RAD Services uses green solutions when we clean because they are economic, effective, and non-toxic. We encourage students to do the same. You all may participate by opting for environmentally-friendly and non-toxic cleaning products, “do it yourself” natural cleaning products, and collaborating with your friends in buying the latter in bulk.
With just a little bit of effort, you can make your own cleaners out of natural ingredients. They are also comparatively economic to buying premade cleaners.
Here’s a few to try out:
All-Purpose Cleaner
- 1 2/3 cups baking soda
- 1/2 cup liquid castile soap
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
Mix baking soda and liquid soap with a fork in a bowl. Add water. Add vinegar last. Pour into squeeze bottle; if too thick, add more water. Shake well. Use for a simple clean of the tub, sink, toilet, counter, etc. Scrub and rinse.
Mirror and Window Cleaner
- Club soda
- Spray bottle
Put club soda into a spray bottle. Spray on surface and rub with lint-free cloth or squeegee. Ta-da!
Scouring Powder (can be used for stubborn stains, dirty dishes, soap scum, and anything that is generally gnarly)
- Baking soda
- Liquid castile soap
Wet the area you want to clean, sprinkle baking soda over it and rub with a wet rag. Add soap to the rag if you need more cleaning power. For toilets, sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, add a few drops of soap and scrub!
Oven Cleaner
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 2 Tbsp salt
Hot water
Remove any charred spills and chunks with a non-metallic brush or sponge. Mix baking soda, salt, and enough hot water to make a paste. Apply to oven surfaces and let stand for a few minutes or overnight. Scrub with scouring pad and water. Pick the paste off any oven racks and heating elements! Another good trick is to line the bottom of your stove with aluminum foil.
If these have piqued your interest, here is a printable pdf of these and more recipes.
If you want to go really in-depth with this stuff, here is a comprehensive guide of non-toxic housecleaning methods.
If you want to purchase pre-made cleaners then please take a gander at these resources. They will help you determine which cleaners are actually “green”
Hi there thankyou so very much for your incredible blogs. I appreciate you must definitely go to a tremendous amount of trouble and value it. I know everything ive browsed could very well be very very helpful
Thank you for sharing this useful information with us! I am very interested in this topic! I make almost the same recipe for all-purpose cleaner, except a castile soap but I add 20 drops essential oil. Also, for cleaning the windows I use an infusion of citrus peels. I put them in a jar, fill it with water and store the jar in a dark place. After two weeks I open the jar and the infusion is ready to be used for cleaning. I haven’t cleaned the oven with a natural cleaning product but I’ll try out your recipe. Thank you again for sharing! Best regards!