Keep it clean

LITTLE ROCK — Cleaning Parties.

“Green” cleaning parties, during which guests head to the kitchen to make nontoxic homemade cleaners, are popping up around the country, Jan Jarvis, medical and health reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, wrote recently. The get-togethers also are designed to educate participants about the toxic chemicals found in many household products. The idea of green-cleaning parties was developed by the national advocacy organization Women’s Voices for the Earth.

Such nontoxic cleaners can be practical alternatives to store-bought ones. “The homemade version of the all-purpose cleaner costs about 38 cents to make compared with $4 to $8 for store brands,” according to the organization. The creamy soft scrub for cleaning sinks and bathtubs (recipe below) costs 78 cents, versus $3.69 for its supermarket equivalent. The downside is that the homemade products may require more elbow grease.

Several studies have shownthat vinegar is as effective or nearly as effective as commercial cleaners in eliminating E. coli from surfaces, Jarvis reported, while borax has been shown to remove mold from walls equally as well as commercial products.

Here are several recipes from Women’s Voices for the Earth (womenandenviron ment.org), which publishes a kit for $25 as a guide to putting on a Green Cleaning Party:

All-purpose cleaner

2 cups white distilled vinegar 2 cups water 20-30 drops essential oil

(optional)

Pour in a spray bottle. Shake before using. For really tough jobs, put in a glass container and warm until barely hot.

Creamy soft scrub 2 cups baking soda 1 /2 cup liquid Castile soap 4 tablespoons vegetable

glycerin 5 drops anti-bacterial essential

oil such as lavender, tea tree

or rosemary

Whip together until consistency of buttercream frosting; store in sealed glass jar. Shelf life: two years.

Furniture polish 1 /4 cup olive oil 1 /4 cup white distilled vinegar 20-30 drops lemon essential oil

Shake well. Dip clean, dry cloth into polish and rub wood in direction of the grain.

Drain opener 1 /2 cup baking soda 1 /2 cup vinegar

Pour baking soda down drain and follow with vinegar.

Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Flush with boiling water.

Laundry detergent 1 cup soap flakes 1 /2 cup washing soda 1 /2 cup borax

Grate pure vegetable soap with a cheese grater to make soap flakes. Mix ingredients together and store in a glass container. Use 1 tablespoon per load in warm or cold water.