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Ready to ditch those chemically-laden, environmentally unfriendly cleaning products? Here’s how to switch to natural cleaners instead!
It’s exciting to know that something as mundane as cleaning your home can become a major part of your journey to being eco-friendly.
Just by simply paying attention to the products you use, you can cut out some major harmful chemicals and stop contributing to a mass system that’s poisoning the environment.
It’s all about getting and using cleaning products that work without doing damage to the world around them.
The number of people across the US who are switching to a more eco-friendly lifestyle is on the rise. This means that it’s a lot easier to find sustainable options for cleaning your home, as well as being a lot cheaper than before.
It’s also never been easier to find out information about your cleaning products and what the ingredients are doing to the environment.
If you’re ready to switch to natural products when cleaning your home, we suggest starting out slowly and working your way through this list:
1. Switch To Green Products
It used to be quite difficult to find natural, eco-friendly cleaning products that were commercially available. You had to go to specific health shops, and they often cost a fortune. Choice was limited, and all too often products were in short supply.
Fortunately, today, most big retailers have their own organic or green line of products available, right alongside their regular products. They also tend to stock a variety of options for the environmentally minded person.
This level of choice means that you can buy a natural cleaning product while doing your regular grocery shopping. And, with so much choice, you get to compare ingredients and prices too.
You don’t have to just buy the one option that’s available.
Plus, the fact that so many stores offer eco-friendly cleaning products means that there’s competition. Competition drives prices down, so this makes being environmentally friendly friendlier on the pocket too.
2. Get Rid Of Harmful Products Safely
Ready to ditch your old cleaning products and switch to natural alternatives? Not so fast!
Most cleaning products are full of harsh chemicals that are potentially toxic. The idea was that the stronger the solvent in the product, the stronger its cleaning power and the easier it cleaned your home.
Little emphasis or concern was placed on what these harsh chemicals do to the person breathing in the fumes, or getting the products on their skin. Let alone the children in the household or the pets.
For example, bleach is the number one ingredient used in a multitude of cleaning products. The fumes from these products often include chlorine and chloroform, which are incredibly bad for your lungs. They are also bad for your brain health. In addition, if you’re cleaning in a poorly ventilated space, you could see a buildup of gas that could react to something as harmless as vinegar.
The biggest problem we face is how to get rid of these products in a safe manner. It’s not advisable to simply pour the products down the drain. The concentrated spike of chemicals could damage your drainage system, for one.
Additionally, you’re releasing those chemicals into the water and the ground around you, poisoning them. It’s best to contact local recycling centers and talk to the experts about disposing of these toxic chemicals.
3. Make your Own Cleaning Products
Once you’re on the path to safer, more natural cleaning products, you should consider making your own products at home.
This is a far more cost effective option, and you can eliminate the use of single-use plastics too. Even if you recycle the bottles and spritzers cleaning products come in, they still add to the plastic problem. If you make your own naturally derived products you can store them in glass bottles and jars, and you can reuse these repeatedly.
DIY eco-cleaning products don’t usually require many ingredients. You won’t need much more than vinegar, cornstarch, lemon, baking soda, soap, and warm water to get most jobs done around the house. When it comes to soap, look for anything unscented that comes in liquid or flake form and make sure that it doesn’t contain petroleum distillates.
Baking soda should be your first port of call.
It softens water in much the same way soap does and it cleans surfaces in the same way. It also deodorizes your home, taking away any bad odors.
Lemon juice is great to fight against bacteria in your home, while vinegar will cut through any grease. Cornstarch is another ingredient to add to the list. You can use it to polish furniture, clean windows and mirrors, and even shampoo your carpets.
Sometimes, you may need ingredients that are a bit stronger. In these cases, look for hydrogen peroxide and oxygen-based bleach. These are strong chemicals, but not nearly as harmful as regular bleach or ammonia.
Oxygen-based bleaches are generally made from peroxide or sodium carbonate and can safely remove stains. Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used as a disinfectant for cuts and wounds, and it’s ideal for disinfecting your bathroom and kitchen surfaces.
If you want to add a scent to your natural cleaning products, a few drops of essential oil work wonders. Peppermint, lemon, tea tree, and pine all add a wonderful fresh, clean fragrance.
4. Don’t Forget About Your Garden
The garden is another place where we regularly use cleaning products that are harmful to the environment. The chemicals in most pesticides, weed killers, and bug sprays are harmful when inhaled and can cause lasting damage to the soil.
Instead of buying products from the store that are full of unnatural ingredients, mix up some vinegar, salt, and water to spray on your weeds. There are also plenty of friendly ways to stop snails and worms from munching on your plants.
A compost heap or a compost bin is a great natural fertilizer source that you can use on your lawn and in your flower beds. It’ll also help you to cut down on your waste, because you won’t throw away as much food.
If you want to reuse some of your plastic items you can put them to good use in your garden too. Convert old containers into buckets or watering cans, or into temporary pots for new plants. Or, you can cut up plastic items to create boundaries for flower or nursery beds.
The Final Word On Green Cleaning
As you can see, making the move to natural cleaning products is now easier than ever. It’s a conscious lifestyle choice that makes a huge difference.
Become a conscious consumer if you prefer buying your cleaning products, or try making your own. You can reduce your plastic use, cut down completely on harmful chemicals, and still keep your home fresh, clean, and eco-friendly.
There’s no reason to wait. Your journey to a household that only uses natural cleaning products can begin right now.
If you enjoyed this article check out our sustainable living blog for more interesting information such as:
- Guide to Zero-Waste Travel: Discover These Easy Tips on How to Travel Sustainably
- 4 Fall Zero Waste Projects You Will Fall In Love With
- How To Practice Sustainability In The Workplace
