Did you know that your cleaning products could be killing you?
In fact, breathing the fumes of some cleaning chemicals can be as toxic as smoking. That’s a sobering thought.
Of course, most people (mostly women) who suffer ill effects this intensely typically worked as cleaners and thus are exposed more often. This is why some of the best cleaning companies in Melbourne are already using natural cleaning supplies to avoid these risks.
Knowing the risks, why would you want to expose yourself even if it’s only every few days?
However, you still want to have a sparkling clean home. The great thing is that there are plenty of all-natural cleaning supplies that you can use instead.
Let’s take a look.
1. Vinegar
Vinegar is a rock star when it comes to cleaning. It might not have the most pleasant smell in the world, but at least it dissipates quickly. You can also add essential oils to the mix to freshen up the smell. (More on those later).
The acidic nature of vinegar is perfect for cutting through tough grease, grime, and even soap scum. However, it’s not so good for natural stone surfaces. The acidity can damage porous materials like marble and granite.
Aside from that, you can use vinegar in virtually every room of your home. Pure vinegar is perfect for killing mould and mildew. So spritz some in your shower (or wherever the nasty stuff is growing) and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse (you may need to apply a sponge for stubborn spots) and voila!
You can also use it in the kitchen for stubborn food messes. Heat the oven and spray with vinegar to clean out that crusty stuff. Or microwave vinegar in a bowl, let it sit a few minutes, then simply wipe away the grime.
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda is another star in the natural cleaning world. In addition to cleaning, it also deodorises and brightens.
The pH of Baking soda is very basic which is opposite to vinegar which has higher acidity. A bonus when using baking soda and vinegar together is that they combine to neutralise each other but do so by fizzing a lot and releasing some heat. Both the warmth and fizzing can be used when cleaning to your advantage.
Try mixing them together and scrubbing at those stubborn stains in the toilet. Have a clogged drain? Trying adding baking soda and vinegar following by a few cups of boiling hot water.
3. Essential Oils
Essential oils are a great way to freshen up your cleaning products. Who really loves the smell of vinegar anyway? A delicate lavender or lemon scent in the air is much more pleasant.
Also, many essential oils have antimicrobial properties making them an excellent addition to cleaning mixtures for more reasons than one. Some oils can irritate your skin so be sure to research the right ones. Common oils used in cleaning are lemon, lavender, and tea tree oil.
4. Lemon Juice
You can also use straight up lemon juice for a fresh smelling clean. It’s useful in many capacities.
Try adding a couple teaspoons to 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar for a streak-free shine on your windows and mirrors. Or use it to scrub down your cutting boards. Lemons can sanitise to a certain extent, but be aware that they don’t have a 100% kill rate. You may need something stronger to sanitise after cutting up raw meat.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide
For some strong sanitising action you can always turn to hydrogen peroxide. Yes, this fizzy liquid is useful for more than just cleaning out cuts.
Try adding 1/2 teaspoon to 1/2 cup baking soda along with 1 teaspoon of castile soap for a disinfectant akin to bleach. You can also mix it with vinegar and water to give your floor cleaner a disinfecting boost!
6. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is another common medicine cabinet item that you can use for cleaning. Remember how we said you shouldn’t use vinegar on your marble or granite countertops? Here’s your alternative.
Like vinegar, it doesn’t have the most endearing smell in the world but at least it dissipates quickly. You can also use it with vinegar and water for an extra boost when cleaning windows and mirrors. Try adding a few drops of orange essential oil to ease up the smell.
7. Olive Oil
Bet you didn’t expect to see olive oil on this list! It’s great for both cleaning and polishing.
You aren’t supposed to use harsh cleaners on cast iron pans. So tackle that crusty food with olive oil and coarse salt instead. Rinse with hot water and voila! Note: the pan will still be slightly greasy but cast iron pans are supposed to be greased regularly anyway.
You can also use it with lemon juice or vinegar as a furniture polish.
8. Salt
Coarse salt is excellent in combination with some of these other cleaners when you need extra scrubbing power. If you couldn’t get all the yuck out of your oven with vinegar only, try adding some salt to the mix.
We already mentioned you can use it for cast iron pans. It also works well by itself to get the stubborn grime and grease out of normal frying pans.
You can also use it with baking soda, aluminium foil, and hot water to effortlessly strip the tarnish from your silverware. Silverware that’s made from real silver, that is.
All Natural Cleaning Supplies Are Easy to Use
Bet you didn’t know it was that easy to switch to using all natural cleaning supplies. Now, instead of ruining your air quality and exposing your lungs to harsh chemicals you can clean effectively and safely too!
Of course, if you’d prefer to avoid these mundane tasks altogether you can give us a call. We provide excellent housekeeping services to keep your home sparkling clean all the time and you don’t have to lift a finger!
