Some of the worst contributors to environmental pollution happen to be more nearby than you might think. In fact a lot of them are right under our own kitchen sinks beginning with petroleum based household cleaners that make their way into the air and water supply.
It requires minimal effort to easily convert your own store bought cleaning products over to your own green cleaning products made from common ingredients found in your home. I have found a few of these homemade non-toxic cleaning products to be a great way to clean my own home. Not only that, as someone with asthma, I react negatively to store bought cleaning products so it’s nice to have an alternative that doesn’t kick up my asthma and general allergies.
Your first line of defense in controlling ants and roaches is to keep your counters and storage areas clean and dry along with keeping food containers tightly secured, however if you need a natural alternative I found that this ant and roach repellent will keep them at bay by suffocating them.
First mix equal parts of baking soda with powdered sugar. Sprinkle the mixture where you suspect roaches living.
Another line of defense for ants is peppermint oil Ants aren’t very receptive to peppermint oil, so I’ve found that applying a few drops of this oil full strength wherever you see ants entering in is effective. You can also turn ants about face by putting lemon peels around ant entrances.
Natural Mildew and Lime Remover
I have found that a half cup of white vinegar combined with half a cup of borax and luke warm water is a successful way to remove stubborn mineral deposits as well as mildew. First dissolve the borax into the water, add the vinegar and your good to go. You’ll need to make a fresh batch of this each time you need to use it.
Start by adding a ¼ cup of baking soda to your drain. Follow that up with ½ cup of vinegar. Pour each of these items alternately down the drain. Once you’ve done that, close the drain until the boiling in the drain stops.Follow that up by pouring boiling water down the drain then using a plunger or snake to finish the job.
Natural Degreasers
Sprinkling borax onto your greasy surface is a great way to cut grease. Just follow that up by rubbing the surface with a damp cloth or sponge.
Citrus cleaners are also an effective way to cut through tough greasy messes. Look for a cleaner made with citrus oil. Citrus oil is a renewable resource that is extracted from citrus rinds. I personally favor the citrus products and sometimes if I don’t have one of those available, I’ll squeeze lemon or orange juice directly into a cup of warm water and apply that to my greasy surface.
