Green Bathroom Cleaning Recipes
Everyone knows that the bathroom is a dirty place. There are a host of
chemicals that are often used for cleaning it and making sure that we
get rid of all the bad things that so easily show up there (bacteria,
water stains, soap scum, mold, and mildew). However, these chemicals
are expensive and worse they are bad for our health, the health of our
families, and even the environment. There are less expensive, all
natural, and completely safe options for cleaning your bathroom. They
work just as well or better then the expensive, dangerous, store bought
varieties and they are easy to make and use!
A Note About "Green" Store Bought Options.
Recent
times have brought about a variety of cleaners that are labeled
"natural" and "green". These options are sold under a variety of names
and more and more companies are offering them. However, these cleaning
supplies aren't really safe for you, your family, or the environment.
Rather they are "safer" or "greener" then the original varieties. If
this is the option that you choose you will spend more for a product
that isn't really a good option for the environment or your family.
Considering making your own is the best option!
All Purpose Cleaner.
You
can make an all purpose cleaner that really can be used everywhere. It
is made from all natural ingredients and is safe for use all over the
bathroom (and even next to your food or to clean your dishes!). To make
it you will want to get a brand new spray bottle (don't reuse spray
bottles, instead pick them up new at the dollar store). Fill the bottle
about half way with water. Using distilled water (or water you boil on
the stove) will make it more likely to last forever, though I make my
cleaner in a gallon jug and have never had a problem with it. For most
spray bottles this is about one cup of water. To that you will want to
add three cups of distilled white vinegar. Then add about two
tablespoons of lemon juice. To finish your all purpose cleaner you will
want to add five to ten drops of your favorite essential oil. I mix
spearmint and rosemary together for a wonderful scent, though citrus
scents work well especially with the lemon juice.
This cleaner
works really well for most messes. Spray down the sink, the tub, even
the toilet if you wish with it and clean as you normally would. You can
also use it to spray down the floor and wipe it up leaving your floors
looking clean. Because of the vinegar and the lemon juice this cleaner
naturally kills germs including bacteria and viruses. So go ahead and
spray down the knobs and other hands on locations as well!
Listerine Toilet Cleaner.
While
all purpose cleaner can be used to clean the toilet, it won't get rid
of water stains and isn't your most powerful option. You can use
Listerine mouth wash as a very effective toilet cleaner. To use it mix
1 part water and 1 part Listerine in a spray bottle (or fill your
Listerine bottle with water when you reach about the half way mark).
You can then spray the toilet down or slosh it up around the rim of the
bowl right from the Listerine bottle (probably not a good idea to use
it for the toilet bowl and then for your mouth again since it will need
to get close to the toilet). Listerine kills germs of all sorts and is
also good for getting rid of a wide variety of stains. Plus it will
leave the bathroom smelling great and you can choose your own scent
based on their flavors.
Powerful Tub Cleaning Option.
Your
all purpose cleaner makes a great tub cleaner, but on those days when
the tub is really dirty, greasy, or dealing with hard soap scum it is a
good idea to give it a boost. To do this sprinkle the tub with baking
soda. Then spray it down with the all purpose cleaner and scrub as you
normally would. The baking soda will make a creamy paste that is great
for scrubbing with and will help get up the nastiest of messes.
Floor Cleaner.
You
actually have a lot of different options for cleaning your floors. You
can use your all purpose cleaner. You can also use plain vinegar. If
you don't like the smell of vinegar (and really, who does) then add a
few drops of essential oil to the vinegar and let it sit for 24 hours.
The oil will give the vinegar a better smell. You have two other
options. You can add one full cap full of Listerine or one cup of
hydrogen peroxide to your mop water and clean your floors using it. Any
of these options will produce clean floors that aren't sticky, have no
residue, have less bacteria, and are clean without the expense or
chemicals of other cleaners!
Mirrors.
The most common
recommendation for homemade glass and mirror cleaner is to mix one part
water with one part vinegar. This definitely works, but you can't add
essential oils to it because they will cause streaks. Therefore if you
dislike the smell of vinegar then you need a different option. For that
different option take one part water and one part lemon juice. Add two
tablespoons of vinegar and shake. Wash your mirrors with it. If you
want an easy streak free finish then use newspaper as your drying
medium. It will make sure there are no streaks and won't leave lint or
dust behind.
Mold and Mildew.
Because mold and
mildew are problems in the bathroom they deserve their own section. To
kill mold and mildew you will want to use one of two products. The
first is Listerine in a spray bottle (one part water and one part
Listerine). The second is one part hydrogen peroxide and one part water
(you can add essential oils if you wish, tea tree oil and chamomile are
examples that will help to kill mold, mildew, and bacteria). Both of
these products will work and in my experience they work equally well.
Spray down the area and use a small brush to scrub up the mold or
mildew. It may still leave a stain behind, especially on caulking and
grout. It is important to catch it as early as possible because of
this. It should be noted that hydrogen peroxide can bleach items,
especially fabrics. Therefore be careful with this product.
All
of these natural cleaning options are safe for your family. They are
effective at getting the job done. They don't hurt the environment.
They are inexpensive. Plus they kill germs and many of them even smell
great or have the potential to smell great. They are also easy to make.
So greening your cleaning routine can happen all over the house,
including in the bathroom.
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Comments
One of the biggest health hazards in the bathroom is a moldy shower curtain, which releases harmful spores that are breathed in. This article is good: the more you can prevent in the first place, the better off you are. To keep the shower curtain clean and mold free, I use the air-it-out shower hook. It's basically a suction cup device that holds the shower curtain off of the tub siding, letting air circulate to prevent moisture and mold. www.air-it-out.weebly.com is where I found it. Hope this helps!
Some of these natural solutions are marvelous. I am going to make and try your general purpose cleaner with water, lemon juice, vinegar, and maybe the essential oil. And, what a great way to save money. Vinegar can be had by the gallon for a very reasonable cost. This was a very good article. Thank you.
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