Cooking grease is animal or vegetable fat that is a liquid at room temperature. Both types of cooking liquids can be cleaned up using the same products. Cooking grease that has spilled can be cleaned up in a number of ways: if it has gotten onto fabric, you should use a dishwashing detergent and water to soak the fabric immediately. The detergent and water break up the fat molecules, removing the stain from the fabric. If you don’t have a detergent, aloe vera gel or hairspray may work as an alternative. Cooking grease also often gets onto cabinets. If this is the case, wash the cabinets with a vinegar solution and water, finishing the cleanup with a pleasant smelling spray or liquid to resolve the vinegar smell. If the cabinets are wooden, wash the vinegar smell away with dishwater.

The easiest cooking-grease messes are on appliances. The smooth surfaces allow a solution of dishwater and soap to remove the stain quite easily. If the stain persists, add some dish detergent to the solution and try again.

Industrial lubricant grease, however, requires a completely different set of cleaning solutions. These lubricants consist of a mineral or vegetable oil base emulsified with a thickening substance, such as a lithium or sodium soap. Lubricating grease is used where other lubricates cannot remain, or where water needs to be prevented from entering, in which case it acts as a sealant.

Common places you’ll find industrial lubricant grease include under the hood of your car, your oven, and in other mechanical places, such as the ball bearings in the hub of a bicycle. Just as with cooking grease, the best way to clean lubricating grease depends on the surface on which it needs to be removed:

If lubricating grease has gotten into fabric, immediately rinse with baking soda, dishwashing detergent, and water. If grease has gotten onto skin, which often happens when cleaning a car, pipes, or a furnace, a number of steps may be needed to remove it.

First, wash the skin with water and soap, getting as much of the grease off as possible. Whatever remains, rub generously with petroleum jelly. Wipe your hands clean with a dry cloth, especially focusing on the areas where the grease seems to have gotten trapped in dead skin. Whatever grease remains will need to be sloffed off through exfoliation, using a scrub. If grease still remains, use a pumice stone on the leftover stains. Be sure to moisturize your hands after this rough treatment.

The most difficult cleaning task with lubricant grease is on rugs or carpets. The first step is to immediately blot as much grease off of the carpet or rug. It’s essential not to scrub the grease into the fabric of the material, but to lift the grease off with a paper towel. Next, spray the remaining stain with a cleaning solution appropriate to your type of carpet. Repeat the first and second step over and over until the stain has disappeared, being sure to prevent the stain from spreading. If the stain still doesn’t disappear, pour cornmeal over the affected area and let set. In either case, leave the affected area overnight, and the next day vacuum clean until the area is back to normal.
Grease stains are hard to fight, but if they are treated at once, they won’t ruin the surface they tried to conquer.

(When at the store, note that just because a cleaning product says that it’s environmentally friendly doesn’t make it so, and eventually, everything’s biodegradable, so that label doesn’t really mean much of anything!)

First of all, think reuse, reuse, reuse. Rags are a great substitute for paper towels, and you can use a reusable mop, such as a rag mop, instead of one with a disposable base. Try using a natural sponge instead of a disposable one.

Then, for ingredients… here are some household basics that will help you keep your home clean without destroying the environment (or poisoning your family):

• Distilled white vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Baking soda
• Plain white soap (without scents, colors, or other additives… purchase or make your own)
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Cornstarch

One thing to remember while cleaning just about anything is that hot water  tends to speed the cleaning process. Regular soap is a great cleanser. It needn’t just be for the body.

Clean glass using a vinegar solution or straight lemon juice. These are also both great for cutting through grease.

For light abrasive cleaning whether on the counters, in an appliance, or in the oven, add a little bit of water and some baking soda and scrub away.

In the bathroom, tea-tree oil works great on mildew, and so does vinegar. To clean the toilet, vinegar is great for around the rim detox. For inside the toilet, let lemon juice and baking soda sit, followed by a good scrub.

You can take care of a clogged toilet or a clogged drain with nothing more than vinegar and baking soda. Adding a little hot water speeds this up even more.

To clear out a nasty odor from the disposal, grind up ice cubes (to clean it) and pour some lemon juice in it (for the scent).

When it comes to stains, first of all, don’t let them sit. Not for a minute, not for a day. You’ll find, as grandmother always said, club soda is great for carpet stains, (and non-toxic!).

If that doesn’t work, let cornstarch soak it up for a bit, then follow that with a water-vinegar solution scrub.

For an anti-bacterial disinfectant, add a few drops of either tea-tree oil or lavender to water. Both are excellent antiseptic agents.

For deodorizing, baking soda works great, whether in the fridge, the pantry, or the carpet. Once you’ve taken care of odor, get rid of those chemical air fresheners. Use candles or potpourri instead, or even incense, if you’d like a nice scent.

To polish furniture or wooden floors, add olive oil to either lemon juice or vinegar and rub away for a nice shine.