Would you like your living room area to have that fresh, springlike smell? Certainly, commercial cleaning products can help you achieve this. But with a little ingenuity, you can give your home’s rooms a green, clean twist on your own.

Many commercial products have green complements. Here are some that can be used for common cleaning tasks around the living room:

¢ Dusting: Perform with a damp cloth as opposed to dry dusting, which stirs up dust.

¢ Furniture polish: Mix olive oil and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio and polish with a soft cloth.

¢ Windows: Mix 3 tablespoons of vinegar per 1 quart water in a spray bottle. For extra-dirty windows consider a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap, 3 tablespoons vinegar and 2 cups of water, and shake well.

Floors and carpet

¢ Linoleum: Use 1/4 cup washing soda with 1 tablespoon of liquid soap, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 gallons hot water. Put the washing soda in the bucket first and add the liquid ingredients; that way the soda won’t splash out. Do not use this formula on waxed floors.

¢ Wood floors: Add 1 cup of vinegar per pail of hot water.

¢ Carpets and rugs: Sprinkle baking soda over the surface of the carpet can help eliminate odors. Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.

Source: Consumer’s Union