Most cleaning products you'll find on your supermarket shelves contain toxic ingredients and chemicals which are harmful not only to you, but also to your babies, children and your pets.
I've always been under the impression that Pine-Sol, now owned by Clorox, was one of the most natural commercial cleaners. But after doing a little bit of research I've come to the conclusion that over the years as the formula has changed, so has its toxicity level.
On the
Pine-Sol safety web page I noticed a contradiction. On one hand they say that Pine-Sol is safe to use around pets and in pet areas. On the other hand they say it's highly toxic if ingested and they say not to use Pine-Sol to wash dishes because "it is not approved by the EPA to be used on food-contact surfaces." Here's an example of the problem this poses using pets as an example but substitute "baby" for pet if you have a baby crawling around on your floors.
If the Pine-Sol
warning label states, "Avoid contact with food" yet it states it's safe to use in pet areas (but not as a shampoo for pets) then what would happen if you've just mopped your floor and your pet walks on the wet floor and then begins to groom him/herself? Or a similar scenario would be if you've just cleaned your floor with Pine-Sol and your pet is eating. The pet drops the food on the floor and licks it up along with the freshly applied Pine-Sol.
You may find these scenarios insignificant and they could be if this only happens once in a pet's lifetime, depending on how much cleaner they ingest. But if they continually ingest harmful chemicals, over time you may have a problem, or I should say, your pet may develop a problem.
The good news is to every problem there is a
solution! Using cleaners that are safe for everyone including our environment (soil, water and air) will be a big step towards
clean living, and
though being clean on the outside is important it's more important to be clean on the inside because what is inside spills over on the outside. But that's for another post.
First, I recommend making an investment of
Liquid Sunshine concentrate from the Vermont Soap Company. Vermont Soap carries all natural, organic and chemical-free products. You can purchase Liquid Sunshine as a concentrate or already diluted in a variety of sizes. My husband and I purchase the 5-gallon drum and make our own cleaning solutions from that. The 5-gallon drum lasts us at least 1-1/2 years and if I didn't give out samples, it would last even longer.
Take a look around the
Vermont Soap Company website. Here's a
quick order form for easy ordering. Purchasing the concentrate will save you $$$$ and when your spray bottle is empty, just whip up another solution. Liquid Sunshine cleans everything under the sun!
I'm also including some other natural cleaning ideas and recipes I use. These will also save you money.
Cleaning Recipes and Ideas
All Purpose Cleaner: In a clean spray bottle add 3-3/4 water and 1/4 cup of Liquid Sunshine. My recipe includes 7-10 drops of Rosemary and Thyme essential oils each. Ten drops of Tea Tree oil instead of Rosemary and Thyme oils can substituted.
Windows: In a clean spray bottle add 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teas. Liquid Sunshine or liquid soap and 2 cups water. Shake well before using.
Scouring: Instead of commercial cleansers, buy a large bag of baking soda* (BJ's has the large bags) and keep a jar of it upstairs and downstairs.
To use, first wet the surface. Using a cloth with a some Liquid Sunshine or soap, scrub the surface, then rinse. This works on pots and pans, too. For burnt pans, sprinkle some baking soda in the pan and add hot water. Let soak overnight and scrub.
*
Tip: To brighten your clothes and remove odors, add 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda to your laundry (add it with your laundry detergent to the water before adding clothes).
For Disinfecting: Disinfect
after you have cleaned your surface. Here are two ways to disinfect without harsh chemicals.
- Lemon Juice: Squeeze a lemon or lemon juice concentrate on a clean surface and wipe. If you're a skeptic, here's scientific proof of the effectiveness of lemon juice as a disinfectant.
- Vinegar and Peroxide**: In one clean spray bottle add straight vinegar and in a second clean spray bottle add 3% hydrogen peroxide (can be found in most grocery and drug stores). Spray one on the surface you're disinfecting and then spray the other (it doesn't matter which you spray first). Wipe and rinse. This method can also be used on fresh produce to disinfect it before eating. Not convinced? Click here.
**NOTE: DO NOT MIX vinegar and hydrogen peroxide together in one spray bottle.
If you have any recipes not listed or you've tried the ideas and recipes above, please comment. Thanks!
~ Lisa
