It is no surprise that commercial cleaners are packed with different sorts of chemicals, toxins, and polluting substances. While they can make your life easier with their instant result, they can pose long-term concerns that can put your health and the environment at risk. Asthma, allergies, sinusitis, and bronchitis are some of the health issues you will have to deal with if you do not stop using commercial cleansers. And the sad truth is, the federal government isn’t even requiring these manufacturers to list down their actual ingredients. So since there is no guarantee to ensure that you will choose a product that’s free from dangerous chemicals, the next best thing to do is to opt for natural cleaners.
Are they effective? This is probably the first concern of people regarding natural cleaners. Yes, they are effective and natural cleaners are a great substitute from chemical-laden cleaning products. They are non-toxic and can definitely keep your house clean and sparkly! They can also save you money and of course, give you the confidence of knowing that you are doing your share in protecting the environment. Going for natural cleaners will also reduce packaging wastes. The best thing of all is, these non-toxic substitutes are just a footstep away from you since most of them are items that you already have inside your home!
Borax
Borax is a very handy help for all your cleaning needs. You can add it on your laundry to enjoy that extra clean. You can also put some on your toilet bowl, let it sit for a while, and then flush! You can use it to clean the shower and bath by adding a little water to it to make a paste. Borax is also good for removing carpet stains and to treat smelly trash bins. Borax is easily available among hardwares and at the laundry supply section of your favorite supermarkets.
Distilled Vinegar
Go for distilled white vinegar. They are inexpensive and definitely versatile to keep all your cleaning needs done! You can use it as a nontoxic disinfecting agent. Vinegar can eliminates grease, grime, and soap scum. It can also kill molds and wipe away stains on surfaces. It can be used to clean windows and sanitize surfaces. Simply combine vinegar and water into a spray bottle to clean your surfaces. For your laundry, you can add couple of tablespoons and it will deal with musty smell.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Check your medicine cabinet and you will find a very good antiseptic solution that does a really good job in keeping your house clean—hydrogen peroxide. While the name may sound complex but it is nothing more than water and oxygen. It is definitely safe! You can add mix it up with water to sanitize your wooden cutting boards. If you want to clean your drain, add some baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and watch how it can easily remove the drain grime. It is also a good toilet bowl cleaner and works as a substitute to bleach when doing your laundry.
Salt
This unassuming kitchen staple can actually play a big role in cleaning your house! It is a wonderful scouring agent. It also augments the ability of other cleaning ingredients since salt is known to boost deodorizing and cleaning actions of ingredients like vinegar. You can also use salt to clean sink drain by simply mixing it with hot water. You can rub a thin paste of salt together with vegetable oil to remove water rings on glasses.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is very powerful natural cleaning agent that works both as a deodorizer and a whitening help! You can add it to your laundry to enjoy extra white clothes. You can also make it into a paste and scrub it on your tubs, bathroom walls, and tiles. You can actually use baking soda to whiten your teeth! Best of all, you can score some good baking soda almost anywhere from groceries to drugstores in a very affordable price!
