More than 150 chemicals found in the average home have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities1. That’s scary news—where are they all hiding? The answer might be even scarier—these chemicals are on the floor, in the air, in the bathtub—sneaking into people’s homes under the guise of common household cleaners.
Not to worry, it’s possible to avenge these elusive perpetrators! In today’s column, we’ll explore the possibility that making your own products could be easy and even fun…probably more fun than actually cleaning. We’ll also toss in a recipe for a truly all-purpose cleaner…with more recipes to come in future posts!
It’s easy to find recipes for homemade, non-toxic cleaners online, but unfortunately many of these don’t smell any better than the toxic ones they’re replacing! While vinegar is an extremely versatile and safe ingredient in many of these recipes, there’s a good chance it will elicit nose-scrunching from big people and little people alike. But wait—with a little creativity and experimentation these recipes can not only perform but also delight!
First, check the cupboards for the following key ingredients:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Vegetable or olive oil
- Ethanol/rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol is petroleum-based)
Green Cleaning Product Ingredients
(You won’t use all of these for today’s recipe, but these are fabulous staples to keep on deck for future cleaning products!) The next step is to head to the store to buy any missing ingredients, a few plastic spray bottles and Tupperware containers for storage. On the way home, stop by a natural foods store for some environmentally-friendly dishwashing liquid. Here’s the important part: before heading home, explore their essential oils to custom scent the cleaning products. If you have kids, they’ll enjoy sniffing the different flavors and maybe even combining them for their very own custom blend (maybe “Paige’s Peppermint Potion” will motivate her to clean up that plopped peanut butter)!
The addition of essential oils will not only make the finished product smell lovely and get the kids involved, but will also add an aromatherapy aspect each time they’re used! For example, lavender essential oil is calming and therapeutic for asthma and allergies, citrus is known for its refreshing and uplifting properties, while peppermint is energizing. Use the same scent in each product for a consistent atmosphere in the home, or mix them up for something different in each room! However you choose to do it, just be sure you label the bottles and containers, because while all the recipes we’ll share are non-toxic, they are not to be ingested.
And now for that starter recipe I promised!
Really All-Purpose Cleaner
- 1 gallon water
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
Mix together in a large container, shake gently and pour into a spray bottle for easy application. The dish detergent in this recipe not only cuts the vinegar smell but also makes it possible to use it on glass and windows as well as countertops, etc.
Stay tuned for more, and of course if you don’t feel like doing all this yourself, we’d love if it you called us to set up green house cleaning services–then all the work is done for you!
1Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission
Filed under: Green Cleaning Recipes, House Cleaning Tips
