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A basic rule of green cleaning your house is to use as little detergent as possible. Baking soda and vinegar are two all-purpose solutions used to houseclean the green way. You can find a green approach to cleaning just about everything in the home. Assess your cleaning supplies and resolve to replace each one with a greener version the next time it needs replacing.
Baking soda is a mild abrasive that's pretty much a wonder cleaner. (You can get large quantities of baking soda at hardware stores.) Use it as you would an abrasive cleaning powder.
Following are some ways to use baking soda as a cleaning agent:
- Brighten up taps and other chrome fittings with water mixed with a little baking soda.
- Clean worktops, appliances, and other surfaces with a small amount of baking soda on a damp cloth.
- Clean your fridge inside and out with a solution of 3 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water. Wipe it all over the fridge with a damp cloth.
- Clean the inside of your oven by moistening the walls with a damp cloth, sprinkling baking soda on the surfaces, and leaving it for an hour before wiping it off with a cloth. (If oven stains are too stubborn, try an oven cleaner that contains as few chemicals as possible.)
- Soak dirty pots and pans in a basin of hot water with 2 or 3 tablespoons of baking soda for about an hour. Then scrub them clean with an abrasive scrubber.
- For wet red wine or coffee stains, pour soda water on the stain; if that doesn't work, pour baking soda on the stain, rub it in, and then brush it off.
- Use baking soda on mildew in the shower and on shower curtains. Add just enough water to the baking soda to turn it into a thick paste. Use an old toothbrush for cleaning the grout between tiles.
 | - Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down your kitchen or bathroom drain followed by 1/2 cup vinegar and then some boiling water. This combination breaks down fatty acids that block drains and helps to keep drains smelling fresh.
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Vinegar clears away grease and deodorizes. Use regular distilled white vinegar (not cider vinegar nor your expensive balsamic) to
- Clean lime scale off bath tubs, sinks, and shower heads. Soak the shower head in vinegar and then brush the built-up lime scale off with an old toothbrush.
- Wash your windows. Spray a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water on the windows and wipe them with aged, crumpled-up newspaper to shine them up. (If the print comes off the newspaper onto your hands, it's not yet old enough, so don't use it for cleaning just yet.)
- Brush around the toilet bowl. For stubborn marks, sprinkle the toilet bowl with baking soda and follow up by pouring some vinegar on top of it. Be prepared for the bubbling froth that results. Use a toilet brush to scour the bowl clean.
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