Zen Cleansing

Make your home sparkle with these recipes for natural cleaners.

by Michael de Jong, in “Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing”

Topics: household cleaning, cleaning tricks, green living More

In 1987 I moved to New York to become an artist and shortly thereafter began cleaning apartments for extra cash. I had placed an ad in the Village Voice advertising myself as a male housekeeper who cleaned "In the European Tradition" … whatever that meant.

From dozens of responses I managed to find four sincere individuals that were infinitely cleaner than I ever would have dreamed (hence making my life easier!). I began traveling the length of Manhattan, from the Cloisters to the World Trade Center, cleaning one apartment after another with my cleaning kit of commercially manufactured products — the usual suspects available at any grocery store.

I cleaned with abandon, the effects were dazzling and my clients began making referrals. But the daily multi-exposures to these products left me feeling awful. It was then that I began to think that there must be a better way for me to continue doing housework, but to do it in a way that wasn't toxic to my body. I realized that the pioneers who traveled across the Great Plains in the 1800s did so without the "convenience" of handy wipes, dishwasher tabs, aerosols or self-sanitizing lotion. And had it not been for the fact that they were probably trampled by their own livestock or were killed by each other in the Wild, Wild West, the strongest arrived at their destinations fed and clean. My goal then became to discover their lost secrets of cleaning.

What I've come to learn is that no matter how you look at it, cleaning is hard work. But what I've also come to know is that cleaning with the five wholesome, safe, and planet-friendly ingredients I've identified in "Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing" — white vinegar, salt, lemon, baking soda and borax — are not just alternatives, but rather, the solution to a much bigger challenge: that of living a life that's mindful of one's self, one's loved ones, one's pets, one's neighbors, one's community and one's planet.

Zen-Cleansing Recipes

Equal parts of borax, baking soda and Ivory soap flakes make amazing laundry soap. Store in a sealed glass jar. You'll never use anything else.
To unclog a drain, pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add on a half-cup of white vinegar. Rinse with hot water.
Replace your electric dishwasher soap with equal parts baking soda and borax.
By adding a splash of white vinegar to the rinse cycle, stemware and glasses are sure to be extra shiny.
Two parts olive oil mixed with one part lemon juice will make great furniture polish. Just a few drops on a soft cloth will get your wood furniture to shine. Store in a glass jar.
Clean your oven without caustic or dangerous chemicals by sprinkling its cooled interior with baking soda and then applying lemon juice. Watch the oven cleaner bubble and let it sit for an hour. Clean with fresh water and a cloth.
By cleaning with equal parts baking soda and white vinegar, your toilet bowl will be fresh and clean.
To add to the longevity of fresh-cut flowers, add two tablespoons white vinegar and one teaspoon sugar for each quart of water.
Remove fish, garlic or onion odors from your hands by rubbing them with a lemon wedge dipped in salt, and then rinsing with water.
Remove mineral deposits and debris from a glass flower vase by mixing one-third cup salt and two tablespoons white vinegar to form a paste. Apply to inside of vase and let it stand 20 minutes, then scrub. Rinse vase and dry.
Clear the air with a homemade air freshener. Just cut a lemon in half, remove pulp and fill the peel with salt. It will provide a pleasant, aromatic lemony scent anywhere in your home.
Remove rust from household tools and chrome by using salt and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Create a paste, apply to the rusted area with a dry cloth, and rub.