Cleaning Green - Give floors, windows a greener Clean.
Commercial products can help achieve proper cleaning, but you can replace the chemicals they contain by replacing with some simple green products you may have already in your home.
Living Room: Dusting: Use a damp cloth to pick up dust. A dry cloth only stirs up the allergens.
Furniture Polish: Mix Olive Oil and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio and polish with a soft cloth. (I think any oil and lemon juice would be good substitutes.)
Windows: Mix 3 tablespoons of vinegar per 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. For extra dirty windows use a mixture of ½ teaspoon of liquid soap, 3 tablespoons vinegar and 2 cups of water, and shake well. Use newspaper instead of paper towels to wipe window. This will create a streak-free glass.
Floors and Carpet: Linoleum: Use ¼ cup washing soda (also known as sodium carbonate) with 1 tablespoon of liquid soap, ¼ cup vinegar and 2 gallons hot water. Put the washing soda in the bucket first and add the liquid ingredients; that way the soda won’t splash out. Do not use the formula on waxed floors.
Disinfect Floors: Add 2 gallons of hot water to ½ cup of boras. Put the borax in bucket first, and then add water slowly to avoid splashing.
Wood Floors: Add 1 cup vinegar per pail of hot water.
Carpets and Rugs: Sprinkling baking soda (look in store isles with floor and salt to purchase) over the surface of the carpet can help eliminate odors. Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.
Copied from the Dallas Morning News, May 23, 2008: (McClatchy-Tribune News Service: Source Consumers Union.)