Going green doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. In fact it almost always saves a lot of money. Here are some simple non-toxic cleaners you can make to help get more chemicals out of your home and save you lots of money.

1.    For an all-purpose spray mix ½ cup of white vinegar, ¼ cup of baking soda, and ½ a gallon of water. Pour some in a spray bottle for easy use. Use as you would a normal all-purpose spray. If the smell bothers you add just a few drops of an essential oil.
2.    To kill mold mix one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts water. Spray on mold and leave for at least an hour then rinse. You can also use tea tree oil to kill toxic molds. Take two tablespoons tea tree oil and two cups of water in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray and do not rinse! It smells very strong but if you just open a few windows and it will air out. We had toxic mold in our house which we found by doing a mold test we used this and retested and have no more toxic mold.
3.    Drain cleaners are very toxic but don’t fear you have items in your kitchen that will do the job. Pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain and then ½ a cup of vinegar. Then after around 15 minutes pour around a few cups of boiling water down the drain. If you have plastic pipes don’t use boiling water just hot water as they may melt. Also never use this if you have recently used a chemical drain cleaner as they may react with the vinegar.
4.    Fabric softeners are very toxic and also are bad for our clothes. To soften your clothes naturally just pour a cup of vinegar in your rinse cycle.  It will soften and remove odors and germs.
5.    Oven cleaners are one of the most toxic cleaners used in homes. To clean naturally just take ¾ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup salt, and ¼ cup water to make a thick paste. Cover oven (avoid bare metal and openings) let sit overnight. In morning wipe clean.
6.    It’s very easy to make your own toilet bowl cleaner. Just take ¼ cup baking soda and a cup of vinegar, pour in basin, let sit for a few minutes, scrub like normal and rinse.
7.    For a window cleaner mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar  with a liter of water in a spray bottle, use as normal. Use a microfiber cloth or newspaper for best results.
8.    For carpet odors just sprinkle baking soda on the carpet a few hours before vacuuming.  I like to add cinnamon or lavender to mine to leave a nice fresh smell when done.
9.    For a natural veggie wash use 1 tablespoon lemon juice (best if organic), 10 drops of grapefruit seed extract, 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1 cup filtered water, and ¾ cup white vinegar.  Mix well in spray bottle, shake each time you use it, spray produce (other than mushrooms) and let sit for 5-10 minutes, rinse well.
10.    Hard water spots? Just soak in white vinegar and rinse with hot water.

Check back every Monday for more ways to incorporate living green into your everyday life!

If you can’t wait for more tips on living green, check out Lisa’s blog Retro Housewife Goes Green.