Most people agree that the more natural products we use, the healthier we are. The problem with many “green” products is that they can be budget wreckers and they often don’t work as well as the unhealthy chemical cleaners we are used to using. But thanks to ordinary people who are both frugal and green, there are environmentally friendly cleaning solutions that are affordable.

General Household Cleaning

Dusting is usually done before anything else in a cleaning routine and feather dusters are a quick way to get rid of dust. The problem is that while they are fast and easy, all they do is move the dust from the table to the floor or surrounding furniture. Coffee filters pick up dust like crazy! Use a circular motion for the best results. They won’t streak mirrors, computer screens, or television screens and they cost less than a penny each.

If you have a pet you probably have a problem with their hair. It’s everywhere, and so hard to remove from upholstery, carpets, and even drapes. When it comes to your pet’s hair, rubber gloves are your new best friend. Just put one on and lightly stroke the upholstery or other surface and the hair will come off like magic! You can get the hair off the glove by dipping it in water but don’t throw it down the drain. You can water your outside plants with it; hair has nutrients that plants can use and birds will also scavenge it for their nests.

Speaking of pets, we all love them but they do tend to smell unpleasant sometimes. All you need to do is sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and let it sit a few minutes. Then just vacuum it up and the odor will be gone. Baking soda is a great odor neutralizer and you can leave a box in any room to absorb unwanted odors.

A Cleaner, Prettier Bathroom

You can revitalize the grout in your tile floor or shower with an earth friendly mixture that will leave it like new and is safe for your plumbing. Mix 6 cups water, ½ cup baking soda, ¼ c lemon juice, and ¼ cup vinegar. Apply to the grout and let sit 30 seconds. Use a stiff brush to scrub it away. You’ll love the way your tile looks!

Vinegar is a great disinfectant that is safe and non-toxic. Spray it on showers, on tiles surfaces, and even furniture and mattresses. It won’t stain and it kills viruses and bacteria. At only about $4 a gallon, it’s one of the best bargains in household cleansers. Use it on windows, stoves, counters, sinks, tubs, or practically anything in your house. It even makes a great hair rinse that leaves your hair soft and shiny.

Kitchen Know-How

One of the smelliest places in your home is right there in your kitchen sink—the garbage disposal. It can get smelly as food particles and other debris build up on the blades and walls. This is easy to take care of by pouring boiling salt water into the disposal. This combination used once a month will prevent clogs by melting fat and grease deposits that are stuck to your pipes. Add some baking soda to the drain before you pour the water down if you want to kill odors. Another good trick is to put some ice cubes in the disposal and turn it on to clean out the sludge that accumulates. Throw in some lemon or orange rind for a fresh, clean scent.

One of the most wasteful habits people have these days is using paper towels. They use them to dry their hands, to wipe up spills, even to dust with. Most of these tasks are better performed by using microfiber cloths. They are inexpensive, reusable, absorbent, and don’t shed lint like paper towels. If you are leery of germs, just throw them in the washer when you are done or rinse them in vinegar, a germ killer more effective and environmentally friendly than hand sanitizer. The average family of 4 that uses paper towels spends nearly $300 a year! Compare that to a one time expense of $20 for two dozen microfiber cloths that will last for years and you might consider switching. Paper towels are expensive for your budget and even more costly in terms of destroying trees.

Cleaner Clothes

Have you ever wondered where the lint comes from in the traps of your washer and dryer? Those are fibers that wear away from your clothing in every wash. The clothing and detergent industries have us brainwashed into thinking we should wash our clothing after just one wearing; if they don’t smell and don’t have dirt on them, hang them up and wear them again. Your clothes will last twice as long if you wash them half as much. Washing ages your clothes and breaks down the fibers. You’ll conserve water and money by avoiding unnecessary loads

If your towels lost their softness you probably don’t need new ones. Adding a cup of ammonia to the wash will restore softness and absorption to your towels and make them like new. This treatment is particularly useful if you have hard water.

Grease is very hard to remove, even with all the pretreatment options we have. Try rubbing in some Dawn dish soap and rinsing the area with hot water. If the stain is gone, go ahead and wash it but don’t put it in the dryer until you check it. Drying will set a stain permanently. If the soap doesn’t work try rubbing the spot with chalk; chalk absorbs grease and usually takes out the stain.

Going green with the way you clean is good for the environment but it will save you money, too!