Many commonly sold cleaning products contain ingredients that cause allergic reactions, poison the nervous system, disrupt endocrine function and damage vision. These are not things you want to use in places you spend a lot of time! Fortunately there are many products that can be used to clean your home and don’t harm your health. Some may even help it! Check out the Environmental Working Group’s evaluation of cleaning products to see how yours rank.
If you don’t want buy premade, possibly toxic, possibly expensive, cleaning products, here are some easy cleaning products you can make with ingredients you probably already have.
- Vinegar: Plain, white, mild vinegar can be used for all sorts of things. Dilute it in a spray bottle with water (1:1) and you can use it as an all-purpose cleaner. Make sure to label the spray bottle so you know what it is later! You can use undiluted vinegar for hard water deposits, scum, dirt, and grease. Add essential oils to the bottle too for more antiseptic cleaning and delightful fragrance.
- Baking soda: This inexpensive mineral is a mild abrasive and natural deodorizer. You can use it to scrub grimy bath and kitchen areas, or anywhere that needs a little more oomph than the vinegar spray provides.
- Rubbing alcohol: This, along with water and a splash of vinegar, makes a glass cleaner that will get your windows sparkling in no time. Try 1 cup alcohol to 1 cup water, and a tablespoon of vinegar. Remember: label that bottle!
- Lemon juice: You can use lemon juice similarly to the vinegar, but it also works for polishing wood furniture too if you mix it with a little oil. I have had the most success with flax or linseed oil. Just mix 1 cup oil with half cup juice, and dip a bit of cloth into the blend. Rub on, then use a dry cloth to rub off your furniture.
I hope you enjoyed this introductory discussion on home made green cleaning products! As usual, this information is for general knowledge purposes, and is not a personal medical or health recommendation. Please see your naturopathic physician for a personal medical or health recommendation.
Happy healing,
Dr. T