Save the Earth with baking soda!

Save the Earth with baking soda!
Inexpensive tips for cleaning your home the toxic-free way
By BETH LEVINE

B1ACK IN APRIL, AMID THE Earth Day hoopla, you probably vowed to help save the planet So, you now recycle newspapers and cans. You turn you nose up at fur, and turn off the water when you brush your teeth.

But you may not have thought to change your housecleaning habits.
''Vast quantities of detergents, bleaches and polishes are manufac­tured from toxic chemicals like hydro­chloric acid, sulfuric acid and benzene," says Diane MacEachern, author of "Save Our Planet: 750 Ev­eryday Ways You Can Help Clean Up the Earth" (Dell. $9.95).

"Just disposing of the 'empty' con­tainer these chemicals come in can send them right to the landfill, where the toxins leach into the groundwater- possibly to end up back in the kitchen, coming out of the tap," Mac­Eachern points out.

Fortunately, there are alternative cleaners that are easy to create and environmentally sound.
MacEachern recommends the fol­lowing:

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER: Mix 1 gal­lon hot water, 1 cup sudsy ammonia, 1 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon baking soda.

WARNING: Use gloves and do not mix with other compounds, espe­cially chlorine bleach. Mixing ammo­nia and bleach produces a toxic gas.

DRAIN CLEANER: Mix 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt, 1 cup cream of tar­tar. Pour 1 cup of this mixture into the drain, followed by a pot of boiling water.

TOILET BOWL CLEANER: A strong solution of a natural acid, such as vin­egar, will remove lime scale without polluting water.

GLASS CLEANER: Mix 1 tablespoon borax or washing soda and 3 cups wa­ter. Spray onto glass using a pump sprayer. Avoid streaking by cleaning with a squeegee.

The famous "hints" columnist Helo-ise, author of "Hints for a Healthy Planet" (Perigee. $7.95), believes we can solve all household cleaning problems using various combinations of vinegar, baking soda, cornstarch and ammonia. Some of her sugges­tions are:

• Clean shower stalls, tubs, toilets, tiles, and glass and ceramic surfaces with baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge. For a more abrasive cleaner, scrub surface with half a lemon dipped in borax. Rinse.

• Adding 1/2 - 1 cup of vinegar to rinsewater will soften your laundry and cut the soap.

• Spray starch can be made by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with one pint cold water. Store in a spray bottle and shake well before using.

Environmentally sound substitu­tions can also be made for health and personal care products, says Nancy Birne, author of "Cheaper and Bet­ter: Homemade Alternatives to Store-bought Goods" (Perennial Library. $11.95).

Here are some of her tips:

TOOTH POWDER: Place 2 table­spoons of dried lemon or orange rind in a food processor and grind until you have a fine powder. Add 1/2 cup baking soda and 2 teaspoons salt and process a few seconds more. (If you don't have a food processor, use a mortar and pestle.) Store the powder in a salt shaker and shake directly onto your toothbrush.

FACIAL CREAM: Combine in a glass or ceramic bowl: 1 ounce glycerin, 1 ounce witch hazel, l/2 ounce rose water, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons wheat germ oil. Store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.

AFTERSHAVE: Mash one large cu­cumber in a blender. Strain through a coffee filter and remove pulp. Crush 1 teaspoon mint or 2 sprigs fresh mint. Combine with cucumber and 1 cup witch hazel, 1 cup alcohol (reduce to1 tablespoon if skin is dry), 1/2 cup lem­on juice, 1/4 cup lime juice. Let mix­ture sit for 30 minutes, strain andstore in a tightly capped bottle.

(Beth Levins is a freelance writer.) •