Ensuring your (and your whole family’s) health is one of the most important things that you need to do. What better way to start than in your own home? Using chemically-processed cleaning products is not necessarily promoting health amongst your family members. In order to avoid long-term health concerns, you might want to switch to natural cleaning solutions today.
Here are some additional ideas for organic cleaning solutions that might help you and your family:
Dishwasher Soap
- Mix equal parts of washing soda and borax, but if your water is hard, you should increase the washing soda in your mixture.
- If commercial dishwashing soap is what you prefer, choose dishwasher powders that contain no phosphates or bleach.
Disinfectant
- Mix two teaspoons of borax, four tablespoons of vinegar, and three cups of hot water. If you want a stronger cleaning power, add ¼ teaspoon of liquid castile soap.
- Wipe the mixture on with dampened cloth. You can also use a non-aerosol spray bottle. Keep in mind that this is not an antibacterial formula. The average bathroom or kitchen does not require antibacterial cleaners.
- When disinfecting kitchen sponges, put them in the dishwasher together with a load.
Drain Cleaner
- If you are going for light drain cleaning, mix ½ cup of salt in four litres of water. Heat this mixture (but not to a boil), and pour down the drain.
- If you are going for stronger cleaning, pour about ½ cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by ½ cup of vinegar. The resulting chemical reaction breaks down fatty acids down into glycerine and soap, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.
- To clear the residue, pour in boiling water after 15 minutes. This can only be used with metal plumbing. Plastic pipes will melt if excessive boiling water is used. This method should not be used after trying a commercial drain opener as the vinegar can react with drain opener and can create dangerous fumes.
Fabric Softener
- Dampen your hands to reduce static cling. Afterwards, shake out your clothes as you remove them from the drier.
- You can also opt to use line-drying clothing as an alternative.
Floor Cleaner and Polish
- For vinyl and linoleum: Mix one cup of vinegar and a few drops of baby oil in a gallon of warm water. For tough jobs, add ¼ cup of borax. This solution should be sparingly used on linoleum.
- For wood: Apply a thin coat of vegetable oil and vinegar (with 1:1 proportion) and rub in well.
- For painted wood: Mix one teaspoon of washing soda into a gallon of hot water.
- For brick and stone tiles: Mix one cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water then rinse with clear water.
It is better to keep your family safe now by switching to organic cleaning solutions, than to wait until it’s too late!
