The Green Moms Weekly question for this week is “What are some simple tips to go green with your household cleaning?”

LOVE to talk about green cleaning. No really, could talk about it all day long. I do not understand why so many folks rely on mainstream cleaners with their noxious and toxic chemicals. The green stuff works just as well and it is safe for humans and safe for our planet. There is just no reason to buy up most of the stuff you will see in the cleaning isle of your conventional grocery store. NO REASON. And before anyone brings up price I will concede that bottle of mainstream all purpose cleaner “may” cost less than a bottle by Seventh Generation. But you don’t have to buy pricey bottled cleaners at all. Ever heard of vinegar, baking soda, lemons, borax and the like? Yeah, I thought so. Cheap and effective green cleaning for pennies.

Here is what I use in my house:

Vinegar - Words cannot describe how much I love to clean with vinegar. I keep it in a spray bottle under the kitchen sink and I use it all the time. I use it as an all purpose cleaner, floor cleaner, laminate floor cleaner, window and glass cleaner, and I use it as a follow up to baking soda in tubs, sinks, toilets, and showers. AND I also use it as a hair rinse for our No Poo routine. Just recently one of my kids got head lice (the offender shall remain nameless) but we used vinegar daily to dissolve the glue from the nits. We got the lice under quick control and no one else in the house got lice either. How much more amazing could this stuff be?

Baking Soda – A scrubbing powder for grime. I use it in tubs, toilets, showers, sinks, etc. It can also be mixed with essential oils to make a scented scrub. Just put it in a Ball jar, drop in some essential oils such as Tea Tree or Lavender, slap a sprouting lid on top of it for a homemade shaker! This can be used to deodorize carpets as well. Sprinkle and let sit for 20 minutes and then vacuum up.

Essential Oils – Many essential oils have antibacterial properties that make them perfect for cleaning. Plus they make the house smell great. My homemade kitchen floor cleaner is vinegar, water, and tea tree oil. My homemade shampoo is pure castile soap, water, and peppermint oil.

Pure Castile Soap – Safe, natural, and effective. We would be LOST without our big bottles of Dr. Bronners. In addition to adding it to homemade cleaners and shampoo I also use it in my washing machine and to clean my carpets with my SteamVac.

Borax – I use this in my dishwasher coupled with baking soda.

Natural and Green Cleaners to Purchase

I will on rare occasions buy a cleaner. Some of my faves are the Seventh Generation Cleaner with Lemongrass and Thyme that I linked to in the first paragraph and the Cedarwood and Sage Cleaner from Trader Joe’s. I really like both of those and will buy them when the mood strikes me.  I also have some Bio+Green Crystals that you add to water. Those are pretty nifty too. You add the packet to a water bottle and they dissolve (packet and all) and you have a pretty good cleaner at your disposal.

If you need further help I have a FREE green cleaning ebook you can read with homemade cleaner recipes! I made it in 2009 but it is still relevant of course. Pass that link on to anyone you know who may benefit! I also like the book Creating Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule. It is not green per say but it has a great tips about getting it all done in less time.

So what do you use to clean your house? How do you keep it green?

** Read what some of the other Green Moms Weekly do here and here.

In the past few weeks I have already gone over some of the things we can do to avoid getting a sunburn such as covering up or using a safe sunscreen. In addition to those things we also need to be spending some time in the sun unprotected each day… about 10-20 minutes, so that our bodies can absorb Vitamin D. This will help protect us from burning when we spend more time in the sun. A healthy diet will also help prevent burns. Our diet should be rich in healthy fats and foods with Vitamin C, D, E, Carotenoids, and Lycopene. These are sun safety foods.

But what do we do when we end up getting burned anyway? It happens.

Well, there are some natural ways to reduce skin damage and help soothe your irritated skin. You can buy a couple products that claim to soothe sunburned skin but the two front runners.. Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother and Kiss My Face Sun Soother both scored a moderate hazard on EWG’s safety database (5,3). Depending on how rarely you need to use products like these that may be acceptable.. or not. You can also make your own using a couple natural remedies and since the ingredients are so useful to have on hand anyway… why not?

* Take a cool shower, air dry a bit and then rub coconut oil on the burned areas to seal in moisture.

* Hydrate with lots of water and fresh juices and use cool compresses.

* Mix a couple drops of Lavender essential oil with plain yogurt and rub on the affected area.

* Apply cool cucumber slices.

* Apply cooled chamomile tea compresses.

* Spray skin with vinegar and tea tree oil.

* Mix together Aloe Vera, coconut oil, and Vitamin E oil and rub on skin.

* Mix Aloe Vera with about 10 drops of peppermint oil and use a spray bottle to apply to skin.

Aloe Vera is a super powerful healing ingredient, and coconut oil and vitamin E will help moisturize, soothe, and heal. Peppermint and Chamomile help soothe as well. It is best to use products on your skin that you could also eat if you wanted to, organic too.

What do you do to soothe sunburned skin?

One of the first “alternative” healing methods that ever interested me was aromatherapy. I loved the idea that so many plants were actually a powerhouse of amazing properties and that you could use their very essence to tap into healing. The idea that one woman may decide to take a variety of drugs to help with headaches and another may look to flowers and leaves and get better results is kind of intoxicating. Unlike eating a plant or a flower aromatherapy revolves around inhaling the plant essence.

Aromatherapy oils are actually essential oils sourced from plants. You can get them highly concentrated or inside carrier oils where they are diluted. They range from lavender to lemon and everything in between and they offer a number of therapeutic benefits, cleaning help and even health benefits.

Ten Ways  to Add a Little Aromatherapy Magic to Your Home

1. A Homemade Water Diffuser and Room Freshener. Add six to eight drops of your favorite essential oil to a bowl of very hot water. You can then place the bowl on any table or counter where you need it. Another trick is to add the drops to a pan of boiling water or even to your shower. Choose your essential oils based on your mood or need. For example, if you want relaxation, lavender or neroli scents are ideal. If you’re looking to get rid of germs, try the antiseptic qualities of tea tree or juniper berry.

2. Room Deodorizer. Add a few drops of essential oils to water in a spray bottle and keep it handy in rooms that often need freshening, like the bathroom or kitchen. You can also spray freshen linens with lavender spray to help you relax or spray them with ylang ylang to make the mood more sensual.

3. A Closet Freshener. Add a few drops of essential oils to some pieces of cotton or wool cloth and place in drawers or on closet shelves, a little goes a long way. A cloth hankie is perfect for this. Lavender, cedar or sandalwood are nice choices.

4. Heat Diffuser. You can make use of your heating vent by placing a few drops of essential oils on a cotton ball or wool ball and place inside a heating vent or just in front of it. When your furnace kicks on the blower will help spread the scent throughout your home. You can get the same results putting a saucer of water and oils on top of your radiator. This is an easy way to use heat for disbursement without investing in aromatherapy gadgets or special diffusers.

5. Sinus Remedy. If you’re ill or struggling with congestion you can make your own steam inhalation remedy. Place eucalyptus oil, ginger oil, or tea tree oil in hot water. Put a towel over your head and lean over the water to trap the steam and breathe deeply.

6. Refrigerator Deodorizer. Place several drops of orange, mint or lemon oil in a bucket of warm water. With a clean sponge, use the water to clean out your refrigerator.

7. Counter Cleaner. Add lemon, thyme, or eucalyptus oil to equal parts distilled white vinegar and water. Use it to clean your kitchen and bathroom surfaces as you normally would.

8. Light bulb room freshener. Place a drop of your favorite oil on your light bulbs but make sure to do this when the bulbs are cold. When the bulb heats up after you turn it on, it will heat the oil and fill the room with scent. For increased energy and invigoration use grapefruit, peppermint, lemon, or black pepper.

9. Furniture polish. Add four to six drops of lemon essential oil to half a cup of olive oil. With a clean dry rag, use the oil to polish wood furniture.

10. Make aromatherapy compresses. A ginger infused compress can help with sore muscles or the onset of a cold. A chamomile compress works well on sunburns, rashes, sprains, and menstrual cramps.

Essential oils fill your home with fresh and natural scents and the healing powers of the plants they are sourced from. You can be sure you’re providing your loved ones with a safe environment free from harmful chemicals when you use aromatherapy oils to clean and deodorize your home, freshen it up, or comfort life’s bumps and bruises.

Recommended: The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

 If you are looking for a safe, non-toxic cleaner and overall household helper, white vinegar is a near perfect solution. This humble substance can be used in a variety of ways to clean and disinfect your home. I love to fill my sink with hot water, pour in some vinegar and a cloth rag, and give the house a through cleaning. I love the smell and wish it would last longer… it just smells so clean without the smell of noxious chemicals. Here are some ideas for how to use vinegar in your cleaning.

1. Deodorizer

Vinegar can help remove odors from clothes and drains. For drains, pour about 1 cupful of baking soda into the smelly drain. Then pour in about 2 cups of vinegar and leave overnight. In the morning, flush with hot water.

For removing odors from clothes, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda to your laundry. You can add this at the beginning of the wash cycle or during the rinse cycle. This mixture has a fabric-softening effect as well. I also used to add a 1/4 cup to my cloth diaper laundry to remove any lingering smell. Worked like a charm.

2. Drain Clog Remover

In addition to eliminating drain odors, vinegar can help unclog drains. Follow the steps in #1 above. The foaming action dislodges many clogs.

3. Toilet Cleaner

To clean and disinfect your toilet bowl, sprinkle in about a cup of baking soda. Then pour in 2-3 cups of white vinegar. You will find your kids more willing to help you clean if it involves a fizzy toilet! Seriously, they will ask if they can clean the toilet. When the fizzing dies down, use your toilet brush to clean as usual. The vinegar inhibits the growth of mold and mildew as well as killing germs.

4. All-Purpose Spray Cleaner

You don’t need to buy chemical spray cleaners. Just mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 3 cups of water, 10 drops of tea tree oil, a teaspoon of liquid soap, and 15 drops of your favorite essential oil in a 1-quart spray bottle. Use this disinfectant spray on countertops, sinks, floors, and any surface that needs cleaning.

5. Mold Eradicator

Vinegar is effective against mold. Spray your shower with white vinegar and allow it to soak for about 20 minutes. Then scrub and rinse. Add some tea tree oil to the vinegar for even better effectiveness. Spray your shower after each use to prevent mold from forming again.

For a moldy shower curtain, add a quart of vinegar to the washing machine when you wash the curtain.

6. Weed Killer

Pour or spray white vinegar directly onto weeds. Thoroughly wet the leaves and let the vinegar soak into the ground.

7. Window Cleaner

Mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap per cup of water. Spray onto windows and wipe thoroughly, or dip a cloth into a bucket of this solution and wipe. Use a squeegee to scrape off the cleaner.

Many great uses and we’ve only scratched the surface! For more check out Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile, and Very Good Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought Of.

Our new place has wood laminate floors. So far I am not crazy about them… I would much rather have real hardwood floors but it is what it is. They get scuffed easily and they feel so thin it is like walking on vinyl. It is actually a very thin layer of wood with a couple paper layers on top that are printed to look like a wood grain. Then a coating seals the paper.

You can easily strip the top coat and start degrading the paper if you use harsh chemical cleaners and then you have ruined laminate floors. But all the scuffs and visible spots make you want to clean it… a lot! Oily cleaners are a no-no because it collects on the surface and attracts dirt and dust.

I think I have found my system for dealing with these floors and it is no muss no fuss… just the way I like it… green too. Just remember that if you have new laminate floors under warranty you will need to pay attention to their rules but you should be fine.

1. Sweep the loose stuff – I use a good old fashioned broom and dustpan and sweep up crumbs and other loose debris.

2. Fill a small bucket with warm water and add 2-4 tablespoons white vinegar.

3. Take two terry cloths and wet them in the water and vinegar solution. Wring them out and walk across the floor with them with sweeping motions. Scrub scuffs with your toes.

4. After the floor is clean you can let it air dry or take two microfiber towels and walk with them on your feet to dry and dust the floor.

Viola…beautiful floors and the vinegar smell only lasts 15 minutes or so. Another super easy way to clean these floors is to use the Rubbermaid Spray Mop. The spray bottle can be filled with vinegar and water, or any cleaner you want, and the cloth pads are washable. LOVE it!