Ever stop and think about the cleaning products that you use?  Most cleaning products are petroleum based, which means that they are not only bad for the environment, bur bad for your health.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find healthier alternatives though.  In fact, some of the healthiest, ecologically friendly and inexpensive options are things that you probably have in your own home right now.

That’s right, baking soda, lemons, vinegar and oils can get your home just as clean and fresh as the store bought stuff.  We even tried a few of the following recipes just to see if they actually worked and the results were pretty impressive.

Baking Soda: It’s Not Just for the Fridge

Remember how mom used to keep an open box of baking soda in the fridge when you were a kid?

That was to keep the food odours at bay so that your food tasted as good and fresh as the day you bought it.

Baking soda is also one of our favorite green cleaning products because of its many uses.  A few of the things that baking soda can do around your house include being used as an abrasive for scrubbing dishes, tile floors, bathrooms and stainless steel sinks.

We tried baking soda in a stainless steel sink followed by a bit of vinegar to freshen up after washing dishes.  It worked just as well as using an abrasive cleaner and was not as harsh on the hands.

Lemon Juice and Vinegar: The Perfect Pair

Lemon juice and vinegar go together like peanut butter and jelly.  There is something about the combination of these two that just seems to work.  Alone, they are effective at removing grime and fighting grease, but when mixed together they are an unstoppable combination.

Vinegar, like lemon juice, is a mild acid.  When used in a dilution of water, it works to cut through grease, can kill germs and bacteria and neutralize odours.

Lemons contain citric acid which also cuts through grease but is also used as a water softener and can help breakdown buildup.

For an effective, greener version of your favorite window cleaner, try mixing 1 cup of vinegar and ½ cup of lemon juice into a gallon bucket of water.  Use a soft, clean cotton rag and you’ve got a window cleaner that cuts through dirt, gets rid of finger prints and smells nice too.

Vegetable and Nut Oils: Good Enough to Eat, Even Better to Clean

Use cooking oils for cleaning?

That’s right if it’s good enough to eat, it’s even better to clean with.  Olive and walnut oils are two of the best oils to use for your wood and furniture polishing needs.

The reason you want to use oil to clean wood is that over time, due to environmental factors like sunlight and dryness in the air, wood can begin to dry out.  Oil helps condition wood and seal in moisture.  Most store bought wood cleaners have some kind of oil base, usually petroleum.

We tried this on our wood floors: ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar and juice of 1 lemon to a bucket of water.  The result: clean, shiny wood floors with a fresh scent that wasn’t overpowering.  It even cut through a spot of grime on the kitchen floor that store bought cleaner previously did not.  We’ll definitely give it another go next time around.

Essential Oils: Mother Nature’s Air Freshener

Essential oils truly are Mother Nature’s air fresheners.  Most air fresheners bought at the store contain chemicals that can irritate allergies and even disrupt hormones.  You can use oils in your home made cleaning products to give them a nice scent.

Or even create your own custom scented room spray by filling a spray bottle with water.  Just add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar and 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil.  Some scents to use include lavender, mint, vanilla and amber.

Of course, if you really want fresh smelling home, nothing beats cracking a window for some fresh air.

What About Commercial Green Cleaning Products?

Well, those are good too, especially if you are pressed for time.  Some people just like the fact that they have something that foams and bubbles when they use it and that’s fine.

When selecting a green cleaner, make sure to read the label and check that it doesn’t have any harmful ingredients.  There are varying levels of “green” when it comes to what’s in that bottle and the closer a product gets to having ingredients that are household staples, the better.

Betaview Aluminum Windows and Doors cares about your family and the environment and offers only the best custom energy efficient windows and doors in the greater Sydney area.  Call us for a quote at (02) 9623-5611.