Save Some Green and Stay Clean

Most of us are concerned with saving the planet. So here are two of my favorite cleaning tricks to help you keep your house clean and green.

Cut up old t-shirts to use as cleaning rags. These are reusable, free, and better for the planet than paper towels. Tired and stained bath towels and washcloths work too. Keep them in a special drawer, basket, whatever.

Dilute your chemicals. Most bathroom/surface/everything cleaners are much more potent than they need to be. So don't be afraid to water it down -- your Clorox spray will still get the job done, and be less stinky, and the bottle will last longer. If your bottle is new, try pouring some into a reusable spray bottle and diluting both bottles. You can keep one in the bathroom, and one in the kitchen. Look, that just saved you 30 seconds walking back and forth to get cleaning supplies! Everybody wins.

If you're cool without harsh chemicals, use natural cleaning aids. Diluted vinegar is great for disinfecting bathrooms and kitchens, and water with a bit of lemon juice is a great all-purpose surface cleaner.