Commercial Detergent Alternatives

*Baking Soda: cleans and deodorizes. Softens water to increase sudsing and cleaning power of soap. Also good for scouring and deodorizing your refrigerator and sinks. To deodorize your trash, put 1/2 cup in the bottom of the can. Is also a good fabric softener for your laundry. When turned into a paste with water, you can rub it to polish silver.

*Borax: cleans and deodorizes when mixed with soap and water. Also good for disinfecting and softening water, and replacing commercial color enhancers for your laundry (including bleach) and laundry detergent. Can be found in laundry section of supermarket.

*Plain soap: Biodegrades safely and is totally nontoxic.

*Washing soda: Cuts grease and removes stains, disinfects, softens water. Available in laundry section of supermarket.

*White vinegar: Cuts grease & freshens surfaces. Also good for taking stains out of carpets, dishes, clearing drains, and as a fabric softener for your laundry. Good for deodorizing pet stains. Can also polish chrome, if undiluted.

*Ammonia: for cleaning ovens. (Do not mix with commercial cleaners or bleach; the mix causes a deadly fume.)

*Lemon oil/lemon juice: Polishes unwaxed wood when mixed with vegetable oil or mineral water. (Buff hard after polishing with clean cloth.) Also good for polishing aluminum.

*Melted paraffin and vinegar: if you soak a cloth in this mix and let the cloth dry, it polishes waxed wood. Always melt paraffin in a double boiler.

Based on information from the Environmental Defense Fund Website
http://www.edf.org