Time to get clean with green!

Thanks to funding from Vancity, this Spring, students at Queen Victoria Annex, and Charles Dickens Elementary in East Vancouver, learned about responsible entrepreneurship through successfully launching their own green cleaning businesses.

Students learned about climate change and actions they can take at home to reduce their carbon footprint. Some actions these students took were; taking shorter hot showers, turning the lights off, lowering the heat, not using plastic bags, using cold water to wash clothes, and many more. What do you do to reduce your carbon footprint at home or at work?

"Can we sell our responsible products to the whole world" was one student's response, after hearing about how harmful toxic cleaning products are for our health the environment. Here are some cleaning recipes that Queen Victoria Annex and Charles Dickens Elementary wanted to share with you! Please SHARE your green cleaning recipes!

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Essential Oil Air Freshener

~ 1 cup of water
~10 drops essential oil of your choice
- Spritzer Bottle

Mix the essential oil and water together in the spray bottle and tightly screw the cap back on. This can be spritz in the bathroom, kitchen, or any room to freshen. Also can mist on face for relaxation.
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All Purpose Spray

- ½ tsp washing soda (available in laundry section of grocery store)
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
- water
- (optional) 3 drops of essential oil of your choice (lavender, tea tree, rosemary…)

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Essential oil adds extra anti-bacterial properties. Use this on your shower walls, kitchen counter tops, and for spot washing on the floor!
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Abrasive Tub and Tile Scrubber

- ¾ cup baking soda

- ¼ cup salt
- 2 drops of tea tree oil

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix. Using a funnel fill the jars with the mixture. Use as you would Comet.
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Window/Mirror Cleaner

- 1 tsp of lemon juice in the bottle
- Fill ½ the bottle with vinegar
- Fill ½ the bottle with water.

Test the nozzle to make sure that it sprays. Then tighten it so that it won’t leak. Use as you would Windex.