Statistics indicate that an average American household has more than a hundred of chemical cleaning products somewhere under the sink, the laundry room, the garage, the shower or basement.



Recent studies have shown though that there can be a lot of other effects that these product can bring aside from tidying up our homes. Some of these items has pushed consumer groups to check its substances and see how harmful they are to the environment. Now, with alternative and natural cleaning products, we can say that we don't need to destroy the environment just for a healthy home.

There are a lot of alternatives for cleaning aside from toxic chemicals. You may want to consider the following items and suggestions in cleaning your homes instead of the regular cleaners from stores. These items are inexpensive and some of them might already be in your kitchen to bathroom after all. Use by itself or in a recipe with other basic ingredients as well, these cleaners are as effective, they are cheap and safe.

BAKING SODA or called sodium bicarbonate is an all-purpose, gentle non-toxic cleaner. Its effects on fabrics is on cleaning, deodorizing, removing stains and softening.

BORAX or sodium borate is a natural mineral possesses qualities that can kill molds and bacteria. As an effective alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, boosts the cleansing power of soap and detergents and removes stains.

Note that borax should be out of the reach of children and when you use it, it should be well diluted and not concentrated. It is advised that you use latex gloves.

CASTILE and VEGETABLE OIL BASED SOAPS cleans virtually almost everything. CORNSTARCH can be used for clothes, absorbs oil and grease on fabrics.

LEMON JUICE can cut through grease and removes other stains from clothing and also perspiration. It is the preferred alternative to bleach.

SALT is a mild abrasive for rough surfaces.

VINEGAR can cut grease, removes stains and is an efficient water softener. WASHING SODA cleans clothes, cuts grease, softens water, and disinfects. It also increases the cleaning properties of detergents and soaps.

You can buy the cleaners in advance and in bulk to save time and money. In economics, this means that you are earning savings because it is more cost efficient as it avoids excessive packaging compared to smaller items.

Put a label on all of your ingredients and recipes and remember that you keep them out of reach of children. While these are definitely not toxic compared to chemical cleaners, they may still do harm to children whose immune systems are not fully developed. As an additional tip, you can add essential or fragrance oils for a better smelling cleaner to these recipes. Choice of fragrance is dependent on user since you can use almost anything.