Natural Cleaners

 It is always really nice to have a clean home, but what could be better to have a natural, chemicals free home?  I know this may be really hard to reach since we have lots of cleaning products available in the market.  Most of this products contain substances that are hazardous, synthetic and that could damage not only our health but also the environment.  Also is important to point that all types of cleaning products (chemical or natural) must be out of reach of children.

Even when a clean house is vital for a healthy home, we use to many chemical products to reach this goal.  Many manufacturers have developed many chemical free alternatives that are known as soft chemistry.  This products are based on the properties of all natural products, they also contain less additives, preservatives and  do not pollute the environment.   Here I show some of the most common substances present on the cleaning products we usually buy:

• Phosphates: these act as water softeners and have been used in cleaning products since 1940.  They are used in detergents, heavy duty and multipurpose cleaners; they are responsible for excessive growth of algae in water systems.
• Bleaches: They are based on sodium hypochlorite that could affect hormone levels.
• Disinfectants: these are synthetic germ killers and contain volatile chemicals that could be dangerous to inhale and could damage our central nervous system, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas.
• Detergents: pure soap is effective in soft water.  Industrial detergents can fight against dirt but can harm living organisms present on water if they reach water supplies.
• Chlorine: present in most dishwasher detergents is a disinfectant that releases toxic fumes that cause headaches, breathing problems and the residues can adhere to dishes and leach into the food.

Here I also show some natural ingredients that could help us keep our house clean without any damage to our health or to the environment:

• Baking soda: or bicarbonate of soda is a natural multipurpose cleaner.
• Pure soap: plain soaps and hot water will help in most cleaning jobs.
• White vinegar: the acid present in white vinegar helps to cut dirt and could be used in glass, tiles, and mixed with baking soda is a great cooper polish.
• Lemon juice: is well known that citric acid is a great natural cleaner, safe and frangant.
• Salt: is a mild disinfectant and could be used also as a soft abrasive powder.
• Essential Oils. many of these are not only natural disinfectants but, added to some homemade cleaner, introduce some delicious fragance such as lemon, eucalyptus, almond, tea tree and more. 

 Making our own cleaning products could be not just fun but also less expensive than buying a bunch of products in the supermarket.  They will be as effective as any chemical but less harmful for or health and the environment.  Here a have some well known ideas to make your own natural cleaning products:

• All surface cleaner: mix one part of water and two parts of vinegar, add also some drops of your favorite essential oil. This product not only cleans, but also disinfects and is no toxic.
• Mix one part of baking soda and one part of water and you will get a paste.  This is a not abrasive paste that could help to clean and polish chrome and aluminium surfaces.  You can also use it to clean and eliminate odors on your refrigerators.  You can also use this paste to clean your pots and pans.
•  Use lemon to remove coffee and tea stains.  To clean your wooden cutting boards you can mix lemon use and salt.
• To absorb smells in your refrigerator you can place a piece of charcoal or even some cat litter.  Leave it for a day.
• Use 150 ml of white vinegar directly to the toilet bowl and brush it, then flush.  This is a perfect cleaner and disinfectant.
• Mix  125 ml of water with 10 drops of tea tree oil to make a disinfectant solution.
• White vinegar also helps remove lime from faucets and helps clean hard water deposits on plastic shower doors.
• Mix a handful of baking soda, 125 ml of white vinegar and 250 ml of water to get a solution that helps keep drains clear.
• This is one I like, light a match in the toilet after using it.  It really help eliminate the odors.
• Mix hot water and soap flakes with a little of white vinegar to clean almost all glass surfaces.
• Use a few drops of fresh lemon juice to remove some colored stains from clothes.
• To remove red wine stains, pour salt onto the affected area and let it absorb the stain, then wash it.
• Make your own fabric conditioner mixing equal parts of water, white vinegar and washing soda along with some drops of your favorite essential oil.

These, along with many other are simple but Eco friendly ways to clean our home.