subject: Recycle for Greener Cleaning [print this page] Recycle for Greener Cleaning Recycle for Greener Cleaning
Using environmentally friendly products and techniques when tackling the household cleaning is good for the planet and your pocket, but did you know you could boost your green credentials even more by including recycling in your cleaning regime? There are lots of things, which are normally thrown away, that could serve a useful second purpose. Here are some of them:
Textiles
Instead of discarding worn out clothes and other textiles that are not good enough to donate to charity shops, many can be cut up and used as dusters and cleaning cloths. Old towelling is good for washing large areas like floors and walls; soft cotton fabrics can be used wet or dry on any hard surface; and a piece of fine woollen cloth is excellent for polishing wooden furniture.
Citrus peel
After extracting the juice from oranges and lemons, use the peels for wiping down your kitchen sink and draining board. Any remaining juice plus the oil in the peel cuts through grease to leave the sink clean and fresh smelling.
Empty lemon shells are also good for rubbing over your hands after you've been doing dirty jobs such as gardening, or preparing fish, onions or garlic for cooking. The lemon removes those lingering stains and smells that sometimes remain after washing with soap.
Newspapers
Use crumpled sheets of newspaper instead of cloths when cleaning windows or mirrors. They leave the glass sparkling and smear free.
Banana skins
These are good for polishing leather shoes and boots. Simply rub the inside surface of the skins over your shoes then lightly buff with a clean cloth to produce a brilliant shine.
Plastic bottles
Rinse out plastic bottles and use them for your own homemade green cleaning products such as water mixed with vinegar, lemon juice or a few drops of tea tree oil. Bottles with a trigger spray attachment are particularly useful. Remove the original labels and write on the bottles with a marker pen to identify the contents. They can be used, and re-used, in this way for many years.
Rubber gloves
If you have a pet dog or cat don't throw out your washing-up gloves when they spring a leak. They can still be useful for removing pet hairs from upholstered furniture and carpets. Put on an old rubber glove, slightly dampen the palm, wipe it over the affected area and the hair will cling to it. It's much quicker than getting out the vacuum cleaner and saves electricity!
