We consume all kinds of harmful chemicals on a daily basis. The food we eat and clothes we wear are produced using chemical treatment, our cosmetics contain wholly unnatural ingredients and the sheets we sleep on have often been treated with pesticides and resins. Making organic food the focus of your diet can help to reduce the amount of chemicals entering your body – but by no means does it stop them completely. Many chemicals enter our bodies in the form of cleaning products, which we unwittingly absorb after spraying our sinks and surfaces. While it has become the accepted norm to clean with these products, it is entirely possible to eliminate them from your cleaning routine. There are a number of organic cleaning products commercially available, or you could choose to make the most of some very useful household ingredients. Vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice are just some of the natural cleaning products you may find in the kitchen cupboard. All inexpensive compared to toxic cleaners, they can help you save money and improve your environment while keeping your surfaces spotless. Follow these natural cleaning tips for a cleaner, healthier home.
Vinegar
Use vinegar, diluted with an equal measure of water, as a spray cleaner. It can be used safely on most surfaces and it won’t leave a smell once it dries. Vinegar works as a disinfectant too, making it ideal for cleaning your bathroom and kitchen. Pure, undiluted vinegar can be used to clean the toilet, but in all other cases remember to mix with water. Vinegar is acidic and can dissolve tiles and grouting when used in its neat form.
Lemon juice
Lemon can be used to good effect throughout the home, both as a cleaner and a natural air-freshener. Scatter lemon peel down the waste disposal unit to keep things fresh-smelling, then use the juice of the fruit mixed with bicarbonate of soda to scrub surface stains. Mixing two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice creates the ideal natural cleaning paste for your hardwood furniture.
Baking soda / Bicarbonate of soda
A natural abrasive cleaner, baking soda also serves as an excellent deodoriser. Place a bowl in the fridge and let it soak up odours to leave your fridge smelling clean and fresh.