Have you ever looked at your shelf of cleaning powders, aerosols, liquids, gels, oils and wondered, do I really need all these? Perhaps you’ve asked yourself, is it even wise to use such a variety of chemicals when I don’t know their long-term effects on the environment or my body.

With cancers showing up in epidemic proportions and allergies on the rise, we do well to look for places we can make changes. One change that’s easy and inexpensive is to return to old-fashioned and environmentally kind cleaning products. In fact, with only four – baking soda, borax, salt and vinegar – you’re well on your way to a green cleaning shelf. Let’s take a closer look at these four things and discover how they can solve almost any cleaning problem.

Baking soda  or sodium bicarbonate occurs naturally in mineral springs but can also be made artificially. While you are probably most familiar with its use in food preparation, it has medical uses (as an antacid for example), absorbs moisture and odors, and is gently abrasive.

Borax or sodium borate – a naturally occurring alkaline mineral – is a white powder of soft, colorless crystals that easily dissolve in water. It is a component of detergents, a fire retardant and an insecticide that kills ants and fleas. It also softens water, deodorizes and disinfects. Though borax gives off no toxic fumes and has a reputation of being safe for the environment, it can irritate the skin and should not be ingested.

Salt, or sodium chloride is mined from rock salt deposits or recovered from evaporated brine. Though you may know it best as a flavoring for food, it is also used as a de-icer for winter roads, a water softener, and is an important ingredient in manufacturing many things, from textiles to leather shoes. It inhibits the growth of bacteria making it a natural preservative and a home remedy for infections.

Vinegar (main ingredient acetic acid) is made when the ethanol from a liquid containing alcohol (wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice etc.) is oxidized. Its main household use is in food preparation and as a condiment. Medically, scientific studies have showed it is effective to hasten a feeling of fullness when dieting, as a treatment for high cholesterol and a soother for some stings. It is also useful as a cleaner for glass and other surfaces.

Put Baking Soda, Borax, Salt and Vinegar on Cleaning Duty

Now let’s go through your house to see how you can put baking soda, borax, salt and vinegar to work for you.

- Odors:

~ Rugs and carpets: to absorb odors sprinkle baking soda 20 minutes before vacuuming.

~ Room deodorizer: Slice an orange in half, remove the pulp and fill the rind with salt for an aromatic room freshener.

~ Garbage cans: Sprinkle bottoms of garbage cans with baking soda to absorb odors.

~ Litter boxes: Sprinkle bottom of box with baking soda before spreading litter on top to absorb odors.

- Cleaning Solutions:

~ Window cleaner: mix vinegar with water in concentrations of one cup vinegar to one to four cups of water. If the window seems streaky after shining, add ½ tsp. liquid soap. This will remove the waxy residue left by commercial cleaners.

~ All-purpose Cleaner 1: place a mixture of half vinegar, half water in a spray bottle. Use this for countertops, windows, woodwork, mirrors, bathtubs and showers.

~ All-purpose Cleaner 2: 1 quart water, ½ cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice or 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol.

- Metals:

~ Wipe chrome with apple cider vinegar, then rinse.

~Wipe stainless cookware and copper-clad pots with a mixture of several tablespoons of vinegar mixed with a little salt.

~ Rub tarnished silver and copper with baking soda.

~Dissolve baking soda in a large container of warm water. Place tarnished silver in the water touching a piece of aluminum foil.

~ Remove rust from tools, skate blades, bicycle chains, handlebars, spokes etc. by making a paste with salt and 1 tbsp. vinegar (or lemon juice). Apply the paste to rust spots with a dry cloth and rub.

- Drains: Unclog by pouring ¼ cup baking soda into the drain. Follow with ½ cup vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes, then pour a kettle full of boiling water to flush.

- Vases: make a paste with 1/3 cup salt and 2 tbsp. vinegar. Apply to the inside of the vase (double or triple the recipe if it’s a large vase) and let stand for 20 minutes. Discard paste and scrub.

- Furniture: Polish furniture with a mixture of 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. white vinegar and 4 cups water.

- Silk flowers: Place dusty silk flowers in a large bag with 1 cup salt and shake vigorously.

LAUNDRY

- Clothes etc.: add ½ cup borax to each laundry load to remove spots and brighten colors.

Add ¼ cup baking soda  or ½ cup vinegar to the final rinse to soften clothes.

- Stains:

~ Remove grease stains with borax.

            ~ Remove Juice, wine and coffee stains with baking soda.

KITCHEN

- Garbage disposal: Pour ½ cup salt into the garbage disposal unit, then run it according to manufacturer’s directions to get rid of bad odors.

- Oven: Make a paste of ½ cup salt, 1½ cup baking soda, ½ cup water. Spread the paste on the dirty surfaces and leave on overnight. In the morning place a  mixture of ¼ cup vinegar and ¼ cup water in a spray bottle and spray treated surfaces. Wipe off and rinse thoroughly to get rid of all white residue.

- Microwave oven: Place bowl with ¼ cup vinegar and 2 cups water in the oven and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Leave for another 3 minutes then remove bowl and wipe down inside of microwave with damp cloth.

- Wooden cutting boards: Sprinkle a liberal amount of salt on smelly cutting boards, rub lightly then wash in soapy water.

- Dishwasher: Place 1 cup vinegar in an empty dishwasher and run it through its wash cycle to remove mineral build-up and odor.

- Coffee pots: Clean with a mixture of white vinegar and water.

- Smelly hands: Dip a cut lemon wedge in salt, rub it on your hands, then rinse with water.

BATHROOM

- Toilet bowls: Clean with ½  cup borax in a gallon of water.

- Mildew: Scrub with borax or baking soda.

- Grout: Mix 3 cups baking soda with 1 cup warm water. Scrub into the grout then rinse thoroughly.

Scouring Powders:

~ Use baking soda as a scouring powder. It may take more scrubbing but it won’t scratch surfaces.

~ Make a scouring slurry by mixing ¼ cup borax and ¼ cup baking soda with 1½ cups hot water.

- Combs and brushes: Rid of residue by wash with baking soda in water. Rinse well.

If all that cleaning has left you with tired, sore feet, celebrate the end of the day with a salt water foot bath. Mix ¼ cup salt and ¼ cup baking soda into 1½ gallons of warm water. Soak feet for up to 15 minutes. (This may not be suitable for people with diabetes or circulation problems.)

If you are environmentally minded, you might like the opportunity to green your workplace with a few simple changes.  While the changes that you make might be small, they can make a positive difference on the environment. If your company wants to go green but is not able to accomplish on their own, check out IJCSA Green Cleaning Directory to find the true, certified professionals that will be happy to provide guidence.