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Homemade Tub & Tile Cleaning Remedies (Giveaway!)
Blog Of The Week
Thursday, January 19, 2012
by Micaela Preston, Founder of Mindful Momma
When you spend good money redecorating a bathroom, you can get a little obsessive about keeping it clean. I know because I've been there. We put new tile in the shower and reporcelained the bathtub in our bathroom this past year and I'm working like a maniac to make sure that mold and mildew don't take residence in there! Here are a few of my green cleaning and maintenance tips:
For prevention:
- Make sure the shower area is well-ventilated - turn on the fan and open the windows and doors!
- Use a squeegee to take excess water off of the shower walls.
- Wipe down problem areas like corners and ledges with a dry cloth.
- Make your own all-purpose shower cleaning spray by mixing 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 big squirt of liquid castile soap or eco-friendly dishwashing detergent. You can also add about 20 drops of antiseptic essential oil like tea tree or grapefruit seed oil. Both the vinegar and the essential oils work to prevent mold.
For treatment:
- Spray mold with straight vinegar to kill spores.
- Mix up a paste of baking soda or borax (a naturally occurring mineral) and scrub with a toothbrush. Use caution if you use borax - it can be harmful if ingested.
- To bleach stubborn stains, mix 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide with 1/2 cup water in a spray bottle. Spray stains and leave to dry.
So far I've kept the mold & mildew at bay. Hope these tips work for you too!
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Want more ideas for safe DIY cleaning products? Check out our other submissions:
- April shares her recipes for Natural Stain Removers on Frugally Green Mom
- Carissa shows us her Top 5 Ways To Clean Produce without chemicals on Mama In the Kitchen
- Betsy explores ways to expand her DIY Cleaning Repetoire on Eco-Novice
Thank you to our Healthy Child Network for these wonderful articles. Interested in joining our network and submitting your blogs to be featured? Sign-up today!
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What are your DIY cleaning recipes?
GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)
Congratulations to Liz Friedman who won the Earth Friendly Products kit. Liz wrote: I use mostly just vinegar, water and baking soda (and sometimes some extra elbow grease!) Thanks to everyone for the great comments!
Answer the question above and share your cleaning tips in the comments section by Thursday, January 26, 2012 11:59PM PST for a chance to win a kit from Earth Friendly Products. The kit contains six of their top-selling cleaners, including: ECOS laundry detergent, Dishmate Hand Dishwashing Soap, Wave Auto Dish Soap, Parsley Plus all-Purpose Cleaner, Window Cleaner and Eco Breeze. Total Value: $31.95.
For an extra chance to win, sign up for our newsletter and leave an extra comment saying you did so. We will announce the winner here on Friday, January 27, 2012. Good luck!
Eligibility Statement: Contest open to U.S. residents. Employees of Earth Friendly Products and Healthy Child Healthy World and their families are not eligible. Entry into the contest is premised on the leaving of a comment and eligibility is not conditioned on the payment of consideration.
Legal Disclaimer: Earth Friendly Products is a Trusted Partner of Healthy Child Healthy World, a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring a movement to protect children from harmful chemicals. Trusted Partners are companies that offer superior products that meet Healthy Child Healthy World's high Quality Standards, demonstrate a long-term commitment to their mission by joining their Trusted Partnership program, and contribute financially to the organization.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Healthy Child Healthy World.
Photo courtesy aamiic / CC BY 2.0
Posted by johanna on 01/26/2012 at 08:09 PM
I simmer a pot of water and cinnamon on the stove in place of commercial aerosols that contain CFCs or other harsh chemicals. the aroma fills the air with christmas!
Posted by Kristel Muniz on 01/26/2012 at 07:49 PM
I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my drains and sinks.
Posted by Carolyn cheriyan on 01/26/2012 at 06:57 PM
I mix a tblsp of dawn, a little baking soda, some vinegar and water to a spray bottle and that’s what I clean my bathroom with. If I have extra bad area I use extra dawn. I do love magic erasers tho. How do I part with them? I am careful to keep them locked away from my baby girl.
Posted by Mariah Jeffery on 01/26/2012 at 06:50 PM
I use vinegar and water to clean glass.
Posted by Jessica on 01/26/2012 at 05:45 PM
Signed up for newsletter!
Posted by Jessica on 01/26/2012 at 05:44 PM
Vinegar and water to clean the glass shower doors!
Posted by morgan maue on 01/26/2012 at 05:31 PM
i signed up for the newsletter. thanks!
Posted by morgan maue on 01/26/2012 at 05:29 PM
i use backing soda and castil soap with a little vegetable glycerine for a “soft scrub”. It works great.
Posted by robin on 01/26/2012 at 05:19 PM
I signed up for the newsletter! thanks a lot!
Posted by robin on 01/26/2012 at 05:17 PM
my favorite green cleaning tip is 1/2 water and half vinegar with 20 drops of citrus essential oil for windows, counters and just general purpose. Thanks for the contest!
Posted by Christy on 01/26/2012 at 03:27 PM
I like to use a mix of vinegar, water, and grapefruit seed extract for my daughter’s potty chair and light cleaning in the bathroom. For a more deep clean I use a mix of baking soda, castle soap, grapefruit seed extract, vinegar and water. It works great.
Posted by Jane on 01/26/2012 at 02:52 PM
I make most of my own cleaning products and i’m real pregnant so i need some help!
Posted by Tammy on 01/26/2012 at 02:39 PM
Signed up for newsletter! Thanks for the great info, we love you guys!
Posted by Tammy on 01/26/2012 at 02:38 PM
Water, vinegar and tea tree oil for wiping down any surface, baking soda for anything that needs scrubbing - even baked on casserole dishes. Wipe the kitchen sink with lemon peels to disinfect. Baking soda and eco dishwashing liquid to polish jewelry and silver.
Posted by Stephanie Girard on 01/26/2012 at 02:25 PM
get newsletter :)
Posted by Stephanie Girard on 01/26/2012 at 02:24 PM
i dont have any recipes, yet! I am in the process of trying to figure out whats best!!
Posted by Sharon on 01/26/2012 at 02:14 PM
I use baking soda & castile soap (peppermint) for basic bathroom cleaning; vinegar & water for all mirrors (and we have a wall of mirrors).
I also get your newsletter- love all you do!
Posted by Rach (donutsmama) on 01/26/2012 at 12:32 PM
I like to keep a bottle of vinegar/water mixed with a few drops of castille soap. I use it to clean everything.
Posted by Samantha y. on 01/26/2012 at 10:59 AM
I keep a vinegar and water spray bottle next to my sink and use it for washing veggies and all my appliances and windows.
Posted by Michelle on 01/26/2012 at 04:04 AM
I use vinegar and water in a spray bottle for most surfaces. I am going to start to incorporate tea tree oil as well.
Posted by Hillary on 01/25/2012 at 04:59 PM
I already get the newsletter and I love it!
Posted by Hillary on 01/25/2012 at 04:59 PM
I use tea tree oil in water at a ratio of 1 tsp to 1 cup for mold killer/ preventer. It’s great because after you scrub off any mold, there is no need to rinse. It doesn’t remove all stains, for that I use hydrogen peroxide.
I also love borax in my laundry as a de-smeller :) - especially my cloth diaper laundry.
Posted by Zoe on 01/25/2012 at 01:55 PM
I use a grapefruit cut in half and sea salt to clean the bathtub. It gleams when I am done and it smells good, too!
Posted by Hannah Snyder-Olson on 01/25/2012 at 01:10 PM
I use vinegar in my laundry to keep them smelling fresh…especially the towels.
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Posted by Autumn on 01/26/2012 at 09:37 PM
My latest is baking soda for EVERYTHING! I use it on my skin to help with my acne, I use it the kids baths for skin irritation, on stubborn pots and pans, tubs, you name it, I use baking soda for it :)