Ultimate Guide to Non-Toxic Home Cleaning

Cleaning our home is one of the most common chores for most of us, and to ensure cleanliness, we look for the best products available online or in superstores. However, what we tend to ignore is that most of these products contain chemicals that can be dangerous for our wellbeing.

The better the cleaner, the stronger it's chemical composition, and hence the more it harms our health. In the last two decades, consumers have made a conscious decision to purchase environment-friendly and non-toxic products. The internet and availability of information have made it easier for the consumer to study and research about the harmful ingredients present in the cleaners.

When consumers found out that the toxins in the cleaning products are harmful to their health and may even contain carcinogenesis, they actively started looking for non-toxic alternatives. However, toxic chemical cleaners are cheaper and more accessible than their organic counterparts. Moreover, some companies mask their cleaners as safe, even when they are not.

In this article, we will discuss commercial as well as homemade non-toxic cleaners that can help you stay safe and clean.

The Harmful Effects of Home Cleaning Products – Stats

Most of us pay no attention to the ingredients in our everyday home cleaners. If you take the time to Google the ingredients, you will find out that most of them are a threat to our wellbeing.

The following statistics will give you some idea of the danger toxic cleaners pose:

·         The rate of asthma has increased by 82% because of the exposure to toxic cleaning products

·         Toxins in chemical cleaners increase the chance of cancer by 3%

·         In Australia, around 2000 kids are admitted every year to hospital as a result of poisoning due to chemical cleaners

·         Most of the cleaners are not tested to toxicology for humans

In our daily life routine, we are surrounded by hundreds of chemicals; even the air we breathe is often riddled with chemicals. With effort, it is possible to minimize exposure and consumption of chemicals in our daily life.

We have compiled the following home cleaning tips to help you achieve this goal:

Non-Toxic Home Cleaning Tips

1.      Cleaning the Cleaners

First of all, start with the cleaning products that are already present in your house. Look at the bottles and clean their exterior; too often, these chemicals tend to stick on the outer surface and contaminate our skins and can prove to be dangerous.

Moreover, there are cleaners specifically for a lot of things like sink cleaner, stove cleaner, floor cleaner, window cleaner, etc. you don't need a million cleaners at home, so it's better to keep as less as possible to ensure minimum exposure. Try to get hands-on multipurpose cleaners to avoid the clutter.  

2.     Ingredients to Avoid

Several ingredients must be avoided when shopping for a home cleaning product. Although you cannot potentially remember all of the chemicals, which is why several websites have checkers where you can simply add an ingredient to check if it is fine to use or not.

       A list of products to avoid is mentioned below:

·                  Sodium Hydroxide

·                   Phthalates

·                   Chlorine

·                    Perchloroethylene

·                     Ammonia

·                     Triclosan

·         Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES)

·         2-Butoxyethanol

A good rule of thumb is to purchase plant-based cleaners instead of petroleum-based cleaners. Similarly, avoid products that are made for professional use or are marked with the danger or poison sign. If the cleaner has any chlorine or ammonia-based ingredient, stay away from it as it can irritate your skin and cause burns.

3.   DIY Cleaning Products

If you wish to go all completely organic and free from chemicals, we suggest that you use kitchen ingredients and DIY your own cleaners. It is not easy to shift entirely towards home-based home cleaners; however, you can still try to include a few combinations:

·                         White Vinegar

You can consider white vinegar as your best friend when it comes to DIY cleaners. Most commonly used in cleaning remedies, vinegar is an essential ingredient for cleaners. Vinegar is commonly used to get rid of grease, disinfect surfaces, clean glass surfaces, and softens the clothes.

·                           Baking Soda

       Baking soda is an essential ingredient when it comes to homemade cleaning solutions. It is mildly alkaline, and therefore, it causes dirt and grease to dissolve easily in water. Because of its various properties baking soda is good for cleaning any impurities and stains on your clothing and general household spaces.

·                           Lemon

Lemon is commonly used to disinfect surfaces and also deep cleaning for stain removal from surfaces around the house. You can use freshly squeezed lemon to clean surfaces like kitchen counters, stoves, furniture, and cabinets, etc.

To clean counters, simply mix lemon juice in water. Spray on the dirty surface and then wipe with a clean cloth. For furniture, mix lemon juice with vegetable oil, pour a small amount on a clean cloth and then rub onto furniture.

·                            Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is used to take out stains from clothes and disinfect surfaces. However, use chemicals after reading clear instructions. 

·         Essential Oils

        Essential oils have various beneficial properties, and they are a great help in cleaning surfaces as well as disinfection. Make sure to use pure and good quality essential oils for your DIY solutions. Lemon, Tea tree, peppermint, rosemary, and eucalyptus are amongst the most famous and beneficial essential oils for cleaning purposes.

        These are some of the essential oils that can be used in your DIY solutions to give squeaky clean surfaces that smell good as well. The unique properties of essential oils can help absorb dirt and stains from several surfaces.

4.   What to Avoid In DIYs

DIY solutions are easy to make; however, we suggest that you do not combine them without doing proper research as some of the combinations can have harmful reactions. As per an expert at Carpet Cleaning Windsor, combining ingredients with different chemical ingredients may lead to horrible incidents and damages. A few of such combinations to avoid are mentioned below:

o                         Castile soap and vinegar

o                         Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar 

Another thing to keep in mind is that not all ingredients are safe to use on all surfaces. You must do thorough research about which substance is to be used on which surface; otherwise, it will damage your clothing or household items.

5.    Some Recommended Tools

You must have a few tools at home for your cleaners and DIY solutions. These containers and tools will help you contain your solutions effectively without having to waste several containers. A few handy tools can be used for various cleaner and can be recycled for long. These containers are preferred to be of glass to avoid any reaction and for environmental protection as well.

                   A few of the suggestions are:

·                                     Glass Spray bottles

·                                      Microfiber cloth

·                                     Scrub brushes

·                                      Gloves

You can reuse these items for a long time, which is also an environmentally friendly practice. Having a few sustainable items at home can allow you to refill them and avoid excessive plastic use.

Conclusion

The above mentioned are a few tips that can be used at homes to ensure toxic-free cleaning. Several cleaners are highly concentrated and have adverse effects on our health and the kids at home as well. You must follow through practices and include a habit of researching before purchasing products for cleaning.