Not many people know this, but traditional cleaning products can make your house look even dirtier. The Environmental Protection Agency in the United States highlighted that the ingredients in most cleaning products are volatile organic compounds. These are extremely dangerous for one’s health. EPA studies revealed that these compounds have levels that are 5 times higher indoors than outdoors. These levels were not dependent on the homes’ locations. Moreover, residues left by dish soap or detergent can pollute the groundwater and the streams. If you want to adopt the basic green cleaning rules, you must adjust your shopping and housework habits.

 You will need the following items: salt, vinegar, baking soda, water, spray bottles, pure grain alcohol or vodka and liquid dish soap or castile soap. Here are the steps for creating homemade cleaners.

 Phase 1: an all – purpose cleaner can be made by mixing water (1 cup) and vinegar (1 cup). Add liquid dish soap or castile soap (1 tablespoon) and shake well. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and clean the counters and sinks.

Phase 2: an efficient glass cleaner can be made with pure grain alcohol or vodka (1 cup) and water (1 cup). Also, you can combine water (1 cup) and vinegar (1 cup). Use a spray bottle to clean the windows and glass surfaces.

Phase 3: scrub cleaners can be made by combining dish soap or castile soap with baking soda. This paste will be efficient for removing difficult stains such as soap.

Phase 4: for a powerful mildew stain and mold cleaner you can use salt and vinegar. Mix them until you obtain a consistent paste and use it to remove all the stains.

Phase 5: the homemade wood polish contains equal parts lemon juice and vegetable oil. The solution must be rubbed onto the furniture.

Phase 6: make sure to always work with cleaning tools that are reusable. Use microfiber pads, brooms and cloth rags and forget about disposable items.

For an efficient green shopping, you might want to follow the steps below:

Phase 1: shop only for those cleaning products that you don’t want or can’t make in your home. Search for products with EPA certification.

Phase 2: stay away from laundry detergents and dish soaps that include phosphates.

Phase 3: search for biodegradable products that have recyclable and recycled packages.

Phase 4: buy only super – concentrated cleaners, but make sure that they don’t have dangerous ingredients. These items are shipped with the minimum amount of fuel and use less packaging.