Be Green when you Clean: A Guide to Homemade Cleaning Products
A visit to the market may be gloomier than usual these days with the hike in food cost. However, simply going back to the basics and using a gardening green thumb provides an abundance of nutritious food on the dinner table. A bountiful garden not only saves on food cost, it is also a therapeutic opportunity to provide peace of mind knowing where your food is coming from and how it is grown.
Take a look around your home and you will discover there are many household items that can be used to effectively clean your home. Traditional cleaners are beneficial for removing dirt, germs and microscopic organisms; however, these same cleaners we think are helping us are contributing to health issues, landfills, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). Using homemade cleaning products throughout your home will alleviate the need for expensive traditional cleaners that produce excess waste and produce toxic fumes.
VOC’s are commonly found in traditional cleaning products. These VOC’s are the same toxic pollutants that contribute to indoor and outdoor pollution. Short-term exposure to high levels of these compounds can cause light-headedness, nausea, drowsiness, headaches, and eye and respiratory irritation. Laboratory animals have experienced cancer in the kidneys, liver and nervous system due to long-term exposure to VOC’s.
VOC’s typically register higher indoor than outdoors (up to ten times higher). Opening windows will alleviate indoor exposure; however, this action releases VOC’s into the outdoor air, contributing to smog.
Traditional cleaning agents are linked to health issues and environmental pollution. Substituting everyday, non-toxic, and effective household items will perform as beneficial household cleaning supplies.
Vinegar:
White vinegar is an essential household cleaning product that is versatile and natural. It can be used as an all purpose cleaner throughout your home. There’s no need to worry about the smell of vinegar lingering in your home, the vinegar scent will diminish completely after it dries.
Vinegar can be used to kill mold, bacteria, and germs and can also be used to effectively cut through grease and wax build-up as well as eliminate odors.
Substituting ¼ cup of white vinegar for laundry detergent in the washing machine rinse cycle will make clothes soft, fluffy, and non-static. The smell does not linger; however, if you would like a fresh scent, simply add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. If there are any perspiration odors or deodorant stains on clothing, they can be easily removed by spraying full strength vinegar on the affected areas right before a wash.
Lemon:
Lemon has a wonderful, fresh, citrus scent that is also effective against most household bacteria. It can be used to remove hard water deposits and soap scum in bathrooms as well as a polish for brass and copper.
Traditional insect repellents are beneficial yet full of harmful chemicals. Lemon can be used as an effective insect repellent. Bugs such as ants, fleas, spiders and even the pesky cockroach are sensitive to the smell of lemon. Eliminate insect infestation by extracting lemon juice from a whole lemon and squirt it along windows, doors, baseboards, and cracks.
Baking Soda:
Typically recognized as a deodorizer; baking soda can also be used as a mild abrasive for scouring dishes, pots, sinks and tubs. Use baking soda to remove sticky goo left behind from stickers and as a teapot or coffee mug stain buster. Adding a splash of baking soda and vinegar in the dishwasher cycle will remove fish and/or onion odors; due to the addition of vinegar, you will have spotless glassware as an added bonus.
Most cleaners found on store shelves are toxic and contribute to environmental pollution, allergies and other serious health issues. Making your own homemade cleaning supplies by substituting lemon, vinegar and baking soda is a non-toxic, cost efficient, effective, environmentally conscious and pet friendly alternative from traditional cleaners.
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