All-Purpose Cleaner

• Vinegar and salt
  Mix together for a good surface cleaner.

• Baking soda
  Dissolve 4 Tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water. Or use baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda will clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Cleaner

• Soap
  Regular cleaning with plain soap and hot water will kill some bacteria.

• Keep dry
  Mold, mildew, and bacteria cannot live without dampness.

• Borax*
  Borax has long been recognized for its cleaning and deodorizing properties. Mix ½ cup Borax into 1 gallon hot water and clean with this solution.

Drain Cleaner

• Prevention
  To avoid clogging drains, use a drain strainer to trap food particles and hair; collect grease in cans rather than pouring it down the drain; pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain weekly to melt fat that may be building up in the drain.

• Baking soda and vinegar
  Put ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup white vinegar down your drain and cover the drain. Let set for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain to flush it.

Furniture Polish

• Olive oil and vinegar
  Mix 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Apply and polish with a clean, soft cloth.

• Olive oil and lemon juice
  Mix 2 parts oil and 1 part lemon juice. Apply and polish with a soft cloth.

• Water spots
  To remove water marks on furniture, rub gently with toothpaste on a damp cloth.

Lime and Mineral Deposit Remover

• Vinegar
  Hard lime deposits around faucets can be softened for easy removal by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave the paper towels on for about an hour before cleaning. Makes chrome clean and shiny. To remove deposits which may be clogging metal showerheads, combine ½ cup white vinegar and 1 quart water. Completely submerge the showerhead and boil for 15 minutes. If you have a plastic showerhead, combine 1 pint white vinegar and 1 pint hot water. Completely submerge the showerhead and soak for about an hour.

Ants

• Flour and borax*
  Mix 1 cup flour and 2 cups Borax in a quart jar. Punch holes in the jar lid and sprinkle contents around the house foundation. Keep Borax out of reach of children and pets.

• Pennyroyal*, spearmint, southernwood and tansey
  Growing these plants around the border of your home will deter ants and the aphids they carry.

Fleas

• Vacuum
  Vacuum, remove the vacuum bag, seal it, and dispose of it immediately (outside your home).

• Vinegar
  A ratio of 1 teaspoon to 1 quart of water (per 40 lbs. of pet weight) in their drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks.

Roaches

• Boric acid*
  Commercial roach formulas containing boric acid are available. Apply these according to directions for effective elimination of roaches.

• Borax* and flour
  Mix ½ cups Borax and ¼ cup flour and fill jar. Punch holes in jar lid and sprinkle contents along the baseboards and doorsills.

* Ingredients marked with the asterisk (*) are safer alternatives but not non-toxic. Keep these out of reach of children and pets, and exercise caution while using them.

Read more about safer alternatives to hazardous products at the Environmental Health Coalition website.

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