NEED TO KNOW IT
Clean up, save the world
January 10, 2009
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With one of my roommates being a vegan environmentalist and the other a clean freak, cleaning products in our house have long been a source of controversy.
For expert advice on how to keep our place clean without harming the environment, I turned to Sergio Cruz, owner of Sercruz Property Maintenance Inc., whose green-clean service is on the Web at greencleantoronto.com.
Use the items listed here for inexpensive and effective green cleaning in any room of your house:
Basic tools:
Baking soda
White vinegar
Liquid castile soap (made from olive oil and sodium hydroxide)
Scouring pad
Cotton washcloth or sponge
Cotton rag without much lint
Newspaper
16-oz spray bottle
All purpose cleaner:
Liquid castile soap
Add a few drops of soap to wet washcloth and briskly rub surface. Rinse and wipe thoroughly to remove streaks.
Window cleaner:
1/4 cup white vinegar
Water
Newspaper, crumpled
Put vinegar in spray bottle, then fill to top with water. Shake bottle. Spray on surface and wipe with lint-free rag or crumpled paper.
For outdoor windows:
Use a sponge with warm water and a few drops liquid castile soap. Rinse well. Squeegee dry.
Linoleum floor cleaner:
1/2 cup white vinegar
Water
Mop floor with mixture of vinegar in bucket of warm water.
Toilet bowl cleaner:
Baking soda
Liquid castile soap
Sprinkle baking soda and a few drops of soap in bowl. Scrub with toilet brush. Finish outside surface with damp cloth sprinkled with baking soda.
Oven cleaner:
1 cup baking soda
Water
Mix baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Apply to oven and let stand 15 minutes. Use a scouring pad for surface. A spatula or bread knife gets under food deposits effectively.
Drain cleaner:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup white vinegar
Boiling water
Pour baking soda down drain, then vinegar. Let fizz for a few minutes. Pour a kettle full of boiling water down. Repeat if necessary.
Sunny Freeman doesn't do windows, but she knows how to clean them.
Toronto Star