Salt and a cut lemon to polish copper. Works instantly!

I bought a book called "Green Up Your Cleanup" and have started using it. I haven't gotten very far, but it has a lot of suggestions for cleaning every room of the house with very basic cleansers. Before I bought that, I bought a 16 oz. bottle of Shaklee's "Get Clean Basic H2" cleanser. I was hesitant at first, because I think the cleanser was something like $10 or $15, but I can use it for everything. You just mix a 1/4 tsp. in with 16 oz. of water in a spray bottle, and it's a basic counter cleaner. Use 1 tsp. with a gallon of water for floor cleaning. I've had the bottle for a couple years, and have only used up about a fifth of it. It's saved me from having to buy counter cleaners and all that other stuff. I think once it's gone I'll switch to using a solution of vinegar and water for basic counter cleaning, but this was a good, easy way to get me into green cleaning.

Mix up some soapy dishwater, put it in a squirt bottle, shoot it in your crevices in the kitchen if you have ants. It will kill them and at the same time not contaminate your kitchen.

@jheri curl juice: And when you're done put out bay leaves to keep them away

This sounds like a recipe for disaster.

My green cleaning tip is to go to my local janitorial supply store, buy a bottle of non-toxic cleaner, and mix that with water. You save on packaging and you get something that ACTUALLY CLEANS.

Most "make your own cleaner" tips are useless, but it makes us feel all smart and earth-huggy because, darn, I *made* it! Well, yeah, I can make a macaroni sculpture too, but I wouldn't try to scrub my counter with ht.

@meg9: I'll be trying this one, thanks!

White vinegar and borax diluted in hot water for a pet-friendly floor cleaner.

@mythago:

So I shouldn't be using my homemade ammonia / clorine super cleanser?

PLEASE DON'T TRY IT - IT WILL KILL YOU

But I like how Fantastik smells.

Vinegar (can be diluted with water, or used straight) to cut through hard water stains and other stains in the bath tub/shower.

@nnj:
Vinegar is also great for deodorizing laundry and removing fabric softener buildup, and will make your windows sparkle like grandma's!

@mythago:
I'll agree that some of the greenie cleaning tips are bogus, but many of them really do work. Vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and microfiber cloths are your friend.

Borax is some pretty amazing stuff too! I use it to scrub fingerprints, pencil, pen, and marker from painted walls (make a paste and rub lightly!) It's a laundry booster that won't irritate sensitive skin. I can even wash my dishes with it.
All the while it's naturally occurring in the Mojave desert and has very low toxicity.
The only cleansers in my home are borax, baking soda, vinegar, eco's laundry soap, and Murphy's oil soap. It might sound kooky, but it's one less thing to worry about and a heck of a lot cheaper than manufactured cleansers.

@jheri curl juice: The liquid soap actually repels the ants - if you mix up the liquid soap with Windex, the Windex will actually "melt" the ants' exoskeleton. (I've posted this tip before, with people asking if I've actually witnessed this - I haven't, as I sprayed it in the cracks of my floor.) I got this tip from a professional exterminator.

Afterwards, give the area a wipe with diluted peppermint oil, as ants hate the stuff.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: invest in a big bottle of Dr. Bronner's liquid soap, as it has a million uses, and is all natural. This stuff is SUPER concentrated, so heavily dilute it with water (it also means that a large bottle will last for a LONG time.)

Give your pets a wash with Dr. B's eucalyptus soap (again, very diluted) - the stuff smells nice, and will keep the bugs/fleas off your pet. You can also use this as a body wash while camping (even as a shampoo) to keep the mosquitos away. Great for kids who are sensitive to DEET repellents.

For floor/counter cleanings, I use Dr. B's citrus soap, with a few drops of peppermint oil added to the solution, as a disinfecting agent - it makes my place smell like oranges!

I also use Dr B's tea tree soap for cleaning my face, and for spot treatments of acne (tea tree is wonderful for your skin.)

(I should buy stock in the stuff.)

i do eco-friendly home and office cleaning and find that meyer's is the best. buy the big bottle and mix only a small amount into a bottle with water. the meyer's big bottle will last you a while since it's so concentrated.

i'm still stumped as far as what to do for calcium and lime build up, along with water marks on glass.

@damitaimee: let me specify by saying on glass shower doors.

@ElleDriver: You sold me.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the next Billy Mays (now you just have to work on adding several "!!!!!!!" after each and every sentence so we get the sense that you are yelling at us).

@ElleDriver:

I have to try this, I thought once I became an adult and no longer had an excuse to go outside with a magnifying glass that my days of melting ants were over with.. mwahahahaha. Thanks for the tip/correction!

@mythago: Hardware stores usually sell those bottle of concentrated cleaner as well.

I'm not about to start making my own oven cleaner or anything, and I don't think my bleach cleaner for the bathroom could get much cheaper than Target brand already is. That said, knowing that baking soda deodorizes has been pretty useful when a plastic storage container or a cutting board still smells like garlic even after washing it repeatedly.

Baking soda and vinegar down a disposal work wonders to clean and deodorize it. Putting ice cubes down and running it will also clean it. If it's clean but has a funny smell, peel a small orange (or a lemon, I have oranges on hand more often) and put the rind down one piece at a time with the disposal running. That freshens it right up.

White vinegar in the rinse section of the dishwasher does the same thing as Jet Dry and other rinse agents. (Better, maybe, since I have less water spots now. My dishwasher also smells better since using vinegar.)

Baking soda and vinegar will also help speed up slow drains, though if you have a clog it doesn't work very well. It's more of a preventative.

A weak (3 parts water to 1 part vinegar) vinegar solution is also very effective for getting cats to stop scratching furniture. Mix up and mist on lightly. Most cats hate the smell of vinegar and will leave the furniture alone. Just remember to check in an inconspicuous area first, as vinegar, like other cleaning agents, can have a bleaching effect.

The only "cleaners" I buy these days are dishwasher soap and Bon-Ami for hard surfaces. A combination vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice pretty much takes care of all my cleaning needs. As a bonus, my house smells awesome!

I clean most of the house with vinegar and/or baking soda. Here are a few quick off-the-top-of-my-head tips that really do work if you put in the effort:

1) Fix a slow drain: first you have to remove any near-the-surface hair. I've got what is effectively a stiff and wiry pipe cleaner on a stick for this purpose, which I think I got years ago from the Harriet Carter catalogue, and it works great. Then I cram in as much baking soda as I can, pushing it down into the drain. Pack it in TIGHT. Then pour on some vinegar and FOOM, all the crud bubbles off. Rinse with lots of hot hot water and plunge if necessary. Note that I said SLOW drain...a fully clogged one will probably require a plumber's snake. But if you clean your drains as soon as they get slow and don't wash down stuff you shouldn't, they won't get clogged.

2) Bathtub scum: wet the tub lightly. Close the drain. Pour in about a handful of baking soda. With a sponge or cloth, wipe the baking soda hard all over the scum/tub ring...it'll form a thick paste with the water already there, but you can add a touch more if necessary.

3) Baking soda in the laundry does more than freshen: it removes lingering acidity in cloth diapers and it prevents funk that comes from leaving front-loaders closed too long.

4) Hard-water buildup: vinegar is the solution. We used to live in Vegas, where the hard water is literally off the charts. For hazy glasses, I kept a reused large plastic cup from a fast food joint on the counter filled with vinegar and a glass soaking in it. A soak of 15-20 minutes removes even the worst scale haze, less for minor haze. Then every time I washed dishes I would pull out the one that had been soaking and put another one in and get two or three cleaned. You do have to scrub with a washcloth to remove the scale-goo after the vinegar has dissolved it, and then buff to dry to feel like you've just bought new glasses.

For scale-clogged taps, shower heads, etc., unscrew them and let them sit in a full vinegar solution for a few hours. They fizz. Then rinse and put back on.

For scale on windows, spritz vinegar on full strength, let sit, then clean. You can spray it right through screens from the outside and it'll clean the screens too.

I've tried making a vinegar-flour-salt paste for difficult to soak areas that have scale, but only with minor success. Better to put a cloth soaked in vinegar on something if you can and just keep re-applying.

Both vinegar and baking soda can be purchased in huge amounts for cheap at Costco.

And here's a separate tip: clean your microwave by putting some lemon juice in a microwavable cup/bowl and boil it for a few minutes. Then just wipe the interior clean...and if some stuff doesn't come off, repeat until it does. Makes your kitchen smell good too.

Three words: Kim and Aggie! 'How Clean is Your House?' not only makes me feel like I'm spectacularly neat, but has also provided lots of useful DIY cleaning tips. Only yesterday, I scrubbed my stainless steel sink with nothing more than a paste of baking soda and had a fresh-smelling, shining sink in minutes for minimal cost and no exposure to the harsh cleansers that irritate my skin and lungs.

Agree with vinegar
White vinegar in a spray bottle
Great all around cleaner

@demitasse: I love, love, love doing the baking soda and vinegar in the sink hole. :D It will speed up most slightly slow drains (though very slow or plugged drains need the big guns) and clean/deoderize, and it's super-fun to make the volcano action. Because basically, I'm six on the inside.

@meg9:

This is also great for sealing cuts on your skin. Try it!

Urine is also great, if you can stand the smell. Your home may reek a little, but it will be clean and stain free.

Baking soda for the tub - but if you've got that ring on it from a long day in the mud, add some dish soap to make a paste. Just like Scrubbing Bubbles!

I love the idea of using white vinegar instead of bleach and other harmful chemicals, but I really can't stand the smell. I've tried diluting it down to 10/1 (is it even effective at that low conentration?), and adding some essential oils, but still my eyes water every time I go into the bathroom. Anyone have any tips?

Otherwise, Dr Bronner's in truly a miracle (although i don't recommend brushing your teeth with it, no matter what the bottle says), and baking soda is manna from heaven.

@bbagdan: I feed it to my pet slug. It's favorite. That and beer.

@CFinWV: I use this, my dog is a compulsive floor licker so I can't use anything toxic.

@ElleDriver: I like Dr Bronners as a pet shampoo. I use the lavendar one - my dog smells so good! But I've tried it as a body/hair shampoo and it made my skin and hair feel yucky and coated. Also in the kitchen - the floor was spotted as were the dishes.

I found that when I burn something to the bottom of a pot or pan that is ridiculously hard to get off using soap and elbow grease comes off really easy by putting water and baking soda in said pot or pan and then boiling on the stove for about 10 minutes. Seriously, pots and pans that I thought were ruined, that I had washed millions of times, come out completely clean after this very easy trick.

Anyone have any tips for a natural "Febreeze" like agent? I have 3 pets, all of whom vary in degrees of stinky - and Febreeze really works, but I know its just chemicals, then everyone in the family (pets included) sits around on chemicals in the couch. Which I know is bad. But it works! Suggestions?

@friendlynerd: They may be my friend, but they're the kind of friend who has a lot of funny stories but never seems to be around to reciprocate when you need furniture moved.

@ElleDriver: Unfortunately Mr. Mythago had a crazy bitch ex-girlfriend who used Dr. Bronner's for everything, and now he can't stand the smell of it because it reminds him of her. If I ever meet her I'm going to drop kick her ass across the Grand Canyon.

@damitaimee: Go to your hardware or janitorial supply store and ask for something that cuts through calcium and lime build-up but isn't banned by the Geneva Convention.

The easiest eco-cleaning tip: use water. If you let things soak a little bit, the water itself will dissolve the crud and you can wipe it up easily. It's amazing how what you thought were baked-on pieces of crunge will come up easily if you just let it sit in water for two minutes.

@mythago:

They make an unscented version.

For disinfecting in the kitchen, I keep a spray bottle of vinegar and a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide. The two together disinfect as well as bleach without being bad for the planet. You don't want to mix them before hand, though.

Put vinegar is a small bowl, put in microwave for a couple of minutes on high, wipe the inside of the microwave clean. Works every time.

Home made laundry soap

Ingredients:
1 bar fels naptha soap
1/2 cup borax powder
1/2 cup washing soda - NOT baking soda

All ingredients may be found in the cleaning aisle in the supermarket.

Directions:
-Cut the bar of soap into chunks then grind it up the soap in the food processor.
-Add borax and washing soda. Mix together.
-You may wish to do this outside or cover the blender with a towel or plastic bag because of the dust.

Use only 1 tablespoon of the mixture per load of clothes.

It does not make suds but cleans very well. Using this recipe, my clothes have always come out fresh and clean. If you get some powder on your hands and then get them wet, you can see how slippery they get from the ingredients' wetting agents. This helps it clean so well.

I have been using this recipe about eight months and have been quite pleased with the results. I've shared the recipe with friends and family and have gotten very good feedback. Even my 80 year old mother whose used the same detergent for years has now switched over!

The older and more dried the bar of soap, the finer the particles in the food processor. I haven't tried this with Octagon soap which is a little cheaper than the Fels Naptha but would like to at some point. I've heard that other soaps can be used as well but have had such excellent success with the Fels Naptha, I haven't tried any others.

About the ingredients:
-Fels Naptha is the brown soap that is often used to rub on clothes as a stain remover. A bar of this soap costs about $1. Dial makes this.
-Super Washing Soda is a white powder made of sodium carbonate. The one seen in the grocery store is made by Arm and Hammer which is sold as a household cleaner, freshener and laundry booster. It's related to baking soda but has been processed differently.
-20 Mule Team Borax, a white powder, is also a laundry booster, deodorizer and household cleaner. It's made of sodium borate, a mineral. This is also used to dry flowers and deter roaches. It softens water and is a disinfectant.
-Borax and washing soda can be used on their own as cleaners. These cost approximately $2-$3 per box.

I know this sounds like a bad infomercial, but I too have recently been using baking soda for cleaning stuff up. I have a deep fryer that I use basically once a year for super bowl. Hot wings and deep fried oreos, anybody? I've never- and I mean never- been able to get it clean. Vegetable oil, once it oxidizes, turns into a sticky sludge that nothing will take off. I tried every kitchen cleaner that we had.

After searching around a bit on the web, I came across some references to using baking soda for getting off grease stains. I gave it a shot... a wet sponge with a little baking soda on it took off ALL of the grease. I've had the deep fryer for 4 years, and I've never gotten it that clean.

Moral of the story? Just because something is new doesn't mean it's better. Sometimes the oldest cleaning methods are the best.

@Ihaveasmartpuppy: If you had a weird "coating" after taking a shower, it means you didn't dilute it enough with water. We use the Peppermint one as body soap in the yoga studio I work at, and our students love it! The shower solution should be watery-looking - roughly 1:7 ratio between water and Dr. B's soap.

@must hold harmless: LOL!

@jheri curl juice: I was also told that regular Ivory liquid soap is the best to use (good quality, without harsh chemicals or fragrances.) Have fun!

@friendlynerd: Yeah. I don't know if any of you have used Simply Green, but it is awesome! I'd much rather use that than Windex when cleaning my outdoor grill and kitchen

@CFinWV: What exactly is Borax? The only time I've ever used it has been to make Gak. You know, Nickelodeon Gak