Vinegar and less-toxic products for Home and Garden


You can reduce your use of hazardous household products by choosing safer, less-toxic products.

Avoid household products with hazardous ingredients, or handle them with extreme care.  Many toxic ingredients in paint thinners and drain cleaners, for example, can contaminate water sources.

     .  Use only enough of the product to get the job done.
     .  Never dump hazardous products down drains, the toilet, or near flowing water, ponds, or lakes.
     .  Do not dump them on the ground.
     .  Use natural and less-toxic household products whenever possible.  See the table below.

Instead of:                Use

Air freshener                A small dish of vinegar or lemon juice set out in a warm area

All-purpose                  One quart warm water, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, 1 teaspoon borax, and 1/4 cup vinegar
cleaner
 
Bleach                          Borax

Carpet Cleaner            To neutralize odors, sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of one cup borax and 2 cups
                                    cornmeal or use baking soda.  Let stand 1 hour before vacuuming.

Chlorine scouring         Baking soda
powder

Detergent                    Simple soap or phosphate-free detergent

Disinfectant                  Ammonia

Drain cleaner                Plunger, followed by a handful of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar.  Cover and allow
                                     to sit for 15 minutes.  Pour in 2 quarts of boiling water, and the clod should
                                     disapear.

Floor cleaner                  Mop floors with a mild soap solution of 1 cup vinegar mixed with 2 gallons of water.
                                      Linoleum floors can be polished by mopping with skim milk.  (No, it doesn't smell.)

Furniture polish              On unfinished surfaces, use natural oil such as almond or olive oil.  On finished 
                                       surfaces, dust with a damp cloth and wipe dry.

Glass cleaner                  Two tablespoons of vinegar to 1 quart of water.

Grease remover              Baking soda paste

Mildew stain                    Vinegar solution
remover

Mothballs                         Cedar chips

Oven cleaner                   Pour salt on fresh oven spills, and scrape the residue off when the oven cools.
                                        Ammonia can be applied to tough stains.  A pumice stick, available at many hardware
                                        stores, will also work.

Pest control                     Make chili powder packets to keep ants out of your kitchen.

Stain remover                  Cornstarch paste

Surface cleaner                Use a vinegar and salt mixture

Tile cleaner                       Scrub areas with baking soda and a toothbrush

Toilet bowl                        Baking soda or borax
cleaner

Window cleaner                Mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a quart of warm 
                                         water.

Common stains often Treatable with Nontoxic Materials

Blot spilled drinks promptly and sponge with cool water.  This should remove most of the color, even if it has already dried.  Rubbing alcohol or white wine may also work in a pinch, but they may affect fabric color.  If clothing is washable, follow instructions for non-greasy stains.

Blood

First, soak or rub in cold water until stain is almost gone.  Then, if fabric is washable, launder in warm water and detergent.  On non-washable materials try a little borax or hydrogen peroxide to get the last traces out.  Once blood stains set, they are difficult to remove, but a warm solution of trisodium phosphate will sometimes work on cotton or linen.

Coffee, tea

These are easier to remove if no cream was involved.  Treat as non-greasy stain with cold water.  If cream was involved, follow directions for combination stains, treating first with water, then detergent.  A solvent may be necessary.

Egg

Never use hot water on an egg stain because it will set the stain.  Scrape off as much as possible with a dull knife, then sponge or soak with cold water.  Launder if possible.