Earth Care Ministry   
 Alternative Household Cleaners

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Many common household cleaning products contain dangerous ingredients such as caustics or solvents, which when used, stored or disposed of improperly, could threaten your family's health or damage the environment. Caustic chemicals such as those found in the oven cleaners (lye, sodium hydroxide), drain cleaners, scouring powders or bleach can cause burns and severe damage to the skin and eyes. Solvents are fast-drying substances that dissolve another substance.

Inhalation of these vapors or accidental drinking can be harmful or even fatal. Long-term exposure to some solvents may cause liver and kidney problems, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and cancer. Furniture polish, silver cleaner, paint remover and wood floor wax contain solvents. Fortunately, most households harbor the basic ingredients for safer substitutes for most of these hazardous household materials. Remember never to mix ammonia with bleach.
  
Drain Cleaner Pour 1/2 cup each of washing soda and boiling water down clogged drains; use a plunger or metal snake; flush weekly with boiling water to prevent clogs; use drain strainer.
Oven Cleaner
 		 Sprinkle on baking soda and water; pour salt on spills while warm, scrub next day; 1/4 cup ammonia placed in the oven overnight; use oven liners.
Toilet Cleaner
 		 Baking soda; 1/4 cup of liquid bleach; mild dish detergent and toilet brush
Spot Removers Lemon juice; club soda; immediate cold water; corn meal and water soak (mix corn meal and water into a paste).
Furniture Polish Combine equal parts mineral oil with lemon oil or Carnuba wax (Caution: Do not melt over open flame).
Silver Polish Soak silver in 1 quart water, 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1 tablespoon salt and small piece of aluminum foil
Powdered Cleansers Baking soda or mild detergent, elbow grease.
Window Cleaner Use 1 cup vinegar in 1 quart water; rub dry with newspapers
Bleach & Liquid Cleaners Use powdered, not liquid bleach
Laundry Detergent Use as little as possible
Copper Cleaner Rub with vinegar and salt
Wood Floor Wax / Cleaner For cleaning; half mineral oil and vinegar solution; mineral oil.
For polishing; melt Carnuba wax into mineral oil (one to two with caution).
Linoleum Floor Wax / Cleaner Damp mop with Murphy's on Soap; one cup white vinegar/ two gallons ,water to remove grease film; polish with club soda; add skim milk to rinse water for shine.
 

Last updated April 02, 2006