Natural Home Cleaners, Safe and Less Expensive

Becoming a green consumer has been a growing trend over the past few years.  Fortunately for those who also enjoy cheap home living, going green and saving money can go hand in hand.  One such aspect of home life that can be green and inexpensive is household cleaning products. 

Many consumers are trying to help the environment by buying eco-friendly cleaners at the local home improvement store or super market.  These household cleaners are generally made with a greater concentration of natural, nontoxic, and biodegradable ingredients.  Sales of these natural cleaning products have rapidly rising sales year to year.  Unfortunately, these products are unregulated which means their true environmentally friendly value is hard to assess and they are costly. 

The best solution to go green with cleaning supplies and save money is to revert back the natural ingredients and make your own cleaning supplies.  You will find that even the dirtiest of cleaning tasks can be handled effectively with just baking soda, vinegar, borax, lemon juice and more.  The ingredients are far cheaper than premixed or manufactured compounds and they save money and help the environment with a far greater impact.

For many home cleaning tasks, natural cleaners can be made right at home with these easy to find natural ingredients.  You can make your own cleaning products right at home on the cheap.  And while you will spend a lot less money to make these cleaning supplies you also reduce the waste that is an inherent part of prepackaged goods.

Non toxic and environmentally friendly cleaning compounds are good for the overall health of the environment and are also safer to use in the home.  But be somewhat cautious about these ingredients, just because they are natural that does not mean it is automatically safe to use everywhere and on any item or service.

The following is a list of common basic ingredients for making cleaning supplies at home.

Baking Soda – Baking soda has been using as cleaning agent for years.  It cleans, absorbs odors and deodorizes, softens water which helps cleaning and is good for scouring.  Baking soda is a naturally occurring material but is also produced artificially.  It has a slightly alkaline and resembles washing soda. It is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and safe for nearly all surfaces, making it ideal for household use.

Borax – Borax is used for general cleaning, deodorizing, disinfecting and can be used to soften water.  Borax is also known as sodium borate or sodium tetraborate and is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral.  Borax is gentler than most chemical cleaning compounds and is not particularly toxic but it can cause skin reactions

White Vinegar – Common white vinegar is a versatile cleaner.  It is especially useful for dissolving dirt cutting through grease, removing stains, mildew and odors.  White vinegar is a mild acid, which makes it gentle enough to use in common household cleaning for most surfaces.  Do not use vinegar on marble surfaces.

Washing Soda – Washing soda is good for cutting through grease, removing stains, cleaning wall, tiles, sinks and tubs it can also neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does.  Washing soda is a crystalline form of sodium carbonate.  Washing soda is chemically similar to baking soda but is more strongly alkaline.  Do not use it on fiberglass or aluminum.

Lemon – Lemons and lemon juice work as a mild but effective cleaner and deodorizer.  Lemons are very acidic.  Lemon juice can be used to remove dirt and grime, used as degreaser, dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits as well as fight bacteria. 

These basic natural cleaning compounds can be used for a variety of home cleaning tasks and can be used in combinations for more thorough cleaning.  The following formulas are combinations of these ingredients to make different, inexpensive and eco-friendly home cleaning products:

General Purpose Cleaner:  Start with two quarts of water and mix in 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda and a touch of lemon juice.  This cleaner can be used for removal of dirt and grease, water deposit stains, cleaning bathroom fixtures, windows, mirrors and similar uses.

General Disinfectant:  Start with one quart of water and mix in ¼ cup of borax and approximately 2 tablespoons of vinegar.

Drain Cleaner:  Start with 2 cups of water and mix 1/4 cup baking soda and heat the mixture until warm but not boiling and pour down the drain.  For added strength a 1/4 cup of vinegar can be added to the mix.  After about 20 minutes, pour a quart of boiling water to clear the pipes.

Window Cleaner:  Start with one quart of water and mix in 2 teaspoons of white vinegar.

 Toilet Bowl Cleaner:  Pour 1/4 cup baking soda and a ¼ cup vinegar directly into the toilet bowl and let it set for a few minutes.  Clean the bowl with a standard brush or sponge and rinse.

Mold and Mildew Cleaner:  Mix white vinegar or lemon juice with very little water and pour into a spray bottle to spray directly on moldy area, let it sit without rinsing.  After 30 minutes it can be gently wiped to remove any residue. 

These simple combinations of products from your kitchen or grocery store make effective household cleaning solutions.  These natural products will not only do a great job but are more environmentally friendly than chemical alternatives.  In most all of these combinations, the cleaning product is also far less expensive than the commercial products designed for the same tasks.