First, keeping your home clean keeps it healthier too. When dust, dirt and spills are left too long they can become home to a number of health risks, including dust mites, allergens, mold and mildew.
But, just because it’s clean doesn’t mean your home is as healthy as can be. Commercial cleaning products, including window cleaners, dish detergent, spot removers and all-purpose cleaners – just about every commercial, chemical-based household cleaner – has something in it that’s not good for you.
If, like many homeowners, you’ve tried making your own toxin-free, green cleaning solutions before, but found that they didn’t clean as well as their toxic chemical counterparts, here are a couple suggestions. First, you can try different formulations that may give you better results.
Second, even if it’s true that homemade green products aren’t as powerful, what would you rather do? Use a little more elbow grease when cleaning, or expose yourself and your family to products that can cause breathing problems, skin rashes and even liver and kidney damage?
In addition to the 5 Great Green Cleaning Tips we told you about before, here are 5 more green cleaning tips and tricks for a healthier home.
1. Try Commercial Green Cleaning Products
If you find it too time-consuming to make your own all-purpose green cleaners, and you’re not happy with the results, eco-friendly commercial cleaning products can be the answer.
While you can find some green cleaning options at the grocery store, we recommend Universal Stone. It’s an all-purpose eco-friendly cleaning product that delivers better results than regular cleaners. It’s the only cleaning product our professional housecleaners use and it works on just about every hard surface in your home.
Universal Stone is all-natural, biodegradable, non-toxic, chemical-free, acid-free, and safe for allergy sufferers, children and pets. If nothing else, you owe it to your health to give Universal Stone a try.
2. Unclogging a Drain
This is one job that even dedicated, eco-friendly home owners often leave to toxic cleaning products, but it doesn’t have to be that way. First, it’s important to do everything you can to keep bathroom drains free of hair and kitchen drains free of food and grease. If you cook with lots of oils, pour a pot full of boiling water down your kitchen drain at least once a week to keep it unclogged.
If and when the drain gets clogged, try a plunger first. It’s usually the fastest, easiest and best solution. If you still need more unclogging power, pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain followed by half a cup of vinegar and cover the drain. The foaming action should clear the clog.
3. Cleaning Wooden Surfaces
There’s little a homeowner hates to see more than a spill or stain on their beautiful wood floors and furniture. There are different combinations of olive oil, clear vinegar and water that will help. For a wood floor try a ¼ cup of vinegar in four litres of hot water.
4. Food Preparation Areas
You might hesitate to use even commercial green cleaners for cutting boards and counter tops in the kitchen. Instead, try a lemon! Not only does its citric acid make it a great cleaner, it has a built in ‘Natural Lemon Scent”, and it cuts through grease and kills germs.
5. Deep Carpet Cleaning
If there’s another cleaning problem where most people fall back on chemical cleaners to solve, it’s their carpets and area rugs, especially when it’s time for a deep cleaning. You can still use a carpet cleaner machine, but save your money and don’t buy the chemical products that come with it. Instead, try a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. You can also add lavender essential oil as a deodorizer.
If, after all these drain cleaning tips and tricks you just can’t get yourself away from dangerous cleaning products, why not let Mona Eco-Friendly Cleaning do it for you? Not only will your home be healthier, but you’ll never have to clean again!
