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Annie B. Bond

5 Basics for Non-Toxic Cleaning

a Care2 favorite by Annie B. Bond
filed under: Blogs, Ask Annie, Non-Toxic Cleaning, , , ,

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.

Next: Washing Soda

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178 comments

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 now

178 comments

add your comment »
178 comments add your comment
Jessieann Carter

Will any of these baths, with epsom dry out the vaginia area? I have a problem with dry skin there....Please let me know what your answer might be....Thanks..

JessieAnn

Angie Ringler

I have had great luck with the homemade natural laundry detergent I made. The washing soda seems to gel up way more than the soda. I just made the switch, cant wait to see if it can work better than the last batch...which was rockin clean and fresh!

Judy Adams

I have to second the complaints about the article's format and add some of my own whine about all the advertising posts here. This is not the place for this kind of SPAM, people! If you want to write an article listing commercially available non-toxic products, go for it. DO NOT post them as replies to an article. You'll only lose readers (make that, potential customers).

Nic A, my local Dominic's stores (a Safeway subsidiary) are starting to carry Seventh Gen and Ecos cleaning products, as well as other green brands. Surprisingly, so is the Super Walmart about 10 mins from my home. You can also get some at Whole Foods, but their selection of cleaning products around here is limited to a shelf of crummy recycled paper towels, wrapped in excessive amounts of plastic.
The best advice I can offer is to find some green brands that you like, and ask you local grocery stores to carry them. I've found that Dominick's responds pretty well to requests, but Jewel (Albertson's) does not, and Whole Foods is wholly disappointing. You just have to try your luck.

jan j.
  • jan j. says
  • Aug 18, 2009 11:22 AM

I find that I will not go through the pages. Is the reason you do this is that there is not that much written and you use the pictures for filler?

Karen Landa

Please--I thought you'd given up the multiple pages format...Just FYI, I won't page through them, so you automatically loose not only me, but probably a lot of other readers.

Nic A.
  • Nic A. says
  • Jul 23, 2009 2:00 PM

Retailers pls go to www.greenonlydirectory.com to find good products for us. If Anyone knows of a good green product store (for cleaning) pls tell me. I saw a lot on the site above but its wholesale...

Cheri A.

Searching for an effective and easy way to get the best results in disinfecting and cleaning your home? Your windows will have never shined like this before with HARDLY ANY EFFORT! And your floors will have no residues left behind that attract dirt and bacterias! Norwex antibacterial microfiber products offer many advantages-like not having to use mix messy agents or ingest fumes in the air. The fibers remove 99.9% of all bacteria on the surfaces of your home using just water! It has made cleaning so easy even you kids can clean and get results! Learn more about harmful chemicals and see scientific results on Norwex microfiber. The nice thing about Norwex is that they warranty all their microfiber products for 2 years and you can clean your entire house even windows to a perfect clean shine everytime using JUST WATER! Visit norwexgreenlife.com for your Norwex Enviro Cloths today!

Stan Grove

There are alot of economical all natural eco-friendly home cleaning products available today. I have converted my entire home to all natural home products and it has made for a healthier safer home for me and my family including my pets. All the everyday home necessity products in my home are now GREEN ALL NATURAL ECO_FRIENDLY and I love it. Do you want your home safer for your family contact me and I will be happy to tell you where I have gotten mine.I do have a website if you wish www.HealthyHomesMatter.com.I love what I have done for my family and how wonderful my natural products work in comparison to the chemical laden products I use to buy at my local supermarket. My family love them too.

Erin M.
  • Erin M. says
  • Jul 20, 2009 6:08 PM

I use plain white vinegar for control of athlete's foot fungus in bathtubs, as well as soap scum buildup, and it worked wonderfully to kill the mold growing on unsealed decking boards. It also didn't kill the plants growing around the deck, like any of the commercial products would have.

Julie Foutch

I make my own cleaning solutions as they are safe and they do a great job as i rescue pugs and these things are safe for them as well.I use baking soda and vinegar as well as lemons,cream of tartar,these things work so well.

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Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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