Super Green Cleaning Products That Won’t Poison Your Air
"Cleaning" with store-bought chemicals may get rid of germs and bacteria, but it leaves in its wake some seriously toxic chemicals that are known to cause short-term effects like headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and irritated eyes, nose, and throat. But that's nothing compared to the long-term health problems these cleaning chemicals cause, including respiratory and heart disease and certain cancers.
The Environmental Protection Agency is all about improving indoor air quality in the home, which they point out is one of the top five environmental hazards, period, largely due to the poisonous chemical cocktails we "clean" with.
Folks, it's time to ditch the deadly disinfectants and toss the troublesome toxins and opt instead for one of these four non-toxic, biodegradable, and highly effective cleaning products.
Better Life is a St.Louis-based company that offers GMO-, VOC-, fragrance-, sulfate-, petroleum-, and cruelty-free cleaning products that are reasonably-priced, scented with essential oils, and completely non-toxic and biodegradable.
Better Life's wide range of products includes their famous what-EVER! All-Purpose Cleaner as well as their Dish Liquid Soap and Dishwasher Gel, Floor Cleaner, Kitchen & Bath Scrubber, Stain & Odor Remover, Produce Wash, Window/Glass Cleaner, Wood Cleaner, and Laundry Detergent. You need it cleaned? They have a product for it!
All of Better Life's cleaning products are made in the good ol' U.S. of A., and they're available in typical household sizes or in one-gallon and five-gallon bulk quantities and one-gallon concentrates. If there's not a store near you that carries Better Life products, you can order them online. Enjoy free shipping when you spend a minimum of $25.
Simple Green has been around for decades, breaking into the non-toxic cleaning market long before we knew how dangerous our seemingly-innocuous household chemicals really are. Created by a father-son team who spent three years perfecting their non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning formulas, Simple Green is available at grocery and department stores across the country, and it's comparable in price to the nasty stuff.
Simple Green products include a degreaser, a lime scale remover, a laundry detergent, and an all-purpose cleaner. If you like the convenience of cleaning wipes, they've got those, too.
Tea Tree Oil
If you'd rather skip the commercially-made cleaning products altogether and make your own super simple all-purpose cleaning spray, look no farther than tea tree essential oil, which has potent antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. It kills mold and bacteria, and it's a natural insect repellant.
To make an all-purpose cleaner, add a teaspoon of tea tree oil to a large spray bottle of water and use it on windows, floors, bathroom tile, and kitchen countertops to clean and disinfect.
To kill mold and mildew, mix two teaspoons of tea tree oil with 2 cups of water. Spray the solution on the mold, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and wipe away.
To freshen your laundry without poisoning the water, add 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil to the wash cycle.
Kitchen Cupboard Cleaners
Right now, as you're reading this, you probably have two of the most powerful cleaning agents ever - namely, baking soda and vinegar - sitting in your cupboard, just waiting to scrub your house clean.
Baking soda not only cleans and brightens your various household surfaces, but it's also a potent deodorizer, and it cuts through grease as easily as a knife cuts through butter. Sprinkle baking soda in the sink, tub, and toilet to scrub away grime, and use it in the kitchen to clean the countertops and remove grease buildup from the stove and surrounding surfaces.
Vinegar is a highly acidic, but quite gentle, cleaning agent that will remove grease, grime, scum, mold, and mildew, and it's a highly effective deodorizer. Pour a cup or so into your dishwasher and run a short cycle to clean and disinfect it, and add 1/4 cup to the rinse cycle to freshen and soften your laundry. Dilute vinegar with water in equal parts and keep in a spray bottle to take care of all your little household messes.
Be warned, however, that while vinegar and baking soda will kill some bacteria and viruses, neither is as effective as commercial solutions for completely disinfecting the home. Salmonella in particular will survive a dousing with vinegar or baking soda, so use something a little stronger when you're cleaning kitchen surfaces that come into contact with raw meats, eggs, and other foods that can leave behind dangerous bacteria.