A couple of years ago, I picked up Renée Loux’s Easy Green Living and read it cover to cover. It’s an informative and inspiring book,
filled with ways to live healthier while helping the earth. One of my favorite
sections talks about making your own household cleaners. I decided to give it a
try and have been hooked ever since. I haven’t bought a commercial cleaner in
more than a year! Though I was already using non-toxic name-brand cleaners,
I’ve found making my own rewarding, cheaper, and ultimately easier than I
thought it would be.
Why switch to
non-toxic cleaners in the first place?
Have you ever looked at the ingredients in a spray bottle of
a conventional all-purpose cleaner? The list is scary—and dangerous for both
human beings and the environment. Common ingredients can include (all sources
for this information are cited in Renée’s book):
Ammonia, a toxic
substance that can cause permanent damage to the eyes and can burn the skin.
Chlorine, which
severely irritates the eyes, skin, and lungs, and is very harmful to inhale. It
may cause permanent damage to the lungs, and children are especially at risk
for its adverse effects.
Glycol ether,
repeated exposure to which can cause liver and kidney damage.
Naptha, found in
all purpose glass and surface cleaners, is a possible carcinogen and can cause
skin damage, and is very dangerous to inhale.
Phenols, toxic
compounds that irritate the eyes, skin, and lungs, and are toxic in the
environment.
Terrifying, right? And that’s not even half of the most common
ingredients. In the US, manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients
in their cleaning products—so we may not even know all the toxic chemicals that
we’re using. It’s bad enough to think of the harm this might be causing myself
and my husband—but when I started thinking about the possible danger I’m
exposing my kids to, for me, switching to non-toxic cleaners was a no-brainer.
Why make your own
cleaners?
I look at making my own cleaners the way I look at making
most of what we eat from scratch: I know every single thing that has gone into
whatever it is we are ingesting, or cleaning with, in this case. No
unpronounceable chemicals; no carcinogens or agents harmful to the earth.
Before I switched to non-toxic cleaning products, I was always nervous about my
kids being around when I cleaned—now I have no fear of them inhaling or
swallowing something that can cause them permanent damage.
Making your own cleaners is exponentially less expensive
than buying name brand non-toxic ones. There are some wonderful name brand natural
cleaners out there, and they do the job well. But they are pricey, and if you’re a neat freak like me and
clean often, those costs can really add up. I order all my ingredients from
Vitacost.com. Their prices are up to 40% less than other sites I have come
across, and some things are as much as 75% less expensive! You can also visit
your local natural health store for most of these. I get spray bottles from my
local dollar store. You can even use old spray bottles from store-bought
cleaners that have run out—just be sure to wash them out thoroughly before
mixing your cleaner in them.
Making your own cleaners is also fun! I absolutely love
learning about essential oils and their properties, and combining them to
create my own scents gives me a chance to get creative. Be sure to keep your
oils out of reach of children—ingesting them in large amounts can be harmful.
Another note—if you are using a plastic measuring spoon for your essential
oils, wash it out with soap immediately
after you finish with it, otherwise the oil will corrode the plastic.
Now that you have some good information, why not give making
your own household cleaners a try? Here are some of my favorite recipes, taken
from Easy Green Living. I’d love to hear from you if you try these, and how you
like them.
Lavender-Lemon Disinfecting Spray
Hands down, my favorite. Smells fantastic and I love that it
naturally disinfects! You can use this to clean things like kitchen counters
and cutting boards—just keep in mind that it won’t necessarily kill all
bacteria from raw poultry and meat. Makes about one pint.
¼ cup inexpensive vodka
½ cup 3% hydrogen peroxide (69 cents a bottle at my local
drugstore!)
1 cup water
10 drops essential oil of lavender
5 drops essential oil of lemon
Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and swirl to
mix them. Be sure not to shake the bottle, or the active oxygen in the peroxide
will go flat and lose its action. Spray the surface and wipe, or allow to air
dry. Keeps indefinitely!
All-Purpose Citrus Spray
I love this recipe because it uses another inexpensive
ingredient: white distilled vinegar. I buy the store brand and the cost ends up
being pennies per bottle for this cleaner. One note—if the smell of vinegar
bothers you, you may want to skip this one, as the scent does linger for a bit.
You may be tempted to add more essential oils to mask the smell—but don’t. When
it comes to essential oils, a little goes a long way! Makes about one pint.
½ cup white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon Citra-Solv Cleaner and Degreaser Concentrate
(available at Vitacost.com or your local natural health store)
½ teaspoon natural liquid dish soap or castile soap
1 ½ cups warm water
½ teaspoon total antiseptic essential oils (your choice as
to which ones—get creative!)
Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well
to mix. Keeps indefinitely!
All-Purpose Deodorizing Basic Soda Spray
This is a great recipe for scouring and scrubbing—and it
uses two super-inexpensive ingredients—baking and club soda! Be sure to wipe
off after spraying, because the baking soda can leave a residue. Makes about
one pint.
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ castile soap
½ teaspoon total rosemary and sweet orange essential oils
1 cup very warm water
1 cup club soda
Combine the baking soda, soap, essential oils, and water in
a spray bottle. Screw the top on, shake vigorously to combine the ingredients,
and then add the club soda. Swirl to mix it in.
Heavy-Duty Floor Cleaner
I don’t know why, but it seems like commercial floor
cleaners are the most expensive of the lot. This is easy, cheap, and smells
wonderful! My kids and husband have all commented on how good the house smells
after I’ve mopped with this.
2 gallons warm water
½ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup Citra-Solv Cleaner and Degreaser Concentrate
2 tablespoons natural liquid dish soap
½ teaspoon essential oil of lavender
Mix all ingredients in a bucket, and mop away!
Basic Soda Fizz Toilet Scrub
OK, the toilet situation can get yucky, and you may be
temped to use a conventional toxic cleaner because it just makes the grime go
away. Don’t do it! This recipe is easy, quick, and cleans just as well.
1 tablespoon castile or other natural liquid soap
1/3 cup baking soda
1/3 distilled white vinegar
8 drops essential oil of lavender, rosemary, or both
Squirt the soap into the toilet bowl, and then drop the
baking soda on top. Pour in the vinegar and essential oils. Let it fizz for 2-3
minutes, then scrub the bowl with a toilet brush, and flush. Enjoy the sparkle!
***
Good luck and happy green cleaning!
