House Cleaning and Health

Every day we learn another reason why using toxic household cleaners to clean our homes is unhealthy for us.  

Because green cleaning is a very important aspect of healthy green living, I love when I come across an item that I can use to clean my home and make it safer for my family.  

Castile soap is a plant-based soap that loosens grime and dirt from surfaces.  It is more gentle than soap, so it won't dull surfaces.  Castile soap can be used in many different ways:


For washing the car, mix ¼ cup liquid Castile soap with hot water in a bucket, filling the bucket almost to the top. Rub a generous amount of the solution on your car’s exterior, windshield, hubcaps, and tires with a large sponge, then thoroughly hose it off.

To clean your floors, make a solution of ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and 2 gallons warm water. If the floors are greasy, add ¼ cup distilled white vinegar to the bucket.

For cleaning my leather couch, add 2 drops liquid Castile soap to 1 quart warm water. Apply to the leather with a barely moist sponge.
 
Stir 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap into 1 quart warm water. Dampen a cloth with the solution and wipe down countertops.  Rinse, then dry with a clean cloth.
 
Create a homemade soft scrubber that you can use to clean sinks, showers, tubs and tile, by combining 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap and 1/3 cup baking soda.
 
Add a few squirts of liquid Castile soap to 2 cups hot water and apply to your stovetop.  You can also use Castile soap to clean the grease off of the burners, and the vent hood.