toxic Continued from page 4
    My Favorite Soaps are Aubrey Earth Aware APC (all herbal) and Peppermint Castile soap, which I use as all-purpose cleaners. I use about 15 drops in a spray bottle of water for general dusting and cleaning and absorbent recycled cotton. I use a little full strength MPC for showers and tubs with the handled scrubber. If there are really bad stains on porcelain or heavy grease in the kitchen, then I might use some plain baking soda with almost no water (like a paste) or I mix it with a little full strength MPC right on the spot. This works like powdered sink cleansers without other toxic additives. Baking soda may leave a residue and can be wiped clean with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. The vinegar also works OK for windows, but it can leave streaks. I usually just use my mild solution of soap in the spray bottle, a damp clean coarse towel for scrubbing, a good squeegee, and a very clean dry cloth for wiping edges. A very dilute solution of washing soda in water gets fingerprints and dirt off walls really well. Stoves, ovens and other really bad areas that have not been cleaned in ages will require a lot of work regardless of what products you use. Soak the areas well, use the scrappers, tooth brushes, scouring pads and pumice stone if needed. Be careful not to damage your surfaces, and test all methods you use on an area that is not noticeable.
By using a combination of the tools and techniques and practicing, you could become an expert and help save the planet. Low-toxic cleaning methods, when used with care and skill, are highly effective. And they won't damage your household surfaces or finishes the way conventional methods can. If you are able to afford a professional cleaner, ask for low toxic cleaning.

Helpful Tips
One at a time, use up your toxic stuff and then replace it with low toxic alternatives.
  • Prevent build-up of dirt and cleaning will be easy.
  • Use a handyman's apron or carry a small bucket around with your equipment.
  • Use vegetable and herbal based soaps for most all general cleaning.
  • Use baking soda as a paste (very little water) for tough stains in bathroom and kitchen.
  • Add a little liquid soap to baking soda for greasy stains.
  • Soak and pre-soak areas that are worse.
  • Use white scrub pads on most surfaces (they will not scratch).
  • Use green scrub pads on some surfaces (they scratch and make it harder to clean later).
  • Use plastic scraper for quick removal of stuck-on stuff on delicate surfaces.
  • Use razor blade scraper on flat smooth surfaces in oven.
  • Use old toothbrush and industrial plastic toothbrush for crevices and tight corners.
  • Use pumice stone for worst-case stains on porcelain (careful, it can scratch*).
    *Test tools on hidden surfaces to avoid scratching and ruining surfaces.
  • Use those old cotton towels or shirts and rip them into the best cleaning cloths for all jobs.
Toxic cleaning products have no place in our home or in our work environment, especially when there are cheaper and just as effective less-toxic cleaning alternatives.
Home Safe Home: Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Everyday Toxics and Household Products By Debra Lynn Dadd, 1997. Tarcher, Putnam, New York, NY
How to Make the World a Better Place: 116 Ways You Can Make a Difference by Jeffrey Hollender. 1995. (W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. NY)
MAKING WAVES, Feb. 2000, page 5
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MAKING WAVES, Feb. 2000, page 5
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