Healthy Living in Charlotte, NC
If you are looking for ways to reduce the harmful chemicals in your household, assessing your cleaning products is a good starting point. Many people keep harsh, toxic cleaners in their homes, but few read the labels and use or store them safely. If you have read the labels you may have noticed that the most toxic products only list warnings and note a website to find out the "disclosed" ingredients. Naturally Clean has listed both the instructions for use and ingredients for a common bathroom cleanser containing bleach compared to their own eco-friendly products. Websites like the Environmental Working Group offer consumers some insights on understanding product labels and have an extensive database of products and ingredients.
If you do have harsh chemical products in your home, be sure to use and store them safely.
There are a lot of recipes out there for natural, eco-friendly cleaning products to use in your home. Many items can be found in your pantry or medicine cabinet. Here are some tips and recipes based on Naturally Clean's products and ingredient list.
Mixing your own cleaning products is easy and helps eliminate harsh chemicals in your household.
You can add your favorite essential oils to any mixture for a relaxing, fresh, clean fragrance. The acidity in lemons also help cut through soap scum in the bathroom for tougher jobs.
All-Purpose Cleanser - Castile soap is a plant-based soap that is mild enough to use on all surfaces and is commonly found is a wide range of cleaning products from cleansers to hand soap to body soap. Mix approximately 2 tsp of castile soap with 32oz of water. Dilute 1 tsp of castile soap with water to clean your floors.
Glass and Mirror Cleanser - Vinegar is amazing at getting glass and mirrors streak-free and it disinfects. Dilute vinegar with water, 25/75 or 50/50 for tougher jobs. You can also try isopropyl alcohol.
Toilet Bowl Cleanser - Mix together approximately 2 oz baking soda, castile soap, and hydrogen peroxide with 32 oz of water. I like to spritz my vinegar solution while cleaning for extra disinfecting power.
With this simple list of ingredients, you are well on your way to reducing the harsh chemicals in your household. Be sure to keep any harsh chemicals stored safely or disposed of properly. Check out other chemical-based products in your garage, body products, and cosmetics in the EWG database for ingredient and safety information.
