One area that I have yet to delve into is the area of natural cleaning supplies. It might have something to do with my dislike of housekeeping :) or it may be my secret love of the smell of a freshly Pine Sol cleaned room. At any rate, I would really like to find some natural cleaners to protect my family from harmful chemicals and also to protect the environment. I've struggled in this area in the past because I've tried products that didn't clean well or that were marketed as natural, but contained as many harmful chemicals as any other cleaners. Today I would love it if you could give me some tips. Write in and let me know what your favorite natural housecleaning and laundry products are and why. I would love to hear about commercial products or even better, products that you make at home. For instance, I've heard that vinegar is a great cleaning product, but how do you use it?? Give me some tips people! I look forward to hearing from you!
-Karla
12 comments:
Happy New Year!
I'm pretty hard core when it comes to cleaning with truly green supplies and whip up most of my own. Here is a blog post I wrote a while back: Green Cleaning Supplies I Love
http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2008/09/green-cleaning-supplies-i-love.html
Enjoy!
Kristen
My husband and I actually argue over which cleaners to use as he is the one usually cleaning (don't tell him I told you that). He enjoys the pungent smell of bleach. It literally gives me a headache.
So as a compromise, we have experimented with the Method products found at Target. Even he admitted that they worked well. The only difference is cost, but I think it is worth it.
- Shannan
Thanks Kristen! This is just the kind of stuff I was looking for!
I like Method too Shannan, but haven't tried all their stuff yet! D. is a big bleach fan as well (that must be a family trait) :) so it's encouraging that M. likes Method stuff as D. had not been a big fan of natural cleaning products so far. That must be a family trait! :)
The smell of the Mrs. Meyers products are heavenly and totally yummy!
I love Method products, too, but I hate the constant re-use of plastic and dependency on retail! I know they are pretty great and I love their book "Squeaky Green." It scared my husband from ever using bleach again!
I have fallen in love with apple cider vinegar, though. I use it in everything! I keep it in a spray bottle and use it for windows and glass. I also add it to laundry cycles for whites and hard to get out stains.
For wood, I just add essential oils to vegetable oil.
I added essential oil of lemon, essential oil of lavendar and a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar to a spray bottle and filled the remainder up with water. It's my clean-all! Lavendar and lemon are natural disinfectants so I spray it on bed sheets and pillows after someone's been sick. It smells dreamy! And isn't a problem if it gets in the wrong hands, i.e, kids.
Vinegar has also done wonders on carpet stains! It hasn't disappointed us yet.
My friend swears by Dr. Brommer's. She adds her own essential oils and scrubs everything with this soap.
Hope this helps!
Hi Linda and welcome to our blog! We are so thrilled to have you!
I hope you keep visiting and keep commenting!!
Stephanie - welcome and thanks for all the helpful tips! That was exactly what I was looking for.
Karla
Hi, I'm a friend of Daedra Surowiec's. She told me about your blog and I've enjoyed what I've been reading so far! For cleaning, I used to be a bleach junkie. I loved the smell of bleach in the house. I've since switched to Shaklee H2 cleaner which is a concentrate (cuts down on bottles) and since it is a concentrate, you can use as much or as little as you need. It's a really good all purpose cleaner, but probably middle of the road as far as toxicity. (BTW, I don't sell it or anything!) Occasionally, I have to clean my white formica countertops with clorox cleanup, and I can't believe how awful it smells to me now! The more I've detoxed my home, the less tolerance I have for all of these "fake" fragrances!
Keep up the good work!
Hi Andrea and welcome! I believe I've met you at a Holistic Mom's Network meeting awhile back! Thanks so much for your comment and for joining us!
Karla
Here's what I use to clean my bamboo floors:
Fill the sink halfway with hot water. Add two big glubs of white vinegar, a handful of salt, a tiny drop of Brommer's soap (or natural dishsoap), and a shake or two of lavender essential oil (or whatever scent you prefer - it masks the vinegary smell).
Pretreat stuck on spots with a squirt of vinegar / water solution in a spray bottle (I do about half and half) and after five minutes or so, mop away.
Have fun!
Love your blog - just found it through Kristen's Raw. I buy Dr. Bronner's soap in a large bottle for the shower (it lasts a really long time, and we use it on three people). For cleaning, I use baking soda and vinegar for just about everything. I spray vinegar on the mop when I clean the floors, and dump baking soda and vinegar into the toilets while I clean the rest of the bathroom, then scrub them. I do the same thing with the shower floor. For the inside of the oven, I spray vinegar on it, leave it for 30 minutes, and then scrub. The only commercial cleaning product I still use is the cleaner for my smooth top stove. I haven't found a natural alternative that gets off the cooked-on food, but I'm still searching!
I add baking soda to our laundry, and vinegar in a Downey Ball. I keep spray bottles of vinegar in the shower, bathroom cupboard, and kitchen... it's amazing stuff.
Thanks Aurora and Frugalbabe! I'm really excited about all my new cleaning options! (I wish I was as excited about the actual cleaning!) :)
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