Cleaning, au naturel

I got to escape to one of my favorite places, the Urbandale Library, for a couple of hours Saturday afternoon. Of course, I filled my tote bag to the brim and wound up carrying a few more must-reads in my arms. I'm quite a sight hobbling up to the checkout counter, but at least it's an easier trek now that I'm all buff and such. I picked up several goodies, notably Sweater Surgery(oh so many cute bags and doodads from lowly sweaters...can't wait to give some a try, because many of you know how many desperate sweaters I've rescued from Goodwill) and
Green Up Your Cleanup. I borrowed the latter book last summer, but never really took the time to delve into all of the cleaner recipes. Well, with sloppy snow falling steadily all day today and no incentive to go out this afternoon, I got to play.

I half-heartedly gave the whole natural cleaning thing a try the first time I read this book. But I have to admit that it's rather painful to give up Comet. I have a thing for bleach. One of my fondest childhood memories is climbing into the bathtub, still a little gritty from the Comet cleansing Mom had given it earlier in the day. Knowing my Mom, it was like that nearly every day. She cleaned constantly. And it wasn't lost on her kids!

Some kids grow up to be comfort eaters. I'm a comfort cleaner. Fewer calories, but more carcinogens.

I've had my steam washer and dryer for a few months now, and I rarely find the need to add Clorox to the wash anymore.

Baby steps.

So today, I grabbed one of the large yogurt containers I stash in the basement for craft projects or other various secondary uses. Tossed in a few tablespoons of baking soda, a big squirt of Dr. Bronner's (rose is my favorite), sealed the top and shook up my Comet-substitute. I was skeptical of using this stuff to clean a bathroom, but you know what? Works beautifully! The secret is that you have to wipe the paste all over the surface (countertop, shower, tub, shower door, etc.), wait a few minutes, then spray it all down with vinegar. I don't necessarily enjoy the smell of vinegar, but it does dissipate quickly and you do need this step to break down the baking soda and eliminate grit.

Eliminate my beloved grit. But since this is baking soda grit and not Comet grit, then it's not as traumatic.

And what's the worst thing that can happen to my children if I miss a spot when rinsing down the tub? They'll smell like salad. Much better than growing an arm out of their back. Not that I know anything about that as a child of a Compulsive Cleaner, but I'm just sayin'...

This stuff also works swimmingly on my glass cooktop. Since I haven't yet gotten the timing down on boiling the milk for my oatmeal, this has become a morning ritual.

And one last hint from a Heloise-wannabe: microfiber cloths. Buy LOTS of them. I find the best-quality ones at the auto supply stores. Plus, they come in huge packs of different colors. And yes, I color-code my cleaning cloths. Orange for the kitchen, blue for the bathroom, green for toilets. Even though I have a Sanitary setting on my washing machine and an Anti-Bacterial setting on my dryer, and I use them more than I probably need to, I don't think anyone would want to wash dishes with the same rags they used to clean toilets, right?

Ew.

Toilet-cleaning. I have my secrets, but that's for another day. Let's just say toilet brushes are disgusting, and I don't own one. Me and the toilets go mano-a-mano with the green rags and, yes, Comet (old habits die hard). I wear gloves. That's all you need to know for now.