Green Cleaning - The Power of Borax and Vinegar

Ever try to scrub out bacteria or mold using traditional cleaners? If so, you might have gotten sick from the toxic fumes long before the stains even came out. Scientific studies have directly compared the efficacy of natural cleaning agents like vinegar and borax to commercial cleaners. For example, several studies have shown regular household vinegar to be as effective or nearly as effective as commercial cleaners in eliminating microbes like E.coli from surfaces and sponges -- effectively eliminating between 90-98% of bacteria.

For removing dirt and soil from surfaces, studies have shown that borax or plain old soap and water with a little elbow grease do the job just as well as commercial cleaners. Lastly, in one study looking at mold, borax received top marks for removing mold from walls right along with commercial cleaners.