In recent years there has been a push towards creating and using organic cleaners and household cleaners that are safe for our family, pets, and the environment. It can be difficult at first to make the switch from chemical cleaners to organic cleaners or homemade cleaners, but it will benefit you in the long run.
With chemical cleaners, no matter how careful you are, they will still seep into the environment. Chemical toilet bowl cleaners are discharged directly into private septic tanks and city sewer lines. Sink cleaners and chemicals designed to unclog sink and shower drains also find their way into septic and sewer lines. Chemical cleaners are sprayed directly or indirectly into the air, inhaled by our families and our pets, and sprayed onto surfaces where we eat or drink. The chemicals are thrown away and end up in landfills or landfills, to seep into the ground and possibly contaminate water supplies.
Instead of making our families or pets sick with all the chemicals, why not try to get clean with everyday household items? Cleaners made from regular household items can save you money and help protect the surfaces you’re cleaning in your home. There are many organic cleaners that work just as well as chemical cleaners. Those aren’t on the list, the focus here is simple items you might have around the house.
- Sodium bicarbonate: Baking soda can neutralize odors in artichokes, work to remove grease stains from kitchen appliances, and can be used in place of laundry detergent. Baking soda is a great way to remove stains and is great for unclogging drains. By letting half a cup of salt and a full cup of baking soda sit in the drain overnight and flushing the mixture down the drain with two cups of boiling water in the morning, your drains will be unclogged and no chemicals will be needed.
- Vinegar: Vinegar is a great surface cleaner. Vinegar can kill mold and mildew if left to soak on the surface for a few hours. Vinegar is great for washing windows and scrubbing ceramic floors. Although vinegar gives off a very strong odor, it is not harmful.
- Olive oil: Olive oil, when mixed with a small amount of vinegar, is an excellent replacement for furniture polish. Olive oil can also be used to polish the kitchen sink.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice can be used on those hard-to-clean bathroom surfaces infected with soap scum and water stains. When combined with baking soda and vinegar, lemon juice can be the perfect cleaner for brass and copper. If you want to make your sink drains smell a little better, just send a lemon peel down the garbage disposal.
- Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is excellent for cleaning toilets and showers. Adding a little hydrogen peroxide to your toilet bowl overnight can clean and disinfect. To clean soap scum and mold from shower walls, all you have to do is simply spray a small amount on the surface.
Having a clean and safe home is a priority for all of us. Having a clean and safe home without having to use chemical products is not impossible. According to the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association, the chemicals in regular household cleaners can be dangerous. It was hard to believe, but the same chemicals that were made to make life easier and clean in the blink of an eye may actually be making our pets and loved ones sick. By choosing to clean without chemicals, you are taking your family out of harm’s way and taking a big step toward improving the environment.