Keeping your home clean while maintaining your health in a good condition can sometimes prove to be two tasks that don't mix quite well. The commercial cleaning agents the market offers today are usually really high on toxic materials. Needless to say, these toxic materials have a really harming effect on our skin. Not to mention the obnoxious fumes we are forced to breathe in, while cleaning with such products. And if one wants to protect his/her health, something needs to be done. But what? Have you ever thought about actually making your own cleaning products? Yes, it really can be done. And without having to invest a lot of money in it, but rather by using ordinary things from your pantry, as almost all commercial cleaners have healthier alternatives.
- Let's start off with chlorine bleach. It is one of the oldest cleaners, but is, without a doubt, one of the harshest. If accidentally splashed, bleach is not friendly to your skin at all. However, bleach is really effective for mold killing, but its definitely not the only thing that can help you in this undertaking. Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide work just as well. Not to mention the fact that if you happen to mix bleach with another commonly used product, ammonia, the mixture is known to release poisonous fumes. In other words, it is almost impossible to know what's there in every cleaning product, but since most often they are full of materials that could harm you, it would be better to get rid of them by pouring them down the drain. However, do not pour more than one bottle at a time, for they will mix in the drain and emit nasty fumes.
- In order to substitute these highly toxic products with harmless ones, remember that you can use things as simple as lemon and vinegar. Both of them have acidic nature and prove to be highly effective for scrubbing the counter tops in your kitchen, cleaning the oven and even cleaning the windows. If you think that vinegar leaves a kind of a nasty smell, make a cleaning agent exclusively of lemons and/or lime. These work really well if you want to get rid of grease and mildew from your tiles.
- Another product which is really helpful for cleaning purposes is baking soda. Mixed with water, it proves to be really effective for getting rid of greasy stains. Simply apply some of the mixture onto the problem area, let it sit for awhile and wipe away. Soda also works well on clogged drains. Pouring toxic materials down the drain is not the wisest thing to do, as they pollute the environment and, as already noted, they emit obnoxious fumes that could fill the air in your household. So, in order to unclog your drain pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain and a whole pan of boiling water. This is sure to help and as an alternate solution you can add baking soda and vinegar or lemon juice down the drain.
- Even toothpaste could be used for cleaning purposes. Especially when you have to polish silver, chrome or other shiny metal objects and surfaces. It is also the ideal product to use in order to remove water stains from wood surfaces when someone forgets to put a coaster under his/her glass.
- If you choose to go with commercial products however there are plenty of companies out there currently developing more efficient ways in green cleaning while they offer their own lines of bio-friendly and biodegradable alternatives to your traditional cleaners. Brands such as Earth Friendly, Sun&Earth, Earth Choice, OxiClean and the like are becoming ever more popular around the world as these brands do their best to stay true to the green formula.
- Last but not least you need to make sure your indoor air quality is good. The best way to do this is believe it or not by opening your windows and letting the place aerate at least once every day or so. Too many people count on air conditioning and they actually forget the fact it simply recycles the inside air.
"Green" one are environmentally friendly and regular ones are not.
ReplyDeleteI do--to help avoid so many negative effects on the environment and my family's health. Many conventional cleaners have been linked to severe health problems. I also have many allergies.
ReplyDeleteI do as they don't have the harsh chemicals and smell that can harm family and pets
ReplyDeleteI 'green clean' my kitchen floor by Hydrogen Peroxide or vinegar.Both are natural, non toxic, and kills germs.
ReplyDeletedisinfecting is that important esp. if you have pets and or children.There are plenty of new "green" cleaning items on the market now. I use them on a daily basis
ReplyDeleteyou can use clorox, they just came out with a all natural line of cleaning supplies called "green works" they work really well
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to disinfect. I usually just use hot water to mop.
ReplyDeleteVinegar and water
ReplyDeleteVinegar and water is very good to use for flooring. Also Sea salt and Lemon juice acts as an abrasive to clean grout in your tiles.!
ReplyDeleteI mostly use white vinegar, baking soda, dish soap and hot water for cleaning.
ReplyDeleteNice blog Aparna
ReplyDelete