La Cucina Ecologico--Keeping Your Kitchen Green

It can be expensive and difficult to always buy green and organic products, though for the most part, I say it's worth it. However, one huge way you can green your kitchen and home is by using natural cleaning products in our kitchen, and of course the rest of the house.

Unfortunately, it's hard to find products like Simple Green and Seventh Generation here in Italy, and it's almost harder to convince my partner that it's worth the (lots of) extra Euros. In addition, I'm not entirely convinced that I want to inhale those products either, or that they are all that much more effective than some simple products I could make at home.

I stumbled on a great website that had all kinds of natural recipes for cleaning fluids and cleansers. Here are some cleaning products you can make at home...not quite the yummy Italian food recipes I usually post, but they'll keep your kitchen orgasmic and green affordably! Just buy two spray bottles, a box of baking soda, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and one box of white vinegar.

Then go crazy with the recipes below:

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle: 

• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 cup water 
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Homemade Spray Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 cup white vinegar 
• 1 cup water 

In the kitchen, use vinegar-and-water spray to clean countertops, lightly soiled range surfaces and backsplash areas. 

In the bathroom, use vinegar spray cleaner to clean countertops, floors, and exterior surfaces of the toilet. 

  

Baking Soda

Baking soda's mild abrasive action and natural deodorizing properties make it a powerful replacement for harsh commercial scouring powders. Put baking soda to work in your organized home: 

Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to tackle grimy bathtub rings, scour vanities, or remove food deposits from the kitchen sink. 

For tougher grime, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the tub or sink, and allow to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Dirt, soap scum and deposits soften and are easier to remove. 

All of these great recipes come from the Organized Home website. Click here to get more natural recipes for furniture polish and high strength cleaners, as well as more information about the products.
You can also check out a review of green cleaning products in the States here on the Grist website.