The average American household used about 40 pounds of toxic household cleaning products in one year. These cleaning products contain dangerous ingredients. Some contain neurotoxins, allergens, carcinogens, heavy metals, central nervous system depressants, and agents that can cause cancer, respiratory problems, allergic reactions, behavioral problems, and reproductive abnormalities.
These ingredients also pollute the environment by being flushed down toilets, poured down drains, sprayed into the air, thrown into the trash, and dumped onto the ground. Many cleaning products end up in a landfall or are incinerated, which releases more toxins into the environment. They also contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer, pollute groundwater, harm plan and animal life, and contaminate the soil. This pollution is easily solved by choosing a more environmentally friendly organic cleaning supply.
In this environmentally conscious age, going green product and supplies are in high demand. Natural cleaning products offer an environmentally friendly, cost-efficient alternative to the normal toxic and potentially lethal household cleaning products. Most traditional cleaning product eventually contact the air, water, and/or soil and can cause harm to animals, plants, drinking water, and food supplies.
You can protect the environment and your family by switching to organic cleaning supplies. You could even make homemade organic cleaning supplies on your own.
Here are some basic household ingredients and what they can be used for:
* You can use baking soda to neutralize acid, soften fabric, deodorize, and clean and polish metals and plastics.
* You can also use borax to deodorize, as well as prevent mildew and mold and remove stains.
* You can use cornstarch to clean windows and carpets and polish furniture.
* You can use Isopropyl alcohol to disinfect.
* Lemon Juice also deodorizes, cleans glass, and removes stains.
* You can use mineral oil to polish furniture.
* Vinegar can remove mildew, grease, and wax. It also deodorizes, cleans windows, brick, and stone.
* Washing soda, which is sodium carbonate decahydrate, can remove grease and clean laundry.
If you are interested in making organic cleaning supplies on your own, here are some simple recipes:
* To make an air freshener, place shallow plates of vinegar in rooms to absorb odors. You can also sprinkle borax at the bottom of trash cans to prevent growth of bacteria or mold that cause odors.
* For an all purpose cleaner, put four tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of warm water and mix it well.
* If you need a disinfectant, mix 1/2 a cup of borax into one gallon of water.
* If you need to clean your drains, pour 1/2 a cup of baking soda down the drain. After that, pour half a cup of white vinegar down the drain, and cover the drain. After 15 minutes pour 1 gallon of hot water down the drain. Easy.
* If you need to clean or polish stainless steel, use undiluted white vinegar. For copper, boil the item in a pot of water with one tablespoon of salt and one cup of white vinegar.
* To clean your oven you can moisten the surfaces with water, sprinkle with baking soda, and scrub with steel wool.
* To clean your toilet, mix 1/4 of a cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar. Pour that mixture into the toilet and let it set for 5 minutes, then scrub it with a brush.
If you would rather buy your 100% organic cleaning supplies, you may be surprised to learn that they are not always as green as they claim. However, they are safer than using products that do not claim to be green at all. The best way to buy real green cleaning products is to do some research online, and buy your products online. This way you can get products that you would not normally be able to buy in the store. Support companies like Seventh Generation, Sun & Earth, and Mia Rose.
