the no frills model to clean everything
| November 24, 2011 | Posted by load under household |
Most household products are harmful to your health.
They also create an excessive amount of waste.
Marketers have you duped. Did you know regular everyday natural products can get the job done just as well, if not better, without all those toxins going into your family’s body? Don’t believe me, read Slow Death by Rubber Duck
Wouldn’t you like to remove those risks and harmful toxins and protect your family?
The good news.
It’s really easy and very inexpensive to clean the natural way. It also gets the job done well. Save money with a few well chosen non-toxic and natural alternatives. You can purchase alternative natural supplies or you can save hundreds of dollars every year and make your own products.
no frills model
It saves a bundle. I’ve used it for years.
My total cleaning supplies are about $20 per year and that’s only because I buy a small eco-friendly bottle of liquid laundry cleaner about once a year for $6-8 dollars (it lasts for almost 50 loads and I do less than that) and a bottle of tea tree oil every couple for $10-15. No vacuum, no paper towel, no air freshener, low consumables, no toxins.
3 basic products (vinegar, baking soda, and essential oil). You can add a few other products to get more jobs done including make your own laundry detergent with soap flakes, olive oil and lemon. There are also some specific products that help with cleaning things that aren’t on the regular list such as polishing your silverware but we’ll visit that another time.
11 basic tools (if possible a stainless steel bucket, broom, dustpan, mop, rags, spray nozzle attached to reusable glass bottles, few glass jars, bottle scrubber, steel scrubber, natural scrubbers). If you buy a quality broom and wash the floor with rags you can eliminate the need for most supplies. For scrubbers you can scrunch together the mesh packaging that fruit such as oranges often comes in.
vinegar, baking soda and tea tree oil
Vinegar cleans everything. It’s a natural disinfectant too.
Add a couple drops of essential oil (I use Tea Tree which is also anti-fungal and a natural disinfectant too – about $10 will get you a tiny bottle that will last several years) to a spray bottle with one cup vinegar and one cup water and you’ve got the makings of an all purpose cleaner. You can dust, clean door handles, wipe furniture, car interiors, counter tops and all surfaces. There are a few surfaces not to use it on such as marble.
If you create a second bottle with a little baking soda you have a stain remover for fabrics and carpets – simply shake, dampen a rag and apply to the surface.
In the bathroom you can keep a bottle in your shower and spray after each use. This removes mold, fungus and makes the shower simple to clean. When you want to scrub the toilet, sink and tub sprinkle a bit of baking soda and use your mesh scrunchies or a rag. Always keeping it clean makes this much more pleasant and simple.
Use the same formula as your all purpose for your dishes and pour a little in the sink when you are ready to wash. I also keep a jar with a bottle/dish scrubber in it and add a bit of soap flakes. That way, when I have a couple quick dishes, I don’t even need to fill the sink or get out the detergent. I also a steel scouring pad for most dishes that lasts for months. Your dishes will be squeaky clean and bacteria free. So will your sink – no grime.
Before you clean, put a bowl in your microwave and turn it on for about 2 minutes. This makes it easy to wipe down and now you don’t need hot water for your cleaning. For your household floor cleaning just add it to an equal part of water and a couple drops of Tea Tree Oil. Get out your rags, the bucket and scrub your floors (after sweeping them).
You can pour the leftover in the toilet with a bit of baking soda and let it sit for about half an hour to help disinfect. A quick easy scrub and it keeps the toilet from clogging.
If you take off your shoes, keep your surfaces clutter free and clean from the top to bottom can takes hours off your cleaning time every month. Wipe everything down after each use too. Keeping something clean and well maintained is a lot easier than letting it pile up.
Other useful ingredients include lemon and olive oil. Lemon with bit of water and olive oil polishes wood and keeps other surfaces maintained. It’s also aromatic. You can use the rinds to take the smell out of any room or even your garbage can. Once it is done you can simply compost it.
Air freshener tip – lemons aren’t the only thing that will keep your house smelling fresh. Buy a variety of plants and filter all the toxins out of your home while providing fresh oxygen. I feel another post coming on about this.
getting started – the next steps
Hopefully, I’ve sold you on the merits of natural cleaning. I’ll post an article that goes into the specifics of cleaning items that aren’t every day use and expand on your options using laundry soap. A simple four step program will sum up everything from above.
Step 1 – Eliminate Toxins
Here’s a clue – if the product has a warning that says danger, poison, toxin or caution, you probably don’t want it in your house or on your body or near your family. You can find out from your municipality or Earth 911 about proper disposal.
Step 2 – Eliminate Disposables
Eliminate reusable products like paper towels which cost money and use trees. Get rid of sponges and scrubbers which not only harm the environment buy using unnecessary resources but are also known carcinogens. If you can’t get rid of your Swiffer, graduate to the reusable replacements.
Step 3 – Buy Natural Consumables
You probably have most of these things already but you can replace the toxins with biodegradable and natural products mentioned about – vinegar, natural soap, baking soda, lemon, olive oil and water (which you probably have in your home).
Step 4 – Get Eco Friendly Tools
For the full Monty you need a stainless steel bucket, broom, dustpan, mop, rags, spray nozzle attached to reusable glass bottles, few glass jars, bottle scrubber, steel scrubber and natural scrubbers
If you want some more specific examples please take time to comment and I will make sure I add a few more articles and postings with resources and suggestions.
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