I’ve had a few thoughts on leaving behind toxic cleaners of late, due to my soon-approaching delivery. I just figured it’s better to go ahead and start “baby proofing” and switching over to natural products now than waiting until the girls are old enough to get into everything, right?
So when Sophie from Natural News contacted me about this post regarding eco-friendly cleaners over toxic ones, I was all about it! Valuable information here, for sure! Let’s see what she has to say…
This is a topic I have personally covered over at NaturalNews.com for bleach, so I wont cover it too much here, I would just like to run through some cleaning statistics with you, and also look at some home cleaners that can be made from household items already under the kitchen sink!
Many of us have had it drilled into us that domestic cleaning products are best and man-made chemicals are created to make for a cleaner home. This truly is not the case, and using such chemicals could actually be a lot more dangerous than not cleaning at all.
Let’s jump right in here!
The Green Cleaning List
- Baking Soda – Baking soda has been the main ingredient in the cleaning arsenal for many years. It is used for its ability to deodorize and it also softens water, which makes it fantastic for using within the washing machine.
- Soap – Soap is very green so long as it does not contain any petroleum distillates; you are looking for a soap that is biodegradable. Soap will literally clean almost anything.
- Lemon – Lemon is used for it’s antibacterial properties and will not only kill and eliminate it, but you will also have a great smelling home.
- Borax – Borax is a very popular green product and is used in washing machines, since it disinfects, cleans and also gets rid of odors. Borax is also extremely good at cleaning floors.
- White Vinegar – I am sure we have all used this at some point. It is especially good for washing windows with a little washing up liquid in a spray bottle. White vinegar can also eliminate and kill mold and mildew.
- Washing Soda – Washing soda is fantastic for use on grease. It also removes stains, softens water, cleans wall tiles, sinks and bathtubs.
So there we go; those are some of the main ingredients people do use to clean their homes without putting themselves in danger from all the toxic chemicals. I have read of people combining their own combinations to clean certain things, such as brass. A blogger I knew put the brass into a whole bottle of Coca Cola and left it overnight. In the morning the brass was the shiniest I had ever seen. Lord knows what it does to our insides if it does that to brass!
Oh, before I forget, I have an infographic of some statistics you should take a look at. I think some of them may surprise you!
Air Fresheners
I wanted to touch base with a subject I have not really delved that much into but have researched immensely. Air fresheners do not actually make the air “fresh”. What they do is block the nasal receptors, which in turn diminish the sense of smell…therefore the smell is actually still there.
The Cure?
Grab a dish and mix in some baking soda or vinegar, either one is fine. Top it off with some lemon juice. This mixture actually destroys the odor in the air as opposed to just masking it. Here are some other natural cures to bad odors and smells:
- Having house plants scattered around the home reduces odors.
- Do you use deep fat fryers and hate the smell of food odors as your cooking? Simmer some vinegar (white or brown) in a saucepan whilst you are cooking.
- Grate some lemon into your waste bin and this will eliminate the waste smells in the kitchen.
Author Bio: This article was written by Sophie Eagan, a passionate eco friendly warrior and eco friendly cleaner. If you would like to follow Sophie you can do by adding her to your circles on Google+.
Thanks so much for this info, Sophie! The more I hear about how Coke cleans things, the happier I am that I don’t drink the stuff! And I really can’t believe that 47% of cohabiting couples argue about cleaning! (My hubby and I must just work well on that one!)
Have YOU found a favorite cleaner that can be labeled as “green” or non-toxic? I’d love to hear about it!
Due to the amount of comments from all of my wonderful readers, it is not always possible for me to respond to each one. However, I absolutely do read them all, and if you’d like to address something specific, or have a question for me, please don’t hesitate to email me at Kristen@theroadtodomestication.com. I will respond to your email as soon as possible! Thank you for visiting the blog!
Thanks so much for sharing this information. I had no idea that Borax was green. I’m happy to hear it. I love that stuff!
This is a great list of household items to use for cleaning – I use vinegar to clean our home most often.
I think these are wonderful ideas. I do want to move away from toxic cleaners because of the pets.
This is an interesting article.
I was not aware of some of these alternative cleaning options.
I think the only chemical cleaner I buy is bleach for my white clothes and Fabuloso for my toilet. For everything else I just use alcohol in a spray bottle.
We have a number of eco-friendly products to choose from and most of them are very good as well. I think it’s important to switch from our old products to the ones that can help the environment, it’s good for our health as well!
I love making my own cleaners. Vinegar is my go to bathroom cleaner. Add in a little Lemon Essential Oil and we are good to go!
I make my own cleaning supplies and I even make my own laundry soap. I found that making my own is not only cost effective but I feel better about cleaning with the vinagure then I do with the other products that have harsh chemicals.
Our family has been switching out or toxic cleaners lately too. Mainly using vinegar!
This is great advice for anyone with a family and pets. I often worry about the chemicals that are contained in household cleaning supplies.
This is indeed a great list of natural cleaners. I have to look into what washing soda is because that I will be using for sure. I use lemon and vinegar already. Thanks for sharing and I think it is great you are switching cleaners before baby gets here.
Baking soda is one mean cleaning machine! My cupboard will never be complete without it! 🙂
I love eco-friendly cleaning products, especially washing soda. This list is so helpful, great infographic too!
There you go, easy to find and I can bet a lot less expensive. Things our mamas used and the house was clean
I always prefer eco-friendly products & having lot to deal with sensitive skin issues I have moved to natural products long back. The info-graphic looks amazing & the stats are quiet interesting and thanks for listing out the benefits of green cleaning as well.
Eco-friendly is always the right solution. I’m using all the above-mentioned natural cleaning products and some additional. I also use lemons, oranges and ginger. There are lots of cleaning recipes with them and they sure worth trying . Also, the smell after cleaning with them is fantastic!