Healthy, Medical, Cure

Commercial cleaners are not only bad for the environment, but also bad for your health and the indoor air quality of your home. These chemicals used in commercial cleaners are hormone disrupters, cause respiratory illnesses, and damage to your central nervous and reproductive systems. And most of all many are known carcinogens.

Manufacturers are required to provide labels that say "poison", or "flammable" but there is no labeling (labeling laws haven't been changed since 1960's and since then thousands of chemicals have been invented) on the harmful effects on our overall health.

Are you scared yet? Don't worry, there's good news!

If you don't have time to blend your own natural cleaning products (which by the way is not difficult and is fun), first start by dishing out the commercial cheap cleaning products and get some natural cleaners from the store. There are many options available now in most stores. It is a good start. Slowly you will be encouraged to make your own.

With a combination of few natural ingredients, you can take care of every cleaning need for your home and office. You will learn that it is so much cheaper, healthier for you, and better for the environment.

Using lemons, baking soda, club soda, vinegar, essential oils, and even vodka, you can take care of 100% of your home cleaning needs. Set aside some empty bottles from previously bought bottles and mix the following for your cleaning needs. Enjoy the process and you will love the results.

Disinfectant and all-purpose cleaner

Vodka. Yes, Vodka!! I buy a large cheap bottle of vodka, put some in a spray bottle, add eucalyptus oil and I use it all the time as my everyday cleaner. Alcohol will kill germs and bacteria instantly. You can add other essential oils, try lavender oil, tea tree, peppermint, etc. In my area, I can buy the largest cheapest bottle of vodka for around $8-$10 that will last for 2-3 months. Ultimately, it's cheaper over the toxic commercial cleaners. Did you know that lavender is a deterrent for many rodents? The power of essential oils is often overlooked.

Vinegar is also natural all-purpose cleaner and many of my green friends use a mixture of vinegar and water as their all-purpose cleaner. Mix one part water to one part vinegar in a spray bottle. You will smell it at first but the smell goes away once it dries within a few seconds. Avoid using vinegar on porous surface such as marble but otherwise it makes for a great cleaner. Certain areas such as inside the toilet bowl, you can use the full strength vinegar. For most all-purpose cleaning, use diluted with one part water and one part vinegar. For your hardwood floors, you can simply mix 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water.

Another great all-purpose cleaner is baking soda. Sprinkle in a tub to tackle grime. Baking soda is great for soap scum. It is best when you sprinkle and leave it for 20 minutes and come back to it. You can also use baking soda as oven cleaner.

Finally Hydrogen Peroxide has many uses as well. i like soaking my tooth brushes in 1 part HP and 1 part water to disinfect it. You can also use full strength HP in your shower to get rid of mold.

Toilet Cleaner

Full Strength Vinegar....need I say more. You can use full strength or diluted depending on the situation. Leave it for a few minutes, scrub with toilet brush and flush. For extra strength cleaning, you can sprinkle some baking soda as well.

Window Cleaner

Vinegar and Water, it's that simple. You won't believe how great your windows/glass surfaces look. Give it some time as the buildup from commercial window cleaner (ammonia buildup). Give it a few tries and after you've cleared up the ammonia build up, you will like it even better than the commercial window cleaners.

Furniture polish

Mix 1 part oil (buy a cheap olive oil) with 1/2 part lemon juice. Wipe with a soft cloth. Your furniture will look amazing.

Carpet cleaning

Club Soda works great on carpet stains, better than any commercial carpet stain removers. Use baking soda as a deodorizer.

Laundry Bleach Alternative

one part hydrogen peroxide and one part water. Helps to brighten your laundry and your lungs will thank you for not having to take in all that bleach while you do your laundry.

Fruit Wash

1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, 2 tablespoon baking soda, 2 tablespoon lemon juice. Put in a spray bottle. Adding a few drops of grapefruit oil also works great in the mixture

To any of the recipes above, you can add your choice of essential oils. Some of the ones I love using are Eucalyptus, lavender, tea tree, and peppermint.

Home made cleaning products are as effective if not more in cleaning as the harmful commercial products yet they are better for the environment, better for your health, and even cheaper. The indoor air quality of your home will improve significantly. So don't wait another day, start today in creating your own eco-friendly, green cleaning products.

Jaya Patel has a holistic and natural products online store and is obsessively passionate about all things healthy and non-toxic. She is dedicated to empowering women to achieve holistic health for them and their families through their food choices, cleaning products and personal care products.