Let’s learn more about some natural, non-Toxic cleaning products solutions to help you keep your family safe and your home clean and free of harsh chemicals!
Look at the back of any cleaning product in your home, and you will most likely see the words “CAUTION” and “WARNING” scattered across the bottle. If you read the fine print, it might tell you to flush out the product with water for 15 to 20 minutes upon contact with your skin.
If these products are meant to clean our homes, the spaces in which we sleep, eat, bathe, and breathe, why are they so harmful to our bodies?
Although cleaning our homes is essential to our health, many of our household cleaning products, unbeknownst to us, actually do more harm than good. This is because many of these products contain chemicals that are harmful to our lungs and skin. Yes, this includes products advertised as “natural” or “clean.”
Sounds counterproductive, right? Read on to find out about the dangers of toxic cleaning products, why you should make the transition to an all-natural cleaning routine, and the best natural cleaning products on the market to do so.
Dangers of Toxic Cleaning Supplies
The chemicals found in most commercial household cleaning products can cause an array of health issues. In mild cases, household cleaning products contain toxic chemicals that can cause headaches of varying severity. They can also irritate the eyes, throats, and skin upon contact. This is especially true for people who are more prone to allergies.
In more severe cases, however, the chemicals released into the air while using these products can cause cancer with prolonged use. Further, mixing certain household cleaning products can be life-threatening. For example, mixing ammonia and bleach can release toxic gasses that can result in serious breathing complications and even death.
Reading all of this information is enough to make anyone anxious. Perhaps you have already stopped reading this post to toss all of your cleaning products in the trash.
If this is you, do not worry. There are some great, truly natural products on the market; you have to know which ingredients to look for and which ones to avoid.
And luckily for you, I have already done the hard work and found the best natural household products for every cleaning situation.
Even if you do not end up purchasing any products mentioned in this post, I have included some other ways to make your household cleaning routine safer.
Making your cleaning routine safer
1- Do your research (because labels are misleading)
Here is a (not so) fun fact: By United States law, manufacturers are not required to name every single ingredient included in their product. This means that products advertised as “green” or “clean” can still contain toxic ingredients: they are just not visible to the consumer’s eye because they are intentionally removed from the label. In other words, buying a “green”product does not mean that you are buying a safe product.
To buy a genuinely eco-friendly and safe product, you might have to dig a little deeper than your local Target aisle.
I recommend researching which products meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice requirements to find safe cleaning supplies.
In the meantime, you can familiarize yourself with some toxic ingredients that you will never find in a natural cleaning product.
If you see any of the following words or phrases listed on a product or its label, be sure to put it right back on the shelf.
– Any artificial fragrance. Artificial fragrancescontain a multitude of chemicals that can disrupt the hormone levels in our bodies. However, you are not going to find this information willingly listed on the bottle. It also does not matter whether the product is deemed green or not. Even “natural” fragrances can irritate the eyes and throats, as well as increase air pollutants in your home.
– Methylisothiazolinone. A pesky preservative, methylisothiazolinone can cause skin irritants and even chemical burns when used in high concentrations. Despite this, this preservative can be found in many cleaning and personal care products. This includes products whose creators pride themselves on creating gentle and eco-friendly products (like Dove.)
– Benzisothiazolinone. This is another preservative that can cause skin irritants upon contact and disrupt your body’s hormone levels. It is most commonly found in laundry detergents and fabric softeners.
I don’t know about you, but I surely do not want my clothes to irritate my skin (or disrupt my hormones).
2- Always opt for unscented products.
As I mentioned in my previous tip, artificial fragrances should be avoided as much as possible. When buying any personal care or cleaning-related product, always opt for a product that is labeled unscented or fragrance-free.
On a similar note, air fresheners are actually one of the most toxic cleaning products in many households. So rather than spraying toxic particles that float around your room, open some windows to let any unpleasant smells filter through instead. Your lungs will thank you.
3- Embrace the breeze
If you choose to use commercial, store-bought cleaning products, always make sure that the room in which you are cleaning is well-ventilated.
Always open windows or doors before cleaning. This is especially true if using bleach-based products.
Learn more about the air inside our homes here
4- Stock up on basics (you probably already have some in your home)
Did you know that vinegar, baking soda, and water can clean most messes in our home?
For example, combining warm water and soap will adequately clean tables, countertops, or any hard surface in a pinch. Baking soda works well for scrubbing, and it even works on any stubborn tub and toilet residue. Vinegar can also work well as a quick bathroom cleaner.
If you are interested in making your own cleaners, keep reading to see some DIY recipes!
Let’s learn how to do some natural non-toxic Cleaning Products!
How do I make a Homemade Toilet Bomb?
Orange Toilet Bombs
Equipment
- 1 bowl
- Measure cups
- A mold of your choice
- 1 Spray Bottle
Materials
- ½ cup Baking soda
- ¼ cup Citric acid
- 15 drops Orange Essential Oil
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients
- Spray 2-3 times with water
- Mix again until all the moisture is absorbed
- Repeat it a few times, but make sure you don’t add too much water – if you do, the final product will be weak and crumbly
- The final consistency is a bit similar to pie dough
- Pack firmly into silicon molds or any desired mold
- Let it dry for 12 hours. Once dry, pop out of molds.
- Store in a glass container with a lid until ready to use
Notes
How do I make a natural all-purpose cleaner?
All-purpose Lemon Surface Cleaner
Equipment
- Spray Bottle
Materials
- 1 cup White vinegar
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 Lemon juice
- 15 drops Lemon essential oil
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake to mix.
- Spray the product directly on a surface until thoroughly wet
- Let stand for 30 seconds
- Rinse or wipe clean
- Store in fridge if using lemon juice
Notes
What kills Mold Naturally?
Mold Eliminator
Equipment
- Spray Bottle
Materials
- Vinegar
Instructions
- Pour vinegar into a spray bottle.
- Against Mold, it is more effective to apply the vinegar generously directly to the surface ( do not dilute with water )
- Let it act for at least 30 / 60 minutes.Don't worry about the smell, it will go away soon! or you can use a homemade scented vinegar (Recipe Below)
- Scrub and wipe it off
- Rinse the area with water to remove any residue
- Repeat until there are no visible traces of mold left.
Notes
How to Make Scented Vinegar for Cleaning
Homemade Scented Vinegar
Equipment
- Large Glass Jar with lid
Materials
- Fresh Herbs Example: Mint, Rosemary or Lemongrass ,
- Citrus Peels Example: Lime, Lemon or Orange
- Essential Oil Example: Lemon, Orange, Mint or Bergamot
- Dried flowers Optional
Instructions
- Fill the jar halfway with lemon or orange peels and some herbs.
- Examples: Mint and Lime with a few drops of peppermint essential oil; Orange and Rosemary with a few drops of orange essential oil and Lemon and Lemongrass with a few drops of lemongrass essential oil.
- Cover the herbs and peels with vinegar
- Seal the container
- Let it sit out for at least 2 days in a cool dark place
- Strain the herb and peels out of the mixture
- Pour the scented vinegar into another glass container for storage
- Store in a glass container with a lid until ready to use
Notes
How do I make Laundry Detergent with Coconut ?
Easy Non-Toxic Coconut Liquid Laundry Detergent
Equipment
- Grater
- Pot
- Wooden spoon
- Container of your choice
Materials
- 2 L Water
- 1 Pure Coconut Bar Soap 4 oz
- 50 ml Alcohol 70%
- 3 tablespoon Baking Soda
- 30 drops Essential Oil of your choice optional
Instructions
- Boil the Water in a Large Pot
- Add in the Grated Soap
- Stir until completely dissolved
- Turn off the Heat and wait ( around 15 minutes )
- Add the Baking Soda
- Mix it
- Let it cool completely
- Add the alcohol and essential oil of your choice ( optional )
- Pour into Clean Bottles
- Then, just put the desired amount in the washing machine and run the wash cycle as usual.
Notes
Get Rid of Kitchen Sink Bad Smell
Eliminating the Bad Smell from the Sink
Equipment
- Pot
- bowl
Materials
- 1 cup Lemon Juice
- ½ cup Baking Soda
Instructions
- Heat 1 cup of pure lemon juice (no water).
- Turn off the heat
- Add 1/2 cup of Baking Soda
- Mix it
- Slowly pour the mixture down the plughole
- Wait 30 minutes
- Rinse it off with boiling water ( Please, be careful! )
Notes
Can Lime and Salt be Used for Cleaning?
Lime and Salt – A powerful Ally for Cleaning your House
Equipment
- A knife to cut the lemon
- Glass Jar ( For the Natural Air Freshener )
Materials
- 1 Lemon or Lime
- A Handful of Fine Salt
Instructions
- Simple as that – lemon and salt. You can use it for:
- Natural Air Freshener
- Pour lemon peels and salt into a glass container and place it in the kitchen (near the garbage, for example)
- Cheese Grated Cleaner
- Clogged graters are not fun to clean, but the process doesn’t have to be difficult. Rub 1/2 lemon with salt in the holes where the rest of the grated cheese is. The fat particles from the cheese will come off, then just wash with detergent, and rinse it off with hot water.
- Sanitize The Trash Can
- To sanitize the trash can, clean it with a mixture made with lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. The stink will disappear!
- Shoes – No more cheesy feet
- A great way to remove shoe odors is to revitalize them with a more pleasant smell (the citrus lemon smell). You can put some fresh lemon or lime peel inside your shoes (overnight) and/or add a few drops of lemon essential oil in a cotton ball and left inside your shoes during the night ( Attention: do not use essential oil in white fabric or suede shoes )
- Salty Lemon Scrub for your grill!
- Combine salt and lemon juice in a paste, and scrub with half a potato. Lemon juice, salt, and potatoes have great abrasive qualities!
- The use of baking soda in place of salt is another great solution. In combination with the acid of the lemon juice, the baking soda works as an effective degreaser.
- Cutting Board Cleaner
- Plastic or wood doesn’t matter. Residues in cutting boards are easy to clean; You just need to rub half a lemon with salt over the entire surface before washing.
Notes
Well, there you have it! Hopefully, I helped you learn about the importance of transitioning to a natural non-toxic cleaning Products and a green household cleaning routine.
If you want to learn more about natural, holistic living, please subscribe to my blog and check out my other posts.
I hope you have a great day !
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Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29682520/
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2728/text
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