With their bright labels and catchy names, many of the popular cleaning products marketed today are full of harmful chemicals, with the power to cause harm to you, your home, and the environment. Substances like ammonia and bleach are widely used in products designed to clean tiles, floors, countertops and a whole host of other surfaces, but while they might be effective at cleaning, who knows what damage they’re actually doing? While some of the effects of such products may simply be unpleasant, some can actually be dangerous, and if you’re interested in learning more about green cleaning products that aren’t harmful at all, you’ll find this informational article useful.
Note that nowadays, it’s easy to find great maid services that provide green cleaning in Tampa, meaning that you don’t even have to worry about what chemicals those potentially harmful cleaning products are full of, because they simply won’t be used in your home.
Let’s take a closer look at green cleaning, and the many benefits of switching to natural cleaning alternatives:
What harm can chemical cleaning products cause?
A lot of the chemicals widely found in popular, store-bought cleaning products, can have a significantly detrimental impact on your health should they come into contact with your skin or eyes, and that includes the health of pets, too. When the fumes produced by many chemical-based cleaning products are inhaled (which it’s often difficult not to do), these can also be harmful to your health.
Exposure to harsh cleaning products commonly used in American homes today, can cause sore and inflamed eyes, irritated skin, headaches and migraines, breathing difficulties, and nausea, and the list doesn’t end there. Should a child or pet accidentally consume a chemical-based cleaning products, the consequences could be lethal.
What are the best natural cleaning products for your home?
If you want to clean your home in a healthier, greener way, why not ditch the chemicals and instead, try out some of these natural alternatives:
- Vinegar
Comprised of acetic acid and made naturally from a fermentation process, vinegar is a cheap, widely available, and highly effective natural form of disinfectant. The acid in the vinegar cuts through grease with ease, and is more than capable of eliminating even the toughest of stains. A natural enemy of germs, vinegar can also combat nasty, lingering odors, and when used to clean glass items such as mirrors and windows, it leaves them shiny and free of streaks.
It’s important to keep in mind however, that the acidic nature of vinegar can be harmful to some materials in the home, such as marble, granite and other natural stones. The best way to avoid harming any surfaces or items in your home, is to do some research before using vinegar as a cleaning product, and you can (and should) test it on a small area before using it, to check for any damage that it might cause.
- Baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, should be your best friend when cleaning your home naturally. A fine powder with properties that include deodorizing and lightening, baking soda is also a mild abrasive, making it a great solution when trying to remove stains and grime from surfaces like tiles and grout.
Thanks to its odor-fighting properties, baking soda can be used safely and confidently on carpets, trash cans and appliances to help eliminate troublesome scents.
When used in conjunction with vinegar, a chemical reaction takes place due to baking soda being a base, and vinegar being an acid, creating an ultra-powerful and very effective natural cleaning solution.
- Lemons
Just as vinegar is an acid that can cut through grease, lemons also contain acid which can be used to clean greasy messes from countertops, pots, pans, tiles and stoves, to great effect. Although vinegar is highly effective when used to tackle dirt and grease alone, the pleasing and fresh aroma of lemons sees many folks add some of the juice to vinegar when cleaning their homes, creating a powerful and sweet smelling product.
You can also try running the peel of some lemons through your garbage disposal to both clean and deodorize it.
- Castile soap
Derived from the oil of plants and seeds like jojoba, sunflower seeds, coconuts, hemp seeds and olives, castile soap is 100% natural, and 100% effective as a general cleaning product for the home. Many people use the soap for cleaning their bodies and their clothes, as well as things like makeup brushes, but as a natural cleaning solution for use in the home, it can work wonders for dirty countertops, toilets, floors and glass, among others.
- Essential oils
Extracted from a range of leaves, seeds, flowers and other components of plants, highly concentrated essential oils are widely used in the home to help it smell more fragrant, but many are just as useful when used as cleaning agents, too. Do note that they should always be diluted when used for cleaning, otherwise they may cause irritation to your skin and eyes.
Some widely used essential oils for cleaning include eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, citruses and others. To use them effectively, it helps to know their distinct properties, such as the bacteria reducing power of lemon, and the antifungal and antibacterial properties of peppermint.
- Hydrogen peroxide
While this oxidizing agent is typically found in the first aid section of stores, its antiseptic properties make it great not just for cleaning wounds, but for cleaning homes, too. As it also has mild bleaching properties, it can be used to great effect on grubby grout and other areas of the home that are stained. When combined with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide makes a fantastic stain-cleaning solution.
- Cornstarch
This kitchen staple, while typically used as a thickening agent for gravies, sauces and soups, is sometimes used by a Tampa cleaning company to fight grease and act as a gentle abrasive agent.
For grease that has accumulated on surfaces such as carpet, clothes and upholstery, applying cornstarch helps absorb the grease, and in some instances, simply sprinkling it over the affected area and leaving it to sit for a few minutes, is enough to eliminate a grease stain by lifting it off.
Switching to natural cleaning products in the home can save you money, too, since many of the items with natural cleaning and disinfecting properties, are cheap store cupboard essentials that many homes already have in them. So as well as being healthier for you, everyone you live with, and the planet, green cleaning can also save you money. Go greener, go cleaner!
