Chemical Free Cleaning for health

emmiemac

Hi,

I'm really interested in giving up all my normal cleaning products and trying to use only chemical free ones. I suffer from M.E. and have heard that this could improve my health. Plus I worry about exposure to all the nasty stuff they put in them anyway. We've recently gone organic with all our food so would like this to be the next step.

My question is does anyone know the best way to go about this, could I get by on vinegar/lemon juice etc or are there products which I could buy which are chemical free, have heard of ecover, would that fit the bill? I'm also wondering how far to take it, should I be using special washing powder and even toiletries.

I know the question is a bit general but any advice at all would be great. Has anyone else tried doing this? Thanks

(Posted this on Moneysaving old style but thought I may get more advice on this board)

cazrobinson

Hello,

I use Ecover for washing up liquid and floor cleaners etc. Lemon and Bicarboanate and Salt and vinegar (not all together!!) can be used for cleaning. Try reading a few books on it first. I have a copy of : Clean House, Clean Planet: Clean Your House for Pennies a Day, the Safe, Nontoxic Way by K. Logan (Paperback - April 1997, but if you look up on the web you can find lots of advice on cleaning without chemicals.

Also, look at removing harmful elements: avoid spray deodorants, air freshners (open a window, or light a match if in the loo, or use natural cleansing essential oils). avoid all room/loo gels, bleach, oven cleansers. Wear gloves and face mask when cleaning small confined areas. open windows daily to prevent condensation and build-up of mould (which I'm allergic to).

for washing clothes, am trying out the washer balls, but have a feeling that soapnuts are cheaper and work better (still in middle of experiments!).

hope that helps!!

Caz

HappySad

This is exactly what I am looking for. I have moved almost completely to Ecover and my next stage is to find out about those lemon, vinegar, salt combinations that are used for cleaning stuff... Thanks for this information CAzb..

I also found another plus point in using Ecover and then moving to natural product is that I am not as stressed out about my toddler son getting hold of nasty chemicals as they are not nasty.

Justie

you might want to look at a steam cleaner (something like a Polti) especially if you have kids as they can sterilise surfaces etc without the use of chemicals.

avoid anything that says it's antibacterial - using these hand washes etc are increasing antibiotic resistance as we don't use them properly so some bacteria survive and then reproduce resistant to the chemicals. Learn how to wash your hands properly with regular soap/hand wash and you'll get a better result anyway.

The Old Style board has loads of tips for using vinegar etc as cleaners instead of chemicals (both cheaper and safer).

Alfietinker

The experts on all thing vinegar are in the Oldstyle section of the forums. You will find endless information on vinegar, bicarb, olive oils etc.

Alfietinker

cazrobinson wrote:

Hello,

for washing clothes

Instead of fabric softener, a slug of white vinegar does wonders. Super soft clothes and honestly it doesn't smell of vinegar.

moanymoany

:j These recipes came from a link to a fundamentalist christian woman's site. Can't remember which but a 'thrift' thread.

How to Make Your Own Cleaning Solutions
This article will show you how to make your own cleaning solutions, for cleaning everything in your house. With the below homemade cleaning products, you can disinfect, shine, and clean your home, while saving money. ;-)

What you'll need
· white vinegar
· water
· surgical spirit - called rubbing alcohol sometimes
· baking soda
· olive oil
· lemon juice
· liquid bleach
· three clean, empty, spray bottles
· a sealable container (this container only needs to be able to fit a couple of cups of liquid in it, hence, can be small.)


For cleaning surfaces and tiles (non-wood surfaces)
Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of water, and put into a spray bottle. Label that bottle "all purpose cleaner".

For polishing wood surfaces and furnature
Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Keep in a sealed container, labeled "furnature polish".

For cleaning the toilets
Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar, and label it "toilet bowl cleaner".

For cleaning sinks and tubs
Use baking soda as a scouring powder. For hard to clean sinks and tubs, add a little bit of water to some baking soda, to form a paste. Paint the paste onto the area you need to clean, and let sit for a half hour, then scrub it off, and re-scour with dry baking soda.

For cleaning mirrors, TV/computer screens, and glass
Mix together 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, 1 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Pour into a spray bottle, and label it "glass cleaner".

For scrubbing hard floors
Fill mop bucket with steaming hot water, and add some liquid bleach. Read the dilution instructions on your bottle of bleach, to find out how much bleach to put into the bucket. (When you mop, open a few windows, to limit bleach fumes.)

For spot-cleaning carpets
Pour some undiluted surgical spirit on the spot, and rub with a wash cloth.

Using just the above, you now have all the cleaning solutions you need, to clean your whole house.

bye bye :T :T