 |
Non-Toxic CleaningHow to use natural, environmentally friendly products for non-toxic cleaning.
Summertime may be associated more with beaches and barbecues than mops and brooms, but for those of us who missed spring cleaning, it's time to get the job done. Traditionally, our ancestors cleaned in spring because it was the first time of year fires didn't have to be constantly lit in the fireplace, freeing the house of soot and grime, according to John Malam in Everyday History: Cleaning the House. Bugs also lay their eggs in spring, so spring cleaning helped to keep the house bug-free for the rest of the year, he points out. Now, we have other ways of heating our home, which makes summertime the perfect time to clean your house from top to bottom - if you haven't already. Hate cleaning? If you take time to think about it, you'll probably discover you hate unpleasantries associated with cleaning: the smell, the cost, and the chemical and toxic hazards. "Have you read the label of [cleaning] products?" points out Sandy Maine, author of Clean, Naturally, "Many give poison-center phone numbers, toxic waste disposal information, and disclaimers for allergic reactions- and for a good reason." Some of the ingredients in typical household cleaners may not only be bad for you, but the environment as well. Along with polluting indoor air, Karen Logan warns in Clean House, Clean Planet, these cleaners also release toxins into the outdoor environment. Disposal becomes a huge problem: "You cannot responsibly throw many household cleaners in the trash, but most of us do. Where does it go? Most often to a landfill. There, the toxins can leak into our groundwater , or they may pollute local streams and harm wildlife," Logan says. The solution for not only you and the environment, but your pockets as well, can be natural household cleaners. Products that may already be in your home, or are easy to find and buy, can provide a safe, non-toxic road to cleanliness. Getting started, Logan advises, involves a few basic ingredients: baking soda, white distilled vinegar, and liquid soap or detergent. Baking soda is not only a handy deodorizer to stick in the fridge, but also "acts as an effective but mild abrasive in cleaning sinks, bathtubs, and counters, "while the vinegar" is an all-purpose natural cleaner. It repels grease and grime, can help to prevent mold and mildew, dissolves soap film and mineral deposits, and even freshens the air," she states. For the liquid soap or detergent, Logan recommends using a soap that is vegetable oil-based, castile, or glycerin. "Liquid soap," she says, "removes dirt by dissolving the oils that bind the dirt to the objects. Soaps derived from vegetable oils are better for the environment than detergents derived from petroleum products because they biodegrade in the environment more easily and are made from less polluting ingredients." While Louise Gruenberg, author of Herbal Home Hints also advises her readers to use vinegar, baking soda and liquid soap, she also describes how several herbs, when grown at home or purchased at your local health food store, can supplement or create cleaning solutions designed for different purposes. A bonus is their fresh scent: "Herbs that provide sensory pleasure also combat all kinds of nasty microorganisms lurking about on the surfaces and in the air of our homes. Hyssop, mints, lavender, roses, lemon balm, sage, thyme- all of these herbs and many others have been used for centuries to clean and freshen," she writes. Different herbs, however, not only serve different (and sometimes overlapping) purposes, but also can be prepared differently. Infusions, for example, are made by steeping herbs in water to release the herbs' water-soluble solutions. Decoctions, on the other hand, are created by simmering tougher plant materials, like roots, to release the chemicals. You can also try a combination of the two methods, Gruenberg suggests. Both Gruenberg and Logan, along with Maine, advocate the use of essential oils, which can be ordered online or purchased at various health food stores. "For homekeeping, [essential oils] offer important cleaning and disinfectant benefits," says Maine, "Some essential oils even lift the spirits." She suggests, among others, the use of tea tree oil, which is effective against bacteria, fungus, and some viruses; lime oil, which performs as a degreaser and general cleanser; or lavender oil, which has a disinfecting, calming scent. You should be careful, she warns, about which essential oils you purchase: "Essential oils are not the same as the synthetic scent oils...Such chemically contrived oils don't originate from plants, and they cannot offer the cleaning and therapeutic benefits of essential oils," she says. And finally, a clean house will not only look better, but will help you feel better, too. Linda Cobb, author of The Queen of Clean, points out, "Few of us are happy living in a home that's dirty or unkempt. It's hard to relax when the dust bunnies are having a rodeo in the corner of your living room." References: From WHOLE FOODS Magazine' AUGUST 2005
Naturally Clean: Using Essential Oils for Cleaning House
From Non-Toxic Cleaning
|
