Most of us have at least a few articles of clothing that need to be dry cleaned. All that dry cleaning really adds up- especially if it is something you wear a lot! If you’re just sending stuff to the dry cleaner to be pressed and starched, the good news is- you can do it at home for about $1. Oh, and that $1 will last you at least 20 articles of clothing. This green, easy, DIY spray starch is not harmful to the environment or your health!

Enter DIY spray starch! It is inexpensive, easy to make, and most importantly- effective! And it isn’t limited just to dry clean only clothes. I also like to use it to help with some shirts that just always seem to wrinkle, even if I don’t let it sit in a pile of clean laundry for a long time (whoops).

Not to mention all the chemicals you are avoiding! Some of the stuff that dry cleaners use are WAY more harmful than you think. Perchloroethylene- or perc for short- is a carcinogen, and is one of the most commonly used dry cleaning chemicals. It is not only harmful to you when it’s on your clothes, but also the dry cleaners that handle and breathe it in. You may not be exposed to levels that will cause cancer- but it is also known to cause headaches, impair vision, and motor skills. Let’s just all agree that it’s better to avoid it!!

I thought this DIY spray starch would make a great addition to Green Cleaning Month!

For this DIY, you will need:

• Hot Water
• Corn Starch
• Essential oils (optional)

And that’s it! Gotta love simplicity!

So how do you make it? I’ll tell you!

I always recommend using a little test patch before you use this on an entire garment- I can’t see why it would be a problem, but better safe than sorry.

Some other DIY spray starch tutorials I’ve seen tell you to boil the water, but I found that unnecessary. The corn starch dissolved perfectly well for me in hot (not boiling) water. Less work is always preferred for me, and a little shaking or stirring is easier than boiling.

I have found this starch to do a good job! The only downside is you need to give it a little time to dry, since it is water based. But still- for the price, and because it is only natural healthy ingredients, I really can’t complain.

If you’re a fan of this DIY, you should definitely check out my homemade laundry detergent tabs!

Let me know how making your own spray starch goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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There’s nothing I love more than a clean, clear, window. Natural light really transforms a space. But dirty, smudgy windows and glass can really make a room look sloppy! Even if you do clean them regularly, it’s hard to find a good smudge-free glass cleaner. Well, I’ve found it, and it’s green, easy, and costs less than $2 to make.

Windex does work really well, but I’m generally wary of any cleaning products that are a color and have a strong scent. Windex scores a D on the EWG’s guide to healthy cleaning– at minimum it causes skin and respiratory irritation, and its ingredients are terrible for aquatic life. It has two of my least favorite things in a cleaner- dye and artificial fragrance. I think we can agree that it’s just not something I feel comfortable using in my home- and with such a good alternative, why would you?

With only three ingredients, this homemade glass cleaner is so easy to make. It works on any type of glass- windows, mirrors, glass doors, etc. It’s super effective and streak free, every time. And it’s not causing you any negative health effects and you know EXACTLY what’s in it. Plus, it’s way cheaper than windex!

If you like this green cleaning recipe for homemade glass cleaner- check out my other recipes for green cleaning month!

I like to explain why I use each ingredient in my cleaning recipes. After all, if you know what’s in your cleaners, you should also know why they are there!

Ingredients:

• Rubbing alcohol: Disinfects and evaporates quickly for that streak free shine
• Vinegar: Great at removing dirt and smudges
• Dish soap: For just a little extra kick to remove dirt and smudges
• Essential oils (optional): for scent (I used lemon in this recipe)

Ready for the recipe?

Want to see just how great it is? My dog loves pressing his nose right on the sliding glass windows to watch passerby and always leaves smudges. I used this glass cleaner and the smudges were gone! At least until he put his nose up on the glass again 10 minutes later…

I just love a good green cleaning recipe that is super effective. You may not believe how great this cleaner is, but the alcohol really does make it streak free every time. I just love it!

I can’t get enough of my shiny clean windows and mirrors!

Let me know how making your own homemade glass cleaner goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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Ah, bathroom cleaning. No one likes to clean toilets- it’s just icky. But unfortunately we have to! So if we are going to clean the toilet, we might as well make it fast and easy. This awesome homemade toilet bowl cleaner is green, natural, effective, and takes so little work to use. It is so easy it doesn’t feel like work at all.

After all, who wants to use bathroom cleaners with icky ingredients that make you feel dizzy? before I switched to making my own cleaners, I used to have to take breaks from cleaning, especially in the bathroom. The scents and fumes from the store-bought cleaners would make me feel dizzy! Well, that doesn’t happen anymore!

So if you love green cleaning, and you want a clean home, this green homemade toilet bowl cleaner is for you! If you’re interested, you should also check out my other green cleaning recipes for green cleaning month in March! While you’re cleaning your toilet, you might as well get those tubs and tiles too! But for now, enjoy this awesome toilet cleaner.

I always like to explain why I use each ingredient and why they work in the recipe:

• Borax: disinfects, counteracts hard water stains, loosens dirt, is an alkaline compound, which works well in combination with the acidity of vinegar
• Vinegar: sanitizes, loosens dirt, is acidic, which works well in combination with the alkalinity of borax
• Essential oils (optional): for scent, and depending on the oil can have other properties as well (I used lemon in this recipe- I just love that lemon fresh smell!)

All right, wondering how to do it? It’s simple enough!

Check out that shiny clean toilet! Just how I like them. Now if only they stayed that clean forever…

Well, since that isn’t going to happen, this is the next best thing. I love how easy this solution is to use, and I love when I know exactly what I’m using to clean with. Green cleaning rocks!

Let me know how your homemade toilet bowl cleaner works for you!

supplies used in this post

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We all have tubs and tiles in our home. And they can be a really challenge to clean- soap scum and hard water marks can be tough to deal with. But tub and tile cleaners that you can buy in the store are sometimes made with ingredients that I just don’t feel great about using. So I needed to find an alternative, and I did! This homemade tub and tile cleaner is easy to make, effective, green, and costs less than one dollar! Oh, and it’s safe for marble. You just can’t beat that.

I’m gonna tell you the truth now… Cleaning my tub is my absolute least favorite chore. I would actually prefer to clean the toilet over the tub! For some reason I just hate it. So naturally I want to spend as little time as possible cleaning it, which means I need an effective cleaner. And trust me, this week, I REALLY needed one- which was perfect timing for green cleaning month!

We took our dog Biscuit to the dog park for the first time this week. Now that it’s becoming spring, all the snow is melting, which means MUD! So Biscuit needed a major bath… clearly:

And after he got that major bath, the tub was full of major mud. We did our best to rinse it all out, but we were a little busy keeping the wet dog from shaking all over everything. So the tub was a mess.

It was the perfect time for me to make a new homemade tub and tile cleaner!

I like to explain why I use each ingredient in my recipes, and the thought process behind them. That way you know why it’s made the way it’s made!

Ingredients:

• Borax: dissolves dirt, kills and prevents mold and milder
• Vinegar: sanitizes and gets rid of dirt, balances the alkaline pH of the borax
• Rubbing alcohol: sanitizes and provides a streak-free shiny clean
• Essential oils: for scent, and depending on the oil can have other properties (I used orange in this recipe!)

All right, let’s get to the recipe!

I designed this recipe to be pH neutral, with a pH of 7. I tested it using pH test strips. Since you are using your own ingredients, I still recommend using pH strips if you are using this cleaner on a natural stone.

My tub is happy now, and so am I! If only I never had to clean it again… but if I do, I have the right tools in my arsenal!

Let me know how making your own tub and tile cleaner goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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I love having stainless steel appliances! But you would think that stainless steel would never actually stain… but it does! Leaving that pan soaking in your sink for too long can take its toll. I learned this the hard day, when one day I found a rust stain in my new sink. I’ve tried scrubbing it with dish soap, with all purpose cleaner, with granite cleaner, and just about everything in my arsenal. Until I finally found something that did the trick- and in under 10 seconds!

When I saw this solution from Passionate Penny Pincher, I thought it was too good to be true. No way it could be that easy after all the time I’ve spent scrubbing!

But it turns out… it was the perfect solution! I always say that green cleaning products should be simple, and this method proves that to a t! I’m guessing you usually have baking soda in your home, right? And usually a lemon or two in the fridge? Well then you’re all set!

To remove rust stains from stainless steel, all you need is half (or less) of a lemon and a tablespoon or two of baking soda. If the stains are really big, you might need more, but I used about one tablespoon. Just pour it out right on top of the stain.

Then just turn the lemon over to its cut side, and scrub the baking soda in. When I did this, I checked after a few seconds to see how much more rubbing I needed to do. But the stain was already gone! In less than 5 seconds.

How could it possibly be that easy??!!

I’m sorry the stain doesn’t show up better in the photo… I am always so excited to rush into projects that I don’t always take amazing before photos. But just look at the area with the arrow and you can see the little stain that was bugging me for over a month!

I know I keep acting all amazed by this solution, but it really is amazing. It’s green, inexpensive, easy, and effective. Just as all my favorite cleaning solutions usually are.

Who knew these two little ingredients were such a powerhouse together! They blew me and my scrubbing arm out of the water.

The baking soda has the perfect amount of gentle abrasiveness while the lemon has great acidity and the right texture for scrubbing the stain. It was love at first scrub.

I love looking at my clean sink! Now I can admire and appreciate it without noticing the little flaw of a rust stain that was stuck there before.

Let me know how this method to remove rust stains from stainless steel goes for you! I would love to see your before and after pictures, just send them to me!

The post How To Remove Rust Stains from Stainless Steel appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Happy March!

I’ve decided to make March a green cleaning month for the blog. After all, it’s almost time for spring cleaning. If you want to be ready- just make all these amazing recipes along with me!

A clean home feels so amazing, but the feeling you get after cleaning with some icky toxic cleaners for a long time does not. I don’t know about you, but I used to get dizzy or get a headache using some commercial cleaners. Now I make most of my own cleaners, and they never make me feel bad! Plus, they’re just as effective, and less expensive.

So join me on the green cleaning train! Try out 10 amazing green cleaning recipes this month.

If you want to keep up, you can check the home page, but I’ll also be updating this page with all the recipes as they are posted.

Green Cleaning Recipes:

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

Green Granite Cleaner

Homemade Wood Floor Cleaner 

How to Remove Rust Stains from Stainless Steel

Homemade Tub and Tile Cleaner

Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Homemade Odor Eliminator Tabs

Homemade Glass Cleaner

DIY Spray Starch

DIY Reusable Cleaning Wipes

If you want some fun extras and inspirations, simply add your email for a weekly green cleaning newsletter for the month of March!

The post March is green cleaning month! appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.