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Cleaning without Chemicals
by Wil Wood

Trendy Environmental Warrior, if you are like me, somewhere in your past you have a vague memory of what happens when you decide to go on a cleaning craze...without proper ventilation. (And if you aren't like me, you must have a child.) Chemicals in cleaners are deadly to germs, but are deadly to you and your earth as well. Luckily, your kitchen should already have what you need to get the job done.

Vinegar—the wonder cleaner. It is amazing how many things you can clean with a simple combination of water, white vinegar, and a spray bottle. Clean your toilet bowls, your counters, your showers, and your fridges—it doesn’t matter. This is your all-purpose cleaner.
Salt for Scrubbing. Need a little power in your scrubbing, add salt to your mixtures. Salt not only helps with pulling off grime from shower tiles, but it also works as a polish and stain remover. Just remember, the key to using salt is scrubbing.
Baking Soda, The true sidekick. Baking Soda works just like vinegar, a multipurpose cleaner that will remove odors. Sprinkle the baking soda on the smelly mess and wipe away with water works for most anything. If you need more power, turn the soda into a paste by adding water.
Washing Soda (I mean Borax). This is the most powerful of the list. It is still considered to be a green cleaner, but it is a skull and crossbones kind of product-—so be careful what you clean with it. Cut down grease by using it to clean in the oven, defeat mold and mildew on your outdoors items, and clean bathroom tile without scratching surfaces. Remember, with Borax, less is more.
Toothpaste, not just for your mouth. Toothpaste knows how to fight your scuffs and stains. A damp cloth and toothpaste with some old fashion scrubbing will clean crayon off walls, solve all your shoe whitening problems, and even get rid of stains on carpet.
Lemon Juice, for a nicer scent. If you haven't noticed, most cleaners have a scent of lemon. Lemons smell delicious and also work as an antibacterial. Freshen up your drains and clean your copper with lemon juice. If you can’t stand the smell of vinegar, add lemon to your mixtures for some extra power and some citrus smell.
Tea Tree Oil. (Whatever that is) Run down to your local drug store or health food store and pick up a small bottle of Tea Tree Oil. Just two teaspoons of oil with two cups of water is the way you fight mold--from mold on the walls to mold on you laundry. Mold will be dead and gone with in days.
Hydrogen Peroxide: the slow anti-everything machine. This solution is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-whatever. Add a cup of peroxide to a gallon of water to use as your floor cleaner, your toilet cleaner, and yet again, your shower cleaner.
Everybody needs water! Surprise! Have you noticed every item on this list has required water? Maybe this is a cop out, but water is going on the list. Water is away to dilute all the solutions you are using and mixing, so if you need more cleaner with less power—just add h2o.
Everything's better with Vodka. The last on the list, and probably the one that is best for the whole cleaning experience. Get your glass and porcelain to shine and scrub a bit of vodka against some mold--and poof! Of course the best use for vodka is a relaxing drink after going through all these green cleaning tips.

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