do, pour the contents of the used box down the drain to remove odors and keep the drain clean. Baking soda can also be used to deodorize bottle by filling them with undiluted baking soda and allowing the bottles to soak overnight. Then wash as usual.

· Borax*Empty the garbage frequently and clean the can as needed. To inhibit growth of odor-producing molds and bacteria, sprinkle one-half cup Borax in the bottom of the garbage can.

· Vinegar or Celery StalkTo avoid or remove onion odors from your hands, rub white vinegar on your hands before and after slicing. Rubbing hands with the end of a celery stalk will also remove the odor.

Cleaners

· All Purpose CleanerMix vinegar and salt together for a good surface cleaner. Another useful cleaner
is baking soda. Dissolve four tablespoons baking soda in one quart warm water. You can also use baking soda on a damp sponge to clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

· Carpet & Rug CleanerIf you plan to shampoo your carpet, first try a pre-cleaning treatment. Sweep the carpet, which will make the nap stand up and loosen the imbedded din. Next vacuum. with this work alone, the rug should show a noticeable improvement, so much in fact that you may decide to delay the shampooing. To neutralize odors use Borax* and cornmeal. Sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of one cup Borax and two cups cornmeal. Let this mixture stand for an hour before vacuuming. Another alternative is baking soda. Making certain that the carpet is dry, sprinkle baking soda liberally over the entire carpet. Wait at least 15 minutes, or overnight if the odor is particularly bad, before vacuuming.

· Decal RemoverUse vinegar to remove no-slip decals from the bathtub. Saturate a sponge or cloth and squeeze hot vinegar over the decals. Vinegar also removes stick-on hooks from pointed walls. Saturate a cloth or sponge with vinegar and squeeze the liquid behind the hook so that the vinegar comes in contact with the adhesive. In addition, vinegar can be used to remove price tags and other decals, from glass, wood, and china. Paint the label or decal with several coats of white
vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in and after several minutes the decal can be rubbed off.

· Disinfectant SoapRegular cleaning with plain soap and hot water will kill some bacteria. A key element to preventing bacteria is to keep things dry. Mold, mildew and bacteria cannot live without moisture. Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix one-half cut Borax into one gallon hot water and clean with this solution. Isopropyl Alcohol* is also an excellent disinfectant, sponge with it and allow to dry (it must dry to do its job). Use in a well-ventilated area and
wear gloves.

· Drain Cleaners & Drain OpenersTo avoid clogging drains, use a drain strainer to trap food particles and hair; collect grease in cans rather than pouring it down the drain; pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain weekly to melt fat that may be building up in the drain; or weekly put some vinegar and baking soda down your drain to break down fat and keep your drain smelling fresh. A time-honored drain opener is the plunger. This
inexpensive tool will usually break up the clog and allow it to float away. It may take more than a few plunges to unclog the drain. Do not use this method after any commercial drain opener has been used or is still present in the standing water. Another way to avoid clogs is to use baking soda and vinegar. Pour one-half cup baking soda down the drain. Add one-half cup white vinegar and cover the drain if possible. The combination of baking soda and vinegar can break down fatty acids into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.

Information for this article was provided by the Michigan State University Extension.

* Safer ingredients, but not non toxic.

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