Cleaning House the Healthy Way
The beauty and wellness industry has taken huge steps to be more transparent with their products and the ingredients involved to produce them. This movement has made us more aware of the food on our plate or the moisturiser on our face. We know terms like "paraben-free", "free-range", or "anti-oxidant".
But the cleaning industry has yet to experience this wave of transparency. It has been a realisation of mine after the pandemic made my friends and I a couple of neat freaks. As I used disinfectant on my counters, sprayed air freshener in my room and washed my sheets with detergent, I began to wonder just how green these products were.
In a 2011 study, a group of researchers found that 25 popular household cleaning products and laundry supplies used 'gas chromatography'. These products emitted a variety of 133 VOCs or volatile organic compounds. Of this number, 24 were classified as toxic or hazardous. To make it even more alarming, the study noted that except for one, these harmful compounds were not listed on the ingredients.
If for the remainder of 2020 your goal is to live a cleaner and healthier life, take these steps to improve your carbon footprint. You can throw away all the harmful products or donate them to facilities that can make good use of it. Go through each of them and identify which ones are relatively safer. If you're ready to go greener, here are:
Five Ways to Clean Your Home Naturally
1.) Create your Multi-purpose Spray
An environmentally friendly version of the store-bought multi-purpose spray is a mixture of half water and half vinegar. If you don't like the smell of vinegar, you can add a fragrant essential oil like lemon or citronella. This multi-purpose spray can be used for most cleaning jobs. You can spray it on tables, countertops, sinks or mirrors.
2.) Olive oil isn't just for your salad
Author Madeleine Olivia, who wrote 'Minimal: How to Simplify Your Life and Live Sustainably' recommends this popular oil. "It's an amazing natural alternative to furniture polish. Any standard olive oil will do. Dab some on a cloth, polish gently over the surface and leave to dry. You can add lemon juice for a fresh scent."
Just add one squeeze of lemon for each quarter of a cup.
3.) Baking soda is king
Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda is a powerful powder that can be used in multiple ways. It can deodorise refrigerators or small rooms. Put a small bowl and it will absorb any foul smell. Drizzle this on greasy surfaces and it will penetrate. This is also a gentle abrasive, which makes it great for cleaning bathrooms.
For greasy drains, sprinkle baking soda and then pour some vinegar. It will visibly bubble and dislodge the grease.
4.) Fight mould with tea tree oil and vinegar
Mould and mildew are common fixtures, especially in damp weather. Concoct a spray bottle of white vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil. Spray it on the area and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and then scrub them off with a cloth and warm water.
5.) Use castile soap
It's touted as the "miracle cleaning and beauty product." If you haven't heard about this yet, it's time to discover castile soap. This is versatile vegetable-based soap that's made free of animal fats and synthetic ingredients.
You can use this non-toxic, biodegradable soap as a laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, hand soap, shampoo or even as a floor cleaner!
Keep your houses clean without harming yourself and the environment.
