What ARE Green Cleaning Products?

By George Chappell

What are green cleaning products? They are cleaning products that are safe for not only you, but for the environment as well. These cleaners should include products that are not petroleum based, do not have any harsh chemicals such as bleach or ammonia, and are completely biodegradable. They can also be packaged using recycled materials, and there are many companies that provide safer cleaning products that give back to the environment.

But many green cleaning products can be found around the house, and used for many different applications. One of the most environmentally friendly found in almost any households is vinegar. Not only can it be used directly on a variety of surfaces, but it cleans naturally, and you can change the smell just by adding lemon or orange juice to give off a pleasant fragrance.

Here are just some of the green cleaning products that you can make at home for little or no money at all. For really good all purpose cleaning products, try mixing a quarter cup of baking soda, or 2 teaspoons of Borax, with ½ cup of simple white vinegar, and combining this with a half a gallon of water. This can be kept and used for a variety of different applications, including cleaning chrome faucets in bathrooms, and kitchen areas. It can clean windows, and even take off hard water stains on a variety of different surfaces.

Instead of using harsh cleaning products on carpets stains, try mixing equal quantities of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray it on the stain, wait for at least ten minutes, then clean with soapy water. The stain should come up very easily. Did you know that vinegar can even be used to kill weeds in your lawn and garden? It has been used for years to fight a variety of different things, including eliminating mold and mildew. Using bleach for mold only cleans the surface, only natural mold killing enzymes can completely stop mold from growing.

For green cleaning products to help keep drains clear, use a half a cup of salt in a gallon of water, heat it up just under boiling and pour it down the drain. If that doesn't work, you can also pour half a cup of baking soda, and an equal amount of vinegar directly down the drain. This chemical reaction with break up any build up inside the pipes, then rinse with warm water. If you have used a commercial drain opener, then never use any vinegar shortly after, the toxic fumes can make you pass out.

There are many other different green cleaning agents that can be used. Baking soda can not only be used as natural abrasive cleaning products but can also be used in refrigerators as an odor eliminator. You can use baking soda mixed with lemon juice to clean all sorts brass or bronze items, and can even be added to your laundry for a natural stain fighter. It can be used as a paste for tougher stains before your wash as well. You can find these and all sorts of helpful tips and information about cleaning products that are all natural on the internet.

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