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5 Basics for Non-Toxic Cleaning
By Annie B. Bond
Learning to clean from scratch—making homemade recipes—can truly work if you take time to understand a bit about the chemistry behind how the materials work. Here are the five ingredients that I find to be the safest, most effective, and useful for cleaning.
Baking Soda
A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (its pH is around 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odors in water, and adsorbs odors from the air. Sprinkled on a damp sponge or cloth, baking soda can be used as a gentle non-abrasive cleanser for kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It will eliminate perspiration odors and even neutralize the smell of many chemicals if you add up to a cup per load to the laundry. It is a useful air freshener, and a fine carpet deodorizer.
Washing Soda
A chemical neighbor of baking soda, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is much more strongly alkaline, with a pH around 11. It releases no harmful fumes and is far safer than a commercial solvent formula, but you should wear gloves when using it because it is caustic. Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does. Don’t use it on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors—unless you intend to remove the wax.
White Vinegar and Lemon Juice
White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic—they neutralize alkaline substances such as scale from hard water. Acids dissolve gummy buildup, eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood surfaces.
Liquid Soaps and Detergent
Liquid soaps and detergents are necessary for cutting grease, and they are not the same thing. Soap is made from fats and lye. Detergents are synthetic materials discovered and synthesized early in this century. Unlike soap, detergents are designed specifically so that they don’t react with hard water minerals and cause soap scum. If you have hard water, buy a biodegradable detergent without perfumes; if you have soft water you can use liquid soap (both are available in health food stores).
Mold Killers and Disinfectants
For a substance to be registered by the EPA as a disinfectant it must go through extensive and expensive tests. EPA recommends simple soap to use as a disinfectant There are many essential oils, such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide), that are very antiseptic, as is grapefruit seed extract, even though they aren’t registered as such. Use one teaspoon of essential oil to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle (make sure to avoid eyes). A grapefruit seed extract spray can be made by adding 20 drops of extract to a quart of water.
Caution: Make sure to keep all homemade formulas well-labeled, and out of the reach of children.
More from Annie B. Bond (3249 articles available)
Go to the Source
Better Basics for the Home : Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living by Annie Berthold-Bond
Natural living has reached the mainstream: we are now far more concerned about the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the chemicals that surround us, and recognize that government regulations all too often fall short of safeguarding our health. Enter Annie Berthold-Bond, whose Better Basics for the Home is a compendium of practical information -- recipes, tips, and guidelines -- for creating a simpler, cheaper and environmentally safer lifestyle.buy now
Clean and Green : The Complete Guide to Non-Toxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping by Annie Ber
In a remarkably easy-to-use format, Berthold-Bond tells how to clean effectively using simple, natural ingredients such a baking soda, Borax, lemon juice, vegetable oil and vinegar. She makes a convincing argument that cleaning with natural products can be handier, cheaper and just as effective as the alternative.buy nowrelated stories
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Kabin
Konteyner
mega kabin
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why is this inappropriate?
All cleaning products should be kept out of reach of children. And, while we're at it, so should many other toxins found around the house such as mouthwash, toiletries, colognes, cigarettes, alcohol of any kind (yes liquor is deadly in large enough quantities), houseplants (some are toxic to humans and/or pets), the list is endless. I realize I'm a little off topic here, but I hate to see a great product (Melaleuca) take a bum rap for something that common sense could fix.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
All cleaning products should be kept out of reach of children. And, while we're at it, so should many other toxins found around the house such as mouthwash, toiletries, colognes, cigarettes, alcohol of any kind (yes liquor is deadly in large enough quantities), houseplants (some are toxic to humans and/or pets), the list is endless. I realize I'm a little off topic here, but I hate to see a great product (Melaleuca) take a bum rap for something that common sense could fix.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
All cleaning products should be kept out of reach of children. And, while we're at it, so should many other toxins found around the house such as mouthwash, toiletries, colognes, cigarettes, alcohol of any kind (yes liquor is deadly in large enough quantities), houseplants (some are toxic to humans and/or pets), the list is endless. I realize I'm a little off topic here, but I hate to see a great product (Melaleuca) take a bum rap for something that common sense could fix.
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why is this inappropriate?
Shell, Any of the natural cleaners mentioned above would also do the same thing. Even baking soda if large quantities were consumed. There is a difference between a product that is safe to use on surfaces, to be aerosolized into the air, and to be poured down the drain and on the other hand, to eat. If you ate a large quantitiy of table salt, you would die of too much sodium. That doesn't mean one should never consume table salt. It just means you shouldn't eat the whole bottle. Nor should you drink small amounts of any cleaner including melaleuca, seventh generations, or baking soda, borax, or detergents and soaps.
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why is this inappropriate?
my son got into some meleluca and the company told me to call the poison center, I read the ingredients to them and was told there wer e chemicals that were harmful if swallowed. tha wa it
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my son tasted some meleluca. My son tasted some of it. I called the company and they told me to call the poison center. I was furious,their cleaning products do have chemicals yhat can harm
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my son tasted some meleluca. My son tasted some of it. I called the company and they told me to call the poison center. I was furious,their cleaning products do have chemicals yhat can harm
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Also, to Jan:
Shaklee's Nature Bright® Laundry Booster and Stain Remover is actually an excellent carpet cleaner. You mix 1 scoop (2 tbsp.) per 16 oz. of water.
Blot out extra liquid before treating
stains and use only enough solution
to saturate. Wait 1-5 minutes. Blot it
up with a white towel. Repeat if you
have to. Rinse really well, let dry, then
vacuum.
Go here for more information or to order:
http://www.shaklee.net/shannon/product/00305
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Shaklee makes great non-toxic, eco-friendly laundry and cleaning products.
Go here for information on their line of laundry products:
http://www.shaklee.net/shannon/product/GetCleanLaundry
Go here for information on their household cleaning products in general:
http://www.shaklee.net/shannon/prodHou
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