14 Tips for Health-Friendly Cleaning (page 2 of 3)

• Common Problems
• Spring Cleaning

Truly Safe Cleaning

5. Open your drains the nontoxic way. Chemical drain cleaners (also called drain openers) are extremely corrosive and dangerous, containing such toxic ingredients as lye or sulfuric acid. Even the vapors are harmful. Instead, pour a pot of boiling water or toss a handful of baking soda followed by 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain weekly. Also effective, particularly in preventing clogs, are many brands of enzymatic cleaners, such as Nature's Miracle (used to clean up pet "accidents"), found in pet stores. Live enzymes "eat" the bacterial matter that clings to the drains.

6. Clean your windows with a non-commercial cleaner. Mary Findley, veteran Oregon cleaning expert and president of Mary Moppins Cleaning System, recommends this homemade solution: Add 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar and a spoonful of dishwasher detergent, or 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, to a quart of distilled water. If you're using the latter recipe and your windows streak, don't blame the cleaner. You've probably got a wax buildup from the commercial products you were using before. Switch to the vinegar and dishwasher detergent formula. And don't forget these tools and tips:

• Use a sponge wand to soak the window in suds, rather than a spray bottle. Wet the windows thoroughly and let the solution do its work for about five minutes.


• Avoid cleaning your windows on sunny days or in bright sunlight. The sun dries the solution too quickly, which can result in streaks.


• Use a black rubber squeegee to dry the window. Make sure every iota of water comes off; otherwise, you're leaving dirt on the window.


• Use paper towels to dry the squeegee after each pass.


• For serious dirt, try an oversized razor blade wet with soapy water.

7. Forget Formula 409; make this fabulous all-purpose cleaner. Fill a spray bottle nearly full with water and add a good squirt of Ivory liquid dishwashing detergent, says Findley. Shake just a bit. That's all you need. For some disinfecting oomph for the kitchen and bathroom, add 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. This is safe to use on Corian counters, sinks and showers, tile and marble.

8. Sanitize your toilet bowl safely. Pity poor Dr. Gerba. He spends his days swiping cotton swabs over every conceivable household surface, then peering at the results under a microscope and identifying the germs and other icky things he finds there. You can only imagine what he finds in the bathroom.

• To clean the toilet safely, turn to your vinegar, says Findley. Fill a spray bottle with straight white vinegar. Pour a capful of vinegar into the toilet, then spray the sides of the bowl. Also, sprinkle baking soda in the toilet, wait 15 minutes, and scrub with a bit of baking soda sprinkled on the brush. Once a month pour one cup vinegar into the toilet and leave overnight. The vinegar dissolves any alkali buildup to prevent hard-water rings in the toilet. Whenever you leave for vacation, pour a cup of vinegar into the toilet to prevent buildup while you are gone.


• To disinfect the toilet completely, wipe all surfaces with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol or with some of the alcohol-based hand cleaner available in stores.

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• Lose the Weight
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• How to Make Time For Friends and Family
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