Happy Cleaning!

drawing by sussecollection
A couple months ago I decided to switch to all natural house cleaners. I have been learning so much about what is actually in main stream products and how unsafe it is. Plus I can not stand the strong smell of bleach, chlorine, ammonia, alcohol, etc. The most toxic environment is indoors where humans spend 65% of their time.(especially women) Why would I want to prepare food on the same surface that contains poisonous chemicals? Many of the ingredients in main stream cleaning products have been linked with neurological, liver and kidney damage, asthma, and cancer. Asthma in children increased 40% since the 80's being linked to environmental toxins and dioxins. It has also been associated with birth defects and infertility.Using a natural house cleaner is also better for the environment; they do not off-gas toxic fumes into the air or drain poisons into our water supply. Do your research, www.when.org/green-cleaning.html will get you started.

Well, natural house cleaners can be expensive and sometimes we can't even trust the label when it says "all natural."Unfortunately many synthetic detergent blends are deceptively labeled as "liquid soap" even when they contain no soap at all. That is why I have learned how to make my own house cleaners. I compiled a few basic recipes below. Another good website to look at for recipes is www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm. There are so many ways to clean with out using toxins and with out spending much money. My home has never felt more fresh. :)

Basic Surface Cleaner
-Fill 1/4 of your water bottle with white vinegar
-add a little Dr. Bronners
-depending on water bottle size 5-12 drops of essential oil.( I got a 32 oz. bottle at the dollar store and use 10 drops.)
-Then fill the rest with water and shake.

Glass Cleaner
-Fill with vinegar and add 15-20 drops of essential oil. shake.
(I wipe my mirrors and windows with newspaper so there are no streaks)

Bathroom Cleaner
-fill bottom with lemon juice
-add 2 tsp. baking soda
-10-15 drops essential oil
-a little Dr. Bronners
-fill the rest with warm water.
-shake.


Do make sure that when you pick out an essential oil that you pick one that is labeled "natural essential" and not "fragrance." For those of you who do not know what Dr. Bronners is, it is a pure castile soap: vegetable oil based and not animal based. There is no complex blend of detergents unlike many soap products you can buy at your local walmart. It does not include any synthetics or petrochemicals and is 100% biodegradable. Dr. Bronners actually dissolves dirt! There are many scents to choose from including: peppermint(my personal favorite), almond, tea tree(a natural anti-bacterial), aloe vera baby-mild, lavender, and eucalyptus. I was so amazed when I finally discovered this. The cool thing is that it actually has 18 different uses including everyday body-washing, laundry, light/heavy duty cleaning(depending on how you dilute it), and for teeth brushing.You can find out more about Dr. Bronners and its ingredients at http://www.drbronner.com/. Enjoy!