- checking login information
Loading...5 Basics for Non-Toxic Cleaning
- a Care2 favorite by Annie B. Bond
- 268 comments
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.
51 Fantastic Uses for Baking Soda
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.
23 Ingenious Uses for White Vinegar
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.
Related:
How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit
22 Uses for Lemon Peels
47 Smart Uses for Salt
Read more: Ask Annie, Green, Home, Non-Toxic Cleaning, baking soda, disinfectants, mold killers, washing soda
have you shared this story yet?
go ahead, give it a little love
Annie B. Bond
Annie is a renowned expert in non-toxic and green living. Named one of the top 20 environmental leaders by Body and Soul Magazine, Annie has authored four books, including "Home Enlightenment" (Rodale Press, 2005) and "Better Basics for the Home" (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
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
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
Aw....the love!
Very cute
Noted.
I'm sure there are a lot of factors that make women more susceptible to the disease than are men, an…
There are much easier poses that can do the same thing. I know few people who have not practiced yog…
268 comments
+ add your ownGood tips.Thanks for sharing
Thank you for good tips. I have used soda and vinegar for cleaning.
interesting
thnx for this - and is it also possible that a cleaning person (preferably a non-toxic one) be supplied as well?
TY
very interesting thx:)))
Great tips again:) Thank you, Annie.
Thank you for sharing.
In place of bleach try peroxide. Bleach is a poison. Peroxide will kill germs on other surfaces too but for porous ones you might need to dilute it depending on the surface. It is a much safer choice.
Thanks, would have been more helpful if you had said how much mixed with how much, like you did in the last sample, to make work! Thanks for information!
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment