Alternative Household & Garage Cleaning Products

Aerosols
Air Fresheners and Deodorizers
All Purpose Cleaners
AutoBody Repair Compounds
Carpet and Rug Shampoos
Ceramic Tile Cleaners
Dishwashing Detergents
Dishwashing Liquid
Disinfectants and Germicides
Drain Cleaners
Floor Wax and Strippers
Furniture Polish
Glass Cleaner
Glues
Mothballs
Mold and Mildew
Oven Cleaner
Paint
Paint Strippers
Silver Cleaner
Spot Removers
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Turpentine
Window Cleaner
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Guide to Symbols


Green Alternative is used to indicate "green" alternatives to common household products.

Take Notes means "take note" of the following remarks. They include general information as well as health warnings and usage tips.


Aerosols

Green Alternative Use pump spray or other nonaerosol versions of cleaning and grooming products. For example, use liquid, paste or power oven cleaners; use cream, stick or roll-on deodorants.
Take Note Beyond the hazards of the active ingredients in aerosol spray and the possibility of explosion, the propellants themselves may present a health hazard to the lungs when inhaled.
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Air Fresheners and Deodorizers

Green Alternative Open a window or use an exhaust fan--or do both. Sprinkle baking soda in odor producing areas or set vinegar out in an open dish. Place an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb food orders.
Take Note Air fresheners don't really freshen the air; they deaden our sense of smell or counteract one odor with another.
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All Purpose Cleaners

Green Alternative Mix 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup vinegar, and a handful of baking soda in a bucket of warm water.
Don't use this mixture on wood. Use an oil soap such as Murphy's or Ecover's Floor Soap.
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Carpet and Rug Shampoos

Green Alternative Mix 1/2 cup mild dishwashing detergent with 1 pint of boiling water; let cool. Whip paste into a stiff foam using an electric mixer. Apply to the carpet with a damp sponge. Rub gently. Work in 4x4 foot sections. Wipe off suds with a clean cloth. To rinse, add 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of lukewarm water. Rinse each section and wipe carpet dry as you go. Change rinse solution frequently.
Take Note Clean carpet on a dry, sunny day with windows open to speed drying. Don't soak carpet--it may mildew. Test any shampoo first on an inconspicuous area to prevent discoloration.
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Ceramic Tile Cleaner

Green
Alternative Measure 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup while vinegar and 1 cup ammonia into a bucket. Add 1 gallon of warm water and stir until baking soda dissolves.
Take Note This solution works well as a general multi-purpose cleaner.

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Dishwashing Detergent

Green
Alternative Use sodium hexametaphosphate in place of detergent.
Take Note Sodium hexametaphosphate does not remove dried on food. Never use dishwashing liquid as a substitute. The bubbles can clog the drain and inhibit water spray.
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Dishwashing Liquid

Green Alternative Use a plain liquid soap. Or rub a sponge with bar soap. You can add a few slices of lemon to the water to help cut grease, and make dishes smell like lemon. Sodium hexametaphosphate should be used with hard water, and will reduce the amount of soap needed by half. The dishes will dry spotless.
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Disinfectants and Germicides

Green Alternative Wash items with soap and water, or with borax or sodium carbonate monohydrate (washing soda) and water. Wash large surfaces with a solution of 1/2 cup borax dissolved in one gallon hot water.
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Drain Cleaners

Green Alternative Prevent clogging by covering drains with a screen to keep out grease, food scrapes and hair. To loosen blockage, mix 1 cup each of baking soda and salt, and 1 cup of white vinegar and pour down the drain. Wait 15 minutes. Flush drain thoroughly with boiling water. Use a rubber plunger or plumber's snake if drain is seriously clogged.
Take Note If you use a commercial drain opener that fails to work, you'll be left with a drain clogged filled with a highly caustic compound.
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Floor Wax and Strippers

Green Alternatives To polish linoleum and vinyl floors: mix one part thick, boiled starch with one part soap suds. Rub mixture on floor, and polish dry with a clean, soft, dry cloth. To remove old wax: pour a small amount of club soda on section of floor. Scrub well; let soak for a few minutes and wipe clean.
Take Note People who are sensitive to fumes and odors have been known to suffer headaches or other discomfort after exposure to fresh floor wax.
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Furniture Polish

Green Alternatives Use olive oil, or beeswax and olive oil. Or mix 2 teaspoons lemon oil and 1 pint mineral oil in a spray bottle.
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Glass Cleaner

Green Alternative Mix equal amounts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle.
Take Note Chemical cleaners can leave a residue behind which will cause streaking if a water and vinegar solution is used. Rub the windows with rubbing alcohol before washing.
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Mothballs

Green Alternative Place cedar chips or sprigs or dried tansy around clothes or store clothes in a cedar chest.
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Mold and Mildew Cleaners

Green Alternative Mix borax and water, or water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray on and wipe off. Borax also inhibits mold growth, so you might consider washing with a borax solution without without rinsing it off. Also, try drying mold out using a hair dryer. If mold is all over the room, try leaving a small portable heater on all night (with the door closed). Finally, make sure to provide ventilation and allow wet things to completely dry.
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Oven Cleaner

Green ALternative Wipe away grease and spills after preparing each meal. Wipe away charred spills with a nonmetallic metal brush. To remove baked-on grease and spills, scrub with a baking soda, salt and water paste. Or sprinkle with dry baking soda and scrub with a damp cloth after 5 minutes. (Don't let baking soda touch wires or heating elements.) Scour racks and burner inserts with steel wool.
Take Note Aerosol oven cleaners are among the worst contributors to indoor air pollution. People with asthma, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory problems are particularly susceptible to fumes of strong oven cleaners. No matter how thoroughly you try to rinse these cleaners, a residue remains that beings to emit additional fumes the minute you heat the oven again.
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Paint

Green Alternative Use water based paint whenever possible. Seal all paint cans with a tight fitting lid.
Take Note Ingredients in oil based paint may cause flu-like symptoms when inhaled.
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Paint Strippers, Glues, Adhesives, Turpentine, Varnish Lacquers, Autobody Repair Compounds

Green Alternative Use outdoors or in a very large room with a steady current of dry (not humid) air. Ventilate well. Open all windows and doors, and use a large exhaust fan to blow fumes out. Wear a paper filter dust mask when grinding or sanding. Use a dust attachment cleaner, not a broom. Don't soak brushes in solvents. Clean them immediately and soak them in plain water or soap and water. Always wear protective goggles, gloves and a work apron. Separate work area apart from living space as much as possible.
Take Note Solvents used in furniture refinishing can cause headaches, drowsiness, blurred vision, impaired motor response, and chemical intoxication. Paint solvents are of particular concern to people with heart conditions and those who wear contact lenses because methanol and certain other compounds can stress the heart, and contact lenses absorb strong vapors and hold them against the eyes, causing irritation or eye damage.
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Silver Cleaners

Green ALternative Pour water into aluminum or enameled pan with aluminum foil covering the bottom. Fill to a depth of 2-3 inches (enough to cover silver with water). Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt, heat until water boils. Add tarnished silver and boil for 3 minutes. Remove silver, wash in soapy water, and polish dry. (Not for use on silver jewelry or flatware with hallow handles.)
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Spot Removers

Green Alternatives For butter, coffee, gravy or chocolate stains: immediately sponge up or scrape off as much as possible. Dab with a cloth dampened with a solution of 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 1 quart cold water. For stains that have set, try a dab of full- strength white vinegar. Or put paper towels underneath to blot, and apply a solution of equal parts ammonia and water. (If an ammonia stain remains, blot it with a solution of table salt in water.)
Take Note Taking care of spots immediately, with nontoxic compounds avoids a trip to the dry cleaners. Commercial dry cleaning agents such as perchloroethylene and tetrachlroethylene may cause light-headedness, dizziness and other central nervous system symptoms.
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Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Green Alternative Pour 1/2 cup liquid chlorine bleach into toilet bowl. Let stand for at least 30 minutes, scrub with long handled brush and flush.
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Window Cleaners

Green Alternative Measure 3 tablespoons ammonia, 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 3/4 cup water into a clean spray bottle.
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