There is a lot of emphasis being given to the use of green and environmentally friendly products. Not only do industries need to stop polluting the atmosphere, we can also take up small initiatives to stop the pollution and the influence of harmful chemicals in our lives as well as the food and the air we intake. When it is spring and time for spring cleaning, there are many home cleaning products but they are all made of poisonous and harmful chemicals. These products are usually loaded with strong fragrances and odors as well as having harsh chemicals in them like the acids, bleach and ammonia.
Harmful Effects Of Indoor Cleansing Products
While the powerful cleansing agents might be great for fighting off tough stains, they contain harmful chemicals that can cause indoor air pollution.
- They give off toxic fumes that can irritate the lungs as well as the eyes.
- Children and pets are at risk the most two such polluting cleansing agents.
- Many of the cleanser also come with antibacterial agents or pesticides. While these are meant to ward off pests they can actually make the bacteria stronger and more resistant to antibacterial drugs in general.
- Commercial cleansers also tend to be expensive. Thus, it is safer and more inexpensive to use cleansers that are made of common kitchen ingredients.
Common Useful Cleaning Ingredients
When you realize the harmful effects of the chemical cleaners that you use for your home, it is better that you opt for the common kitchen ingredients that have powerful stain removal and cleansing properties.
- These are baking soda, lemon juice, borax, vinegar and others like cornstarch, liquid hand soap and even salt.
- Baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar are all useful for removing stains.
- They need to be used liberally and allowed to sit on the affected areas for a while. Then only will such ingredients come of good use.
- Other useful ingredients to have around the home are tea tree oil, old newspapers among others.
Cleaning Tiles And Porcelain Surfaces
One can easily keep the tiles in the bathroom and the kitchens clean by using natural cleansers.
- Baking soda and water is a useful mixture that can be used to scrub off the grime from the tiles with a cloth or a moist sponge.
- If there are tough stains one can sprinkle on some kosher salt to act as an abrasive.
- One can get stains off as well as grease and mildew by spraying on lemon juice and vinegar. Instead of using bleach one can make their own disinfectant by mixing water with liquid soap, lemon juice and vinegar. This should act as an effective disinfectant and can be used to scrub off stains with a stiff brush.
Cleaning Kitchen Counters
While kitchen counters need constant vigilance to avoid dirt and food bits accumulating and encouraging growth of bacteria, one needs to also avoid using powerful chemicals to clean such surfaces. Baking soda and water can be used to remove stains which should be left on the surface for some time. A natural disinfectant is a mixture of liquid soap along with tea tree oil in water. It can be used to clean off kitchen counters effectively.