Homemade Cleaning Product Recipes and Why They are Safer for Your Family
Do you find that you dread cleaning or doing laundry because the cleaners and detergents sting your eyes, make you wheeze or give you a headache? There are a lot of chemical products on the market that can be harmful to your health and that of your family. Over 1.5 million human poisonings are reported each year to poison control centers and over 90% of the poisonings take place in the home. So, when choosing a cleaning product, ask yourself, is my family going to be in contact with dangerous chemicals? Rather than using products that contain toxic chemicals, try making your own non-toxic cleaners and products at home.
How can cleaning supplies, household products affect us?
Cleaning is essential to protecting our health in our homes, schools, and work places. However, household and cleaning products- including soaps, polishes and grooming
supplies- often include harmful chemicals. Even products advertised as “green” or “natural” may contain ingredients that can cause health problems. Some cleaning supplies can even be flammable or corrosive. Many household products can irritate the eyes or throat, or cause headaches and other health problems, including cancer. Some products release dangerous chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Other harmful ingredients include ammonia and bleach. Even natural fragrances such as citrus can react to produce dangerous pollutants indoors. VOCs and other chemicals released when using cleaning supplies contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions and headaches.
Cleaning supplies and household products containing VOCs and other toxic substances
can include, but are not limited to:
- – Aerosol spray products
- – Air fresheners
- – Chlorine bleach
- – Detergent and dishwashing liquid
- – Dry cleaning chemicals
- – Rug and upholstery cleaners
- – Furniture and floor polish
- – Oven cleaners
- – Drain cleaners containing sodium hydroxide
What are safer alternatives?
Instead of cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals, try using:
- – White vinegar: to clean windows, counter tops, chrome, grease and floors.
- – Baking soda: to absorb odors, clean ovens, sinks and counter tops.
- – Lemon juice: to clean windows, sinks and grease.
- – Vegetable oil/ Lemon oil: as a furniture polish.
- – Plant-based dish soaps.
- – Borax: as a substitute for chlorine bleach. (Borax should be used sparingly, as it too can be toxic in high doses).
- – Washing soda: to whiten laundry and cut back on the amount of detergent needed.
Also try these simple home recipes for safer household cleaning products:
Household Cleaner
Mix together:
- 1 tsp liquid soap (castile, peppermint)
- 1 tsp borax
- Squeeze of lemon
- 1 qt warm water
Or - ¼ cup baking soda
- ½ cup borax
- ½ cup vinegar
- 1 gallon water
For surfaces that need scouring, try moist salt or baking soda and a green scouring pad.
Window Cleaner
Mix together:
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1 qt warm water
Or - 2 tbsp borax
- 3 cups water
Rub dry with newspaper to avoid streaking.
Oven Cleaner
Mix together:
- ¼ cup baking soda
- 2 tbsp salt
- Hot water (to make a paste)
Let paste sit for 5 minutes.
Or - 2 tbsp liquid soap (castile, peppermint)
- 2 tsp borax
- 1 qt warm water
Spray on oven and wait 20 minutes, then clean. For tough stains, scrub with very fine steel wool and baking soda.
Drain Cleaner
Pour together:
- ½ cup borax in drain followed by
- 2 cups boiling water
Or - ¼ cup baking soda down the drain followed by
- ½ cup vinegar
Cover drain and let sit for 15 minutes.
Toilet Bowls
Pour: ¼ cup baking soda into bowl and drizzle with vinegar. Let sit for ½ hour. Scrub and flush. Add borax for stains.
Air Fresheners
Simmer: cinnamon sticks, orange peel. Cloves and water.
To absorb odors, place 2 to 4 tbsp baking soda or vinegar in small bowls in refrigerator and around the house and pour ½ cup baking soda in the bottom of trash cans.
Carpet Cleaning Foam
Mix together:
- ¼ cup vegetable oil-based liquid soap
- 3 tbsp water
Whip ingredients in bowl. Rub foam into problem areas. Rinse well with water.
Floors
Mix together:
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 gallon warm water
Polishing with skim milk after floor is dry will make the floor glow!
Laundry Soap
- Add 1/3 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate) to water as machine is filling. Add clothes. Add 1½ cups of soap
- Add 1/3 cup washing soda to water before placing clothes in machine and substitute soap flakes or powder for detergent. Add ½ cup borax for additional cleaning.
The smells of cleaning products, disinfectants and laundry soaps for many people are hallmarks of a clean home. While the overpowering aroma of cleaners may evoke certain pleasant childhood memories, those familiar scents are mostly toxic. Switching all your household cleaning products for natural remedy substitutes is not only easy but will also leave your home feeling safer and cleaner!
Resources:
www.mamasuds.com
www.co.polk.or.us
www.womenshealthmatters.ca
www.lung.org
www.ecocycle.org