Cheap, enviro-friendly cleaners and pest control that you have in your cupboard or on your body

Jesse has a theory that in the 50’s people got all excited about anything they thought was modern, and ditched their former, highly effective and non-toxic products. I happen to think he’s right, and since I decided to nix “chemical” cleaners after feeling sick while using up the rest of my lavender scented shall-remain-unnamed-product last year, I have discovered many handy old fashioned alternatives. I don’t even walk down the cleaner isle in the grocery store anymore. They are that good. So, without further adieu, here they are:

Baking soda

It will clean ANYTHING–so, so much better than manufactured cleaners (and much cheaper). I use it to clean the counters, stove, and bathroom. It is also a miracle worker at getting crusty stuff off of pans. Just put some warm water in the pan, sprinkle in a hefty layer of baking soda, and put the pan back on the burner. Voila! The baking soda will literally lift the crusty stuff off– effortless.

Oh, I also use it every once in a while to whiten my teeth, and to remove tea and coffee stains from mugs. The box says you can use it to clean clothes. I haven’t tried this yet, but plan to experiment with some sheets and towels soon.

Vinegar

Another miracle! It works very well as a cleaner mixed with baking soda. It’s also a great substitute for glass cleaner. Honestly, it works just as well if not better. It can help a smelly garbage disposal too.

Lemon, water, and olive oil

Fantastic wood cleaner! Smells nice, and you don’t have to be all careful about touching your eyes, face, and mouth after using it!

Human Hair

We had a gopher problem in our garden, but the little guys is adorable, and we moved into his turf; we weren’t about to harm him. We did some research and found out that gophers will stay away from human scent, so we cleaned out my hair brush and stuffed it down his whole. Guess what! He moved on to greener pastures. We’ve repeated this technique and successfully steered gopher-friend into a part of the yard we don’t care about, and away from a trap planted by an unsympathetic maintenance crew member

Plain Non-Fat Yogurt

While not a cleaner or a pest control, it is a wonderful (much more healthful) substitute (identical, if you ask me) for sour cream. It’s also a great substitute for mayonnaise. I recommend giving it a whirl. I like to buy it in giant tubs from Costco. The tubs come in handy for food storage, but we go through a lot of them, so some meet their fate with the recycling bin. I have contemplated making my own yogurt, but this would just result in my using more milk containers, which are not reusable. Shame.