Before I dive into today’s post I’d like to take a moment to say thank you to Java at Never Growing Old. Every week I join her blog hop and discover wonderful new blogs. She generously offers the chance to be randomly selected as a featured blogger . I am thrilled to have the coveted spot this week. Please stop by Java’s blog you’ll be glad you did. Don’t forget to tell her I sent you .
Okay now on to today’s post!
I know most of you have probably started and finished your spring cleaning by now. But, I’m just a little slow out of the gate this year. With the weather being so uncooperative it’s been difficult to get into spring cleaning mode.
But this weekend it’s happening!
Spring cleaning means different things to everyone. To me it means, washing down the patio furniture and cleaning the windows. Taking care of a few of the things around the house that otherwise went unnoticed during our winter hibernation.
The windows are a big deal to me. Don’t you just love having the windows sparkling clean after the winter. Being able to see clearly through them to view all of the lovely flowers in the garden is a must. I love watching the birds to as they enjoy the endless ” all you can eat” buffet I provide for them regularly.
In our home we try and limit the use of chemical based cleaning products. Today I’m sharing with you some simple alternatives that work really well. I hope you’ll give one, or some, of them a try.
Baking Soda – Cleans and deodorizes. It’s also a good scouring powder, but it can scratch so be careful where you us it.
Liquid detergent – Biodegrades safely and most are completely non-toxic.
White Vinegar -or Lemon Juice – Cuts grease and freshens.
Washing Soda-( sodium carbonate) Cuts grease and removes stains. You will find it in the laundry section of your market ( I prefer arm and hammer)
Window Cleaner
1/4-1/2 tsp of dawn (or other liquid detergent)
3 Tbsp vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle
Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use it just like you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. Be sure to pick a cloudy day to wash the windows of wait for window to be in the shade. If it’s too sunny, the cleaning solution will dry too fast and you’ll have streaks. I use a washable microfiber cloth to wipe with, But the old newspaper page works well too ( just crumble a few pages into a loose ball and wipe. A squeegee is great too!
All Purpose Spray Cleaner
1/2 tsp washing soda (sodium carbonate)
A dollop ( about a tsp) of dawn (liquid detergent)
2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.
Creamy Scrub
Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough dawn (liquid detergent) to make a paste. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is also a great way to clean your bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave a gritty residue. Just make as much as you need at a time, it doesn’t store well.
A little dab of olive oil on a microfiber cloth is a great furniture polish too.
Great tips Katherine!
I have chemical allergies so I use these products to clean all the time. I’ve never tried the ‘creamy scrub’ before ~ but I sure will!!
xo Catherine
Thank you so much for this list! I am forwarding this link to my mom. She uses baking soda and vinegar (not together!) for everything… good to know she can use other things too! 😉
Thank you for the good tips on Spring cleaning. I will try some of these cleaners.
Great tips. I am following your Twitter page. I try to do as much as I can so my wife doesn’t have to. Now, I can be a bit “greener.”
All my best,
Clayton
http://www.claytonpaulthomas.com
twitter: @claylauren2001
Visiting from Java’s. Great blog! Thanks for the tips. We have those old storm windows and I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never cleaned some of them–in the 5 years we’ve lived here. Some are too high and others are just too hard to get to. I keep hoping that if they get dirty enough, my husband will finally agree to get new tilt-in ones!
I love making my own cleaners! It saves so much money and is environmentally friendly – win/win!
Thank you for visiting my blog.
xo,
Sarah
Great tips! I think I found you on the blog hop too, I just love finding new awesome blogs. We’re huge fans of Simple Green in our house for everything because it’s safer than so many other chemicals. It’s really good to see a whole list of alternatives! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing these recipes Katherine!
I’ve used baking soda & vinegar before for some cleaning, works great!
I’m going to try the creamy scrub, my shower need a good scrubbing!
Have a lovely weekend!
Because I’m chemically sensitive, I’m a huge fan of baking soda and vinegar.
I love going green!
Thanks for these great cleaning solution recipes and for your kind comment and visit to my blog. Hope you have a terrific weekend. xx Happy Mother’s Day
My pleasure, I enjoyed my visit to your lovely blog. Hugs
Congrats on the #2 spot over at Java’s!! 🙂 Love this post, I did one like it a while back about my grandmothers cupboard, no fancy cleaning supplies there. My favorite that she did was to let her sponge soak in salt water over night, it never got that stale smell and was always clean. She never used soap in her window mix so I will have to try this, sounds like it would work even better. Thanks so much for the great info! I am a new follower now and look forward to reading more great stuff. Have a great weekend!!
Oh thank you so much. I was so tickled. Thank you for hopping over. Hugs!
OOOOH….I just love this. Never tried any of these and like you, I need to do some spring cleaning. Seems like a good opportunity to give some of these tips a try! Thanks! Have a wonderful weekend! Love the new button by the way.
Thank you Mitzi, smooches!
I’ve just barely gotten started with my spring cleaning. Lol. But I do love to use natural cleansers…other than it being good for the planet, it’s healthier for my family and kinder on my sinuses! Have a great weekend, Katherine!:)
Thank you Christina, you are so sweet. Big Hugs!
New follower from the blog hops! Thanks for sharing these green cleaning tips!
Welcome Elaine, I’m following you too 🙂
Excellent tips! I haven’t started mine yet… As much as I love it when it’s all done, I dread the whole spring cleaning thing. These cleansers might just make it a tad more tolerable. I bet the house would smell really fresh and clean too, especially if you use the lemon juice!
I’m following from Java’s hop. I’d love to have you stop by and say hello sometime. Have an amazing weekend!
~Mrs B
Mrs. B the lemon scent is wonderful, truly smells great. Hugs!
Lemon juice works great on grills!
Thank you for adding that sweet Alex. Hugs!
What great tips! Thanks!…And Happy Spring Cleaning to you! 🙂
thank you my friend. Hugs!
Awwww this was so sweet! Thank you Katherine! I am so glad you were selected!
Happy Happy weekend!!!
Hugs.
Java
hugs right back atcha!
These make excellent cleansers, are low cost, and no chemical fumes! Thanks for sharing.
my pleasure, yes, cheap, cheap. They all work great too. Hugs
Thank you for all the tips and recipes. I love making my own cleansers.
Linda
Thank you Linda, I hope you found some useful info. xo
Some really good housekeeping tips there Katherine about using natural products. I always try to do this as much as I can. I suffer from skin problems, and I’m sure all these chemicals in everything do us no good whatsoever. Have a good weekend!
Thank you my sweet friend. Hags!