Extremely Cool Website: Clean & Green

Don't let the oh-so-trendy "green" moniker turn you off of this wonderful site.

In it are loads of tips for how to get your house really clean, using only natural household ingredients.  

Why buy tons of harsh, artificial products at the store (even the "organic" stuff!),  when all you need for a clean house can be found in your everyday cupboard?

I hate the smell of cleaning products, don't you?  Especially the ones that are supposed to smell like flowers.  Doesn't it make sense to clean with the oils and buds of real flowers to get a delicious fragrance?

Have you priced so-called "green" cleaning products at the grocery store or Walmart lately? It's outrageous, what companies are charging for "organic" cleaning products, especially when, with a little help from this site, you see that buying such products is absolutely unnecessary.  The most expensive cleaning items in my cupboard are several bottles of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps in different fragrances: Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Lavender.  A tiny bit goes a long way, and I can't think of anything better to clean a kitchen with than a cloth, hot hot water, and bit of Dr. Bronner's.  (Dr. Bronner's products have been around for 60 years, and he was "organic" long before the Whole Foods crowd decided that they were.)

Cleaning your abode the "clean and green way" WILL save you money! Most of these tips harken back to the "olden days" of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers.  They are frugal, practical, and easy to use.  Many of them are also used all of the time on the BBC program How Clean Is Your House?  There, the cleaning ladies, Kim and Aggie, battle Britain's dirtiest, messiest houses with the same cleaning agents listed below, and they get wonderful results. You will do the same!  I know that I sure did.

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An excerpt:

Here's a collection of my favorite natural cleaning formulas, concoctions and witches brews. MOST are safe and nontoxic, with a few exceptions which are clearly noted. Use the ingredients listed below when making your own alternative cleaners, most are inexpensive and you probably already have many of them in your kitchen cupboards. All can be found at your local supermarket, natural food store or drugstore.

Used individually or combined, these cleaners are safe, effective and cost-efficient.

BAKING SODA (sodium bicarbonate): An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.
BORAX (sodium borate): A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. Please note safety precautions at the bottom of this page.
CASTILE and VEGETABLE OIL BASED SOAPS: Cleans everything
CORNSTARCH: Starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease
HERBS and ESSENTIAL OILS: For disinfecting and fragrance
LEMON JUICE: Cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing.A bleach alternative.
SALT (sodium chloride): An abrasive
TOOTHPASTE A mild abrasive
VINEGAR (acetic acid): Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.
WASHING SODA (sodium carbonate): Cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Increases the cleaning power of soap.

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FYI: "Biological washing powder" is what Americans know as "OxiClean."