Homemade Substitutions

Homemade Substitutions
There are many inexpensive, easy-to-use natural alternatives which can safely be used in place of commercial household products. Here is a list of common, environmentally safe products which can be used alone or in combination for a wealth of household applications.

Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.

Soap - unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.

Lemon - one of the strongest food-acids, effective against most household bacteria.

Borax - (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.

White Vinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.

Washing Soda - or SAL Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use care, as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.

Isopropyl Alcohol - is an excellent disinfectant. (It has been suggested to replace this with ethanol or 100 proof alcohol in solution with water. There is some indication that isopropyl alcohol buildup contributes to illness in the body. See http://drclark.ch/g)

Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

Citrus Solvent - cleans paint brushes, oil and grease, some stains. (Citrus solvent may cause skin, lung or eye irritations for people with multiple chemical sensitivities.)

Trisodium phosphate (TSP) - a mixture of soda ash and phosphoric acid. TSP is toxic if swallowed, but it can be used on many jobs, such as cleaning drains or removing old paint, that would normally require much more caustic and poisonous chemicals, and it does not create any fumes.

Having said that, lets look at the cost difference:

Baking soda usually cost less than fifty cents a box. You can get like a gazillion pounds of it for under twenty bucks (12 pounds at Sams runs under $6.00) and it is useful for things other than cleaning. It can replace vegetable cleaners, scouring poweders, window cleaners, stain fighters, multipurpose cleaners, kitty litter order absorbers, coffee maker cleaning solutions, grease cutters, silver polish, carpet freshener, not to mention takes the sting out of bee stings, bug bites and windburns. Considering you can get most household cleaners from the Dollar General and much more from places like Wal-mart and Target, verses the $6 at Sams Club for a 12 pound bag of baking soda, I'm thinking that greener is cheaper this round.

So to be fair, I'm going to make a list of basic cleaners you'd find at Wal-Mart and how much you could pay for the items on the above list.



Baking Soda