Household Solutions

Wastewater carries pollutants from everyday activities like cooking, gardening, maintaining your car, and even spring-cleaning your garage and medicine cabinet. Because of this, it is critical to prevent pollution at the source, and making the switch to safer, environmentally friendly cleaning products is simple.

With the recipes and tips below, you can make cleaning products using basic ingredients like baking soda and lemon juice.

  1. Cleaners
  2. Degreaser
  3. Furniture Polish
  4. Garden
  5. Pest Control

Alternatives

All Purpose Cleaner
  • Mix 2 Tbsp. vinegar with 1 tsp. salt in 1 qt. warm water
Toilet Bowl Cleaners
  • Sprinkle baking soda around rim and scrub with toilet brush
Drain Cleaners
  • Pour 1/4 cup baking soda and then 1/2 cup white vinegar down the drain, let set, and then flush down with boiling water
  • Use a plumber’s "snake" to open drains
  • Remember to put strainers on all drains

LAUNDRY

Laundry Detergent 
  • Use 1/2 cup borax, washing soda or baking soda in wash load to reduce amount of detergent needed – helps soap work better too 
Bleach 
  • Use non-chlorine bleach or baking soda to whiten clothes 
  • Or try using half the recommended amount of bleach and add 1/4 or 1/2 cup baking soda per load

Fabric Softener 
  • To freshen and soften natural-fiber clothing, add 1 cup vinegar or 1/4 cup baking soda during the final rinse
"Static Cling" 
  • To reduce "static cling," line-dry clothes or remove from dryer when slightly damp