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:

1. Having house plants scattered around the home reduces odors.
2. 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.
3. 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!