Make Your Own Green Cleansers

With basic ingredients—baking soda, vinegar, Murphy’s Oil soap, and salt—you can make non-toxic alternatives to more hazardous chemicals that are traditionally used at home.

Safety First!

• Please do not mix the Green Cleaning recipes with other cleaning products.
• Keep these basic cleaning products out of the reach of children.
• To properly dispose of hazardous household products you no longer want or need, call the Hazards Line at (206) 296-4692.

Follow these simple recipes to make your own cleaners

Translation is available in five languages (pdf):
English | Cambodian | Chinese | Spanish | Vietnamese

Tub and Sink Cleaner

• Use baking soda in place of scouring powder.
• Sprinkle it on porcelain fixtures and rub with a wet rag.
• Add Castile Soap or Murphy's Oil Soap to the rag for more cleaning power.
• Rinse well to avoid leaving a hazy film.

Window and Mirror Cleaner

1. Put ¼ cup of vinegar in a spray bottle and fill to top with water.
2. Spray on surface.
3. Rub with a cloth diaper, other lint-free rag, or sheets of newspaper.

Outdoor Window Cleaner

1. Use a sponge and wash with warm water mixed with a few drops of liquid soap.
2. Rinse well.
3. Squeegee dry.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

1. Sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl.
2. Squeeze a couple of drops of soap in also.
3. Scrub with a toilet bowl brush and finish outside surfaces with a rag sprinkled with baking soda.
4. Rinse.

Linoleum Floor Cleaner

1. Mix 1/2 cup vinegar in a bucket of warm water.
2. Mop as usual.
3. The vinegar odor will go away shortly after the floor dries.

All-Purpose Cleaner

For spots on linoleum, tile, and woodwork.

1. Add a drop of Murphy's Oil Soap on a wet washcloth.
2. Rub briskly.

A washcloth will last longer and create less waste than a sponge.

Copper Cleaner (Do not use this cleaner on lacquered finishes)

1. Mix equal parts vinegar and salt (a tablespoon of each should do).
2. Apply to surface with a rag.
3. Rinse thoroughly with water to prevent corrosion.
4. For a shiny appearance, apply a little vegetable oil with a cloth and rub.

Drain Cleaner

This recipe will free minor clogs and help prevent future clogs.

1. Pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain.
2. Pour ½ cup vinegar down the drain.
3. Let it fizz for a few minutes.
4. Pour a teakettle full of boiling water down the drain to clear it.
5. Repeat if needed.

If the clog is stubborn, use a plunger. If very stubborn, use a plumber's snake

Oven Cleaner (Do not use this cleaner on self-cleaning ovens)

1. Mix 1 cup baking soda with enough water to make a paste.
2. Apply to oven surfaces.
3. Let stand for several minutes.
4. Scrub with a scouring pad for most surfaces.
5. Use a spatula or bread knife to get under large food deposits.

Try spot cleaning your oven regularly; dirty ovens are less energy-efficient.

Links to other sites

Washington Toxics Coalition
Local Hazardous Waste Program

Seattle Public Utilities  |  700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4900  |  PO Box 34018 Seattle, WA 98124-4018  |  (206) 684-3000  |  Contact Us