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25 Fish-Friendly Cleaning Solutions
Air Freshener
Set a small dish of vinegar or lemon juice in a warm area.
All-Purpose Cleaner
1 quart warm water
1 teaspoon liquid soap
1 teaspoon borax
¼ cup vinegar
Ant Bait
Make chili powder packets to keep ants out of your kitchen.
Bleach
Use borax instead!
Carpet Cleaner
Sprinkle the carpet with this mixture, let stand one hour, then vacuum to neutralize odors.
1 cup borax
2 cups cornmeal
Chlorine Scrubbing Powder
Use baking soda instead!
Chrome Cleaner
Apple cider vinegar to clean, baby oil to polish.
Compost Starter
For quick composting with minimal odor, start with a mixture of
browns (dried up plant material) and greens (kitchen scraps and grass).
Never add meat scraps or bones. Do add eggshells, paper, coffee grounds
and filters.
3 parts dry leaves (browns)
2 parts fresh garden weeds and grass clippings
1 part food scraps (greens)
2 parts water (or beer) added periodically
Detergent
Use simple soap or phosphate-free detergent!
Disinfectant
Use ammonia instead!
Drain Cleaner
Try the plunger first. Next, pour ½ cup of baking soda followed
by ½ cup of vinegar down the drain. Cover, and let sit for 15 minutes.
Pour in 2 quarts of boiling water, and the clog should disappear. If you
do this weekly, you can prevent clogs and keep the drains smelling fresh.
Fertilizer
Mix in a 20-gallon, hose-end sprayer. Use every three weeks in
the morning within two days of mowing.
1 can beer
1 cup ammonia
½ cup dish soap (phosphorus free)
½ cup lawn food
½ cup molasses or corn syrup
Fiberglass Stain Remover
Use a paste made of baking soda and water.
Floor Cleaner
Mop floors with 1 cup vinegar mixed with 2 gallons water. Mop
with skim milk to polish linoleum floors.
Hand Cleaner
Use baby oil or margarine!
Insect Control
Mix in a 20-gallon, hose-end sprayer. Best when applied in the
evening after 7 p.m. Can be sprayed on all plants.
1 cup dish soap (phosphorus free)
½ cup chewing tobacco tea (make by brewing 3 fingers per gallon
of water)
2 tablespoons witch hazel
4 tablespoons instant tea
Lawns
For low-mow and low-water lawns, use this recipe. For no-mow landscaping,
use native wildflower mixes or forest groundcovers.
80% — Perennial ryegrass "Elka" or hard fescue
5 to 10% — Common white yarrow
5 to 10% — Strawberry clover
20% — English daisy
3% — Roman chamomile
Mothballs
Use cedar chips instead!
Oven Cleaner
Pour salt on fresh oven spills, then scrape off residue when oven
cools. Use ammonia on tough stains or, get a pumice stick from your hardware
store.
Pressure Washing Solution
Try water first: Water pressure alone often removes the dirt and
grime.
2 cups mild laundry detergent
½ cup vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
Tile Cleaner
Scrub with baking soda and a toothbrush.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Use baking soda or borax instead!
Weed Control
Mix in a hand pump sprayer. Use only on dry days. Spray only on
weeds.
1 cup dish soap (phosphorus free)
1 cup ammonia
4 tablespoons instant tea
Window Cleaner
Use the following mixture in a spray bottle, and wipe with newspapers
instead of paper towels.
1/4 cup vinegar or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 quart water
Wood Polish
Use almond or olive oil on interior wood.
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These suggestions are practical changes we can consider making in our daily lives to help salmon. This information does not substitute for any local, state or federal legal regulations. Reprinted with permission from the Oregon Governor’s Natural Resources Office at 503/378-3589.