Eco Friendly Home Cleaners

Why need eco friendly home cleaners?

Here’s why.

Household cleaning is an every day process, and irrespective of whether it is the kitchen counter or the toilet floor, it is important to get the job done in the most effective manner.

Many of the conventional cleansing agents available in the market today contain chemicals which have toxic side effects. Chemical-based household cleaning agents are extremely hazardous to human life as well as to the environment. Because they contain very powerful chemicals that are meant to destroy germs and other microbes, they can also cause serious health problems to humans and disrupt the natural balance in the environment.

Statistics indicate that close to 17,000 types of chemicals are currently available in the market in the form of various household cleaning agents. Of the 17,000, only 30 percent are being tested for side effects on human health as well as the environment. The number of active chemicals present in various cleaning products is sometimes as high as 275, and the EPA refers to some of these chemicals as pesticides because these are also designed to kill pests.

When these chemicals are washed down drains and sewers, they contaminate the water. If this contaminated water is released into a river or sea, it will end up polluting the water body and harming the natural life forms living in it.

In turn, the use of eco friendly home cleaners allows us to reduce the burden of toxicity on our environment. Eco friendly home cleaners are usually naturally occurring substances (eg. lemon, salt) that are non-toxic, and are bio-degradable. As such, the impact of their presence on the environment, as well as on our bodies, is minimal.

Increasingly, you can find more and more eco friendly home cleaners being sold in the market today. But do you know that you can make your own green cleaning agents as well?

Listed here are some eco friendly home cleaners that are readily available at home. These cleaning agents can be as effective as conventional ones (that contain toxic chemicals), even though they are more environmentally friendly.

• Baking soda continues to be the most popular natural cleaning agent. Mix baking soda with two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon to remove sticky greasy stains on kitchen counters, toilets and floor tiles, or to clean window screens, carpets with stains, ink stains on clothes and fish tanks. As baking soda has the ability to soften water, break down proteins and is slightly alkaline in nature, it can also be used as a deodorizer and be used to neutralize scents that are acidic in nature.

• White vinegar is another extremely popular eco friendly home cleaner, because of its acidic nature. It can readily remove stains from glass surfaces, dirty windows, and mirrors. A few drops of diluted vinegar can be sprinkled on glass or mirrors and wiped away using old newspaper. In its more concentrated form, white vinegar can also be mixed with lemon juice to unclog drains.

• The acidic property of lemon is able to break down greasy stains deposited on various metal products. A fresh lemon cut into two, sprinkled onto salt or baking powder, can be used as an environment-friendly green cleaning agent for copper, brass, and other metal items to give them a brand-new sparkling shine.

• Salt works well as a natural stain remover, such as perspiration, coffee stains on clothes. Salt is also an effective fabric softener.

• Olive oil mixed with lemon juice works wonders as a natural wood furniture polishing agent. The ratio of mixing olive oil and lemon juice is 2:1.

• A natural fabric freshener can be prepared by mixing an essential oil of your choice (eg. lavender oil) with water. This mixture could be sprinkled on clothes just before ironing, to add a pleasant fragrant to the clothes and make them smell fresher.

• Borax or boric acid works well as a natural disinfectant. Mix half a portion of borax with one gallon of water to kill bacteria when cleaning floors.

• Cornstarch can be used to remove greasy stains, such as when cleaning windows, carpets, mats, and also when polishing furniture. Cornstarch can also be used to rinse cotton clothes to give them a starched look.

Try out some of these eco friendly home cleaners today, and do your part for the environment as you keep your home clean and healthy. Also, read more about other natural cleaners.

If you know of other natural and effective household cleaners, do share it with us. Also, read more about what you can do to go green.

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