Eco Friendly Cleaning for Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day(in case you didn't know that's today), I am doing a repost of my Eco Friendly cleaning tips. I still use these even if this post is I don't know how old. If you have any extra tips, feel free to share them in the comments, and don't forget about the Easter Bunny Hunt which ends on Monday.


While living in a house that is in a constant state of remodeling, I have to come to realize the need for a clean house. We live in an above average size house, but we only "live" in about half of that. Some of this is my jewelry workroom. If you have ever remodeled even one room, you know it is virtually impossible to keep your house really clean while work is being done. Below is my top 10 reasons why you should clean your house:

You should keep your house clean because:

1. You might lose a small animal like a cat, a puppy, or a hamster.
2. You might find out Godzilla was just an overgrown dust bunny.
3. one of these days you will run out of clean clothes.
4. your mother in law might decide to come clean for you. (Though this could be a good thing.)
5. dishes with fur are not cool.
6. cobwebs cannot be considered art.
7. people on tv look odd. (I can vouch for this.)
8. things, like your keys or kids' socks, won't disappear into the abyss.
9. maybe your living room isn't such an ugly green after all.
10. eventually even the overgrown dust bunnies will revolt.

Now that you have learned the truth behind cleaning, I figured I would give some cleaning tips and tricks. I've all ready told you some tips for cleaning your jewelry. Here are some tips for when you find you are out of your regular cleaning products, and these tips are eco-friendly as well.

1. Ketchup and water will clean brass. Don't let the ketchup dry though.
2. Salt and lemon juice works wonders on ceramic tiles as does baking soda and water for any tiles and grout.
3. Use vinegar and borax to clean the toilet. You'll see your you-know-what in it.
4. Sprinkle baking soda on your mattress, let sit for a few hours, then vacuum. WOrks wonders at neutralizing odors.
5. A good olive oil can be used as furniture polish. I do this all the time. Add a little lemon juice if it needs to be really cleaned like from grimy handprints.
6. Old dryer sheets placed in books will keep the musty smell out.
7. Run out of paper towels? You can use socks instead. I also feel they work better.
8. Need to clean grandma's silver? A little toothpaste and water will make it sparkle.
9. Vinegar is a beautiful glass cleaner.

My biggest tip of all- 10. Keep up with it. If you keep at it, you won't get behind.