It’s April! It’s that month where we get our green bearings about us and remember that we can take care of Earth and take care of our homes at the same time! We’ve put together a few natural cleaning methods below from here or there.  We’d also love your input – share with your community!

Lemons

• a natural deodorizer, slice up a few and place them around the room.  It will be lemon-fresh in no time! (This works best for smaller spaces.
• Use lemon halves to refresh your cutting boards and wooden spoons!
• Toss lemon peels or sections into your garbage disposal to freshen it up!
• Sink & tub cleaner! – sprinkle baking soda on area to be cleaned and use half a lemon as the scrubbing surface (cut side)!

Salt

• You can use salt to remove baked on food from pans or plates.  For pans and plates – sprinkle salt on the baked-on mess prior to washing.  Dampen and allow to sit. Wash away a little bit later!
• Clean your glass coffee pot with some ice cubes, salt and vinegar – swish it around to help loosen those stains.
• Try to open a semi-clogged drain with the following: 1 cup of salt, 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar.  Let it sit for 10-15 minutes then rinse with hot water.
• Quickie drink cooler. Ok, not cleaning, but oh so important, and I can thank Mythbusters for this one.  Add a generous amount of salt to a bucket of ice and submerge your tasty beverage in the ice/salt mixture –  it will cool much quicker.

Baking Soda

• Clean your fruits and veggies with  a few tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in water
• Deodorize your dishwasher by sprinkling in 1/2 cup of baking soda between loads
• Apply a paste of equal parts baking soda to water, to help breakdown grease and absorb odors of mild stains
• Make cleaning your microwave a breeze by putting a solution of 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 cup of water in the microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes.  Follow up by wiping down the interior with a damp cloth.
• Rub down stainless steel with a sprinkling of baking soda and a damp sponge or cloth for a nice shine!
• No magic eraser around?  Grab a damp rag and dip in baking soda – then rub the crayon marks right off the walls!
• Deodorize rugs and carpets – sprinkle a little baking soda onto your rug or carpet.  Allow to sit for a few minutes, then vacuum it up!

Vinegar

• Use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water for a versatile household cleaning solution! I use this on counter tops, sinks, stove tops, refrigerators, blinds – even floors! Use it full-strength for ultra-cleaning.
• Use diluted vinegar (see above) to remove mildew stains.  For tough stains, use undiluted.
• Use diluted vinegar to remove stickers, decals and price tags
• An alternative to the baking soda method of cleaning your microwave, consider this – mix 1/4 cup of vinegar to 1 cup of water, place container in microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes.  Once mixture cools, use it to wipe down the interior of the microwave.
• Another way to clean up cutting boards – wipe down with full-strength vinegar!
• Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener and to help whiten whites in the laundry.

*photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu / Photo credit: Chris Greer www.chrisgreer.com