A Green Clean, Part III: Baking Soda

How To Use Baking Soda To Clean a Home

Last week, Grady's GreenLiving Tips discussed methods to clean the home with vinegar.  The week prior, the focus was on lemons.  This week, the third, and final, green tip in this series is about the cleaning power of baking soda.  Baking soda is a green product with no harsh chemicals that can effectively clean several areas of the home.  Several benefits of baking soda include:

1) Eradicate unpleasant odors: Baking soda is a great odor eliminator.  Place baking soda in the refrigerator to neutralize food odor.  Sprinkle on the rug or furniture and let sit for a few minutes, and then vacuum: unpleasant smells will be removed from those areas.  Use baking soda to wash out food containers to remove odor as well.

2) Remove food stains: Rub baking soda in ovens (unless it is a self-cleaning oven), grills, pots, and pans to removed baked on food debris.

3) Clean hairbrushes: A mixture of baking soda and water will help clean dirt and debris from combs and hairbrushes if the brushes are left in a cup or basin of the mixture for several minutes and then rinsed clean.

A Green Clean, Part II: Vinegar

The Natural Cleaning Power of Vinegar

Last week, Grady's GreenLiving Tips detailed the natural cleaning power of lemons and highlighted areas in the home that can be cleaned with lemons and lemon juice.  This week's blog will focus on the cleaning power of vinegar.  Vinegar is available at any grocery store and many home good stores.  Unlike lemons, vinegar can be saved and stored for repeated uses.  Read about several ways to clean with vinegar here:

1. Unclog drains: Vinegar is great at cleaning out blockages.  Mixed with a little baking soda and poured down the drain, the drain should clear faster than before.

2. Eliminate stains: Different types of vinegar are great at getting stains out of the carpet or clothing items.  Vinegar can remove coffee, grass, rust, even ink stains- and many more.  Several stain removing tips are provided in the article "How To Remove Laundry Stains With Vinegar" from The Balance at thebalance.com.

A Green Clean, Part I: All About Lemons

A Focus on The Natural Cleaning Power of Lemons

Embracing a green life entails finding creative ways to preserve the environment.  One way could be to utilize everyday household products for cleaning supplies in lieu of buying cleaning chemicals that can be dangerous for the air and surrounding environment.

In the next few weeks, Grady's GreenLiving Tips will explore the multiple ways that common household products can be used as cleaning supplies.  This week, the blog will focus on lemons.  Easy to buy at a local grocery store or farmer's market, lemons have multiple natural cleaning powers.  Explore a few of these methods here:

1. Remove stains: Lemon juice is a powerful, natural stain remover.  Squeeze lemon juice over stains and if necessary let sit overnight, before washing off with water.

Five Ways To Recycle a Pumpkin

October Themed GreenLiving Tips

Pumpkins are a staple of the autumn season, especially in the days leading up to and including Halloween.  But what are ways to utilize leftover pumpkins after this season?  In this blog, Grady Management explores five ways to use a leftover pumpkin:

1) Utilize pumpkins for food and baked goods: Leftover pumpkins can be cut up and made into pies, cakes, and/ or jams.  Pumpkin seeds can also be scooped out and baked as well.

Learn more pumpkin recipes on in the All Recipes article "19 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes".

2) Compost old and/ or leftover pumpkins: Pumpkins are primarily made of water and, because of this, are easily broken down into compost.