Eight Must Have Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
If you have time, you may want to save lots of money and make your own cleaning products. It’s actually incredibly easy and fun, and it will not make your home look or smell like a dingy hippie commune. I use a mixture of the store-bought eco-cleaners and my own. Most importantly, you can save a lot of money.
Stock your cupboards with the following eight products and you can clean just about anything:
1. White vinegar—see the section on vinegar below.
2. Baking soda—eliminates odors and is a good scrubbing powder.
3. Borax—removes dirt; is antifungal and a possible disinfectant.
4. Hydrogen peroxide (three percent concentration)—nontoxic bleach, antibacterial agent, and stain remover.
5. Lemon juice—grease cutter and stain remover.
6. Liquid castile soap—all-purpose cleaner, grease-cutter, and disinfectant. Castile means that the soap is vegetable-based and not animal fat–based.
7. Olive oil—makes great furniture polish.
8. Essential oils of lavender, geranium, and tea tree—antibacterial and add a great smell to your home.
Tea Tree Oil
I have a passion for this strong-smelling essential oil from Australia. It is a natural solvent and is brilliant for cutting grease while killing germs and bacteria. They actually swab down hospitals with it in Australia. It also has a variety of health benefits: I put it on sores and cuts; in shampoo for dandruff; on bleeding gums; and dilute it with water for a mouthwash.
Be careful that you’re getting the real thing—it comes from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant. There are at least 150 species of the Melaleuca plant, but only the alternifolia one has the healing properties that you need. So check the label. Also, take a whiff before buying, as it should have a very strong smell. You want to make sure it hasn’t been diluted. Buy organic if possible. Most large health food stores and many drugstores now stock it.