What to use, what to use...

[mimid]

DH and I are moving and getting rid of the nasty carpet and putting in bare floors. We know the people who lived here before and she actually had the whole place cleaned for us but I want to start off on the right foot and use all natural. I'm not even going to move any of my chemicals over, just give them to family/friends who want them. I have a spray bottle of diluted vinegar and am wiping all the kitchen cabinets and bathrooms down to get rid of residue, but what do I use on a day-to-day basis?

Lately I've been using Dr. Bronner's on the tile here but what to do with wood? Just a damp mop? And for everything else just vinegar and some tt eo (dh loves clean smelling homes)?

I know I really can't do it wrong, but I'm sure you all understand that first few weeks of nervousness.

Thanks!!

[mimid]

No one has any suggestions for a newbie? Even a book?

[Shenjall]

couldnt you use the vinegar on a daily basis? (I'm not too sure....I just hate unanswered posts..I always feel so bad )

Oh! Isnt baking soda good for a first time deep clean? For counters, etc.....

[Attached Mama]

When I had wood floors I found that Whole Foods had some great wood floor cleaner - didn't leave them slippery or anything - don't remember the brand tho. I also use the 7th Generation all purpose cleaner and kitchen or bathroom cleaners. I am allergic to cleaners (get headache, throat starts to close etc) and these don't bother me at all.

I know my sister searched online and found a whole slew of cleaners you can make at home from non-toxic stuff - not sure what tho.

Good luck

[celestialdreamer]

We only use baking soda, vinegar, essential oils (and TTO) and microfiber cloths to clean pretty much. And my house is very clean so I'm told I use baking soda w/ TTO in the toilets, sinks, showers, etc. Vinegar I mix in a bucket or a sink with a few drops of some EO and lots of warm water then just stick some microfiber cloths in there. Then I use that to wipe down whatever I'm cleaning followed by microfiber cloths to dry. You could just use vinegar in a spray bottle with a drop or two of EO too, but I prefer to clean with warm water for some reason. I have all wood floors and I clean them with 1:8 vinegar to warm/hot water solution with a drop of grapefruit seed extract (optional) and a drop or two of my EO of choice (it changes on a weekly basis usually ). I know alot of people like Dr. Bronners for cleaning, but I'm a big baking soda/vinegar and TTO/GSE/EO fan myself

Oh and I can't say enough about microfiber cloths! They are AWESOME! I bought a bunch of them on sale at Target in the auto section. For some reaosn the ones in the home section are WAY more expensive. I even use them for dusting and also microfiber wood floor mop thingies. Feel free to ask me any more questions if you'd like! HTH!

[celestialdreamer]

Originally Posted by mimid

And for everything else just vinegar and some tt eo (dh loves clean smelling homes)?

We like clean smelling too. I should have mentioned in my previous post that using vinegar, EOs, etc does a really good job of that. When I used to clean with 'real' cleaners even the ones from the HFS my DH would complain that the smell was too strong. Now when he comes home after I've cleaned he says that it smells 'clean' but no weird chemical/artificial smell and that the EOs give a warm scent. The vinegar scent fades within a half hour usually and it just smells NICE

[srain]

We basically just use dish detergent and baking soda. If water doesn't work, we add dish detergent; if that doesn't work, we add baking soda.

[SAHMinHawaii]

We took out our carpet too and put in wood floors. I use water and TTO on my floors. I have been out of vinegar otherwise i would use that too. Make sure your mop is just damp and not soaking wet.

We too love the smell of clean and not chemical clean. Our house smells so nice after i mop.

[tara]

When we refinished our floors, the folks who sold us the finish recommended vinegar and water for cleaning. When we tiled our kitchen, the folks at Home Depot recommended vinegar and water to clean tile floors, too. Vinegar is great stuff! We basically clean our whole house with baking soda and vinegar.

I would recommend getting a handful of essential oils to play with (for cleaning purposes, I like to get the lower quality oils from Essential Oil University Great prices, and they still smell great (just aren't 'aromatherapy' quality). You can clean just fine with just tea tree and lavender, but it's fun to mix in some peppermint or citrus oils, too. Makes your house smell terrific.

[EricaLeigh]

I think most moms here with wood floors, use vinegar with water. I second the micro-fiber cloths! You should read "Clean House Clean Planet" by Karen Logan, I haven't read it yet but it's reccomended all of the time on these boards. My library is doing an inter-library loan for me. They search in the computer to fiind another library that has it (since they don't) & they send it to my library. When it comes in they will call me! It takes 1-3 weeks.

[Ruthla]

I keep a spray bottle with "all purpose cleaner" in it and use it to wash just about everything- countertops, mirrors, etc. For the floor I just use vinegar in a bucket of hot water.

here's the recipe:

1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon dish soap (about one squirt, I use 7th generation unscented)
1.5-2 cups water (or just fill my spray bottle)
a few drops of essential oil- the one in my kitchen has spearmint, the one in my bathroom has orange and clove.

[Mountain Chick]

Grapefruit seed extract is supposed to be a good disinfectant. Even some hospitals are switching over to it.

Here are some links:

http://www.landofvos.com/articles/kitchen7.html

http://www.dreamhawk.com/gse.htm

[jasper12]

Ruth your recipe is awesome!!

It smells very nice in my bathroom! Now I want to clean!!

Thank you!

Jasper

[Ruthla]

You're welcome! I got that recipes from a link somewhere in this forum- I've long since lost the link but it's so easy I haven't needed it again.

[mimid]

Thanks for all these great tips!! We were just over there unpacking some stuff and the previously clean tile is so disgusting and watching all these men in dirty boots tramp around made me cringe. I need to get over there with my broom and mop before we start moving furniture.

My mom got me some microfiber cloths with the microfiber mop a couple years ago and I LOVE them! It never occured to me to get them from the auto department.