If you read the warning labels on one of your cleaning products, you'll probably see that it's dangerous if inhaled, touched, ingested or used too frequently. Multiply that by the number of chemical cleaners in your home, and the effects multiply. Home cleaners and air fresheners release a chemical cocktail of pollutants into the air you breathe. They also leave traces of their chemicals on whatever surfaces they come in contact with. Marketing tells you that there's a different product for every cleaning need under the sun, but the truth is, you need very few products to keep your home clean and you can complete most cleaning jobs with simple items from your pantry.
Reduce products
Look through your home and see how many cleaners you actually have. If you use something different for windows, counters, floors, toilets, bathtubs, tough stains and all-purpose cleaning, it's likely you can get rid of at least half of these products. For example, one all-purpose cleaner can clean most hard surfaces. Most major cleaning product manufacturers have released natural or green all-purpose cleaners. See how many things you can effectively clean with just this one product.
Look to your pantry
You can replace most of the chemical cleaners you buy with products you make yourself. Use baking soda in place of scouring powders and creams with abrasives, according to Mother Earth News. Use plain, cheap white vinegar to clean hard surfaces. Its natural acidity makes it ideal for counter tops, sinks and tubs. It also deodorizes carpets and fabrics. Use natural oil soap, also called castile soap, to wash dishes, laundry, carpets, floors, cars and even your own body. Table salt makes an effective scrubber if you're out of baking soda. Cornstarch freshens carpets and works as a gentle silver and furniture polish.
Don't worry about disinfectants
You might be leery of using natural cleaners because the products you choose claim to disinfect your home. According to experts at Earth Easy, most home kitchen and bathrooms are safe and the idea that they need disinfected is a myth. A healthy immune system can handle most of the common home contaminants. Very few home cleaners can completely disinfect a surface and their benefits are usually derived from using a lot of the product and allowing it to sit for a long period of time---and this is not the way most people clean. Remember when you're trying to kill living organisms that you're one, too.
Soak and scrub
If you have some stuck-on gunk on your counters or on your pots and pans, time and effort can help you remove the stains without chemicals. Invest in good quality scrubbing pads, sponges and wash rags which will stand the test of hard scrubbing. Soak stains in hot water to help soften them and then scrub them away. Most cleansers use chemical solvents to break down the contents of the stain, but you don't need these if you're willing to do the work yourself.
Member Comments