Keeping your home clean is a chore we all have to face. From windows to floors and everything in between, we all need to use various cleaning products to keep our home's surfaces free of dirt and germs. But do we really know just what sort of chemicals are lurking in our cleaners?
Most household cleaners are made with a variety of different chemicals that are designed for specific tasks - which is why we often have to buy so many of them. There are bleaches, for example, which are sodium hypochlorite, a chemical which is very dangerous to human skin and tissues.
Then there are detergents - dish detergents and laundry detergents. These are often harmful not necessarily because of what they can do to humans directly, but because of what they can do to the environment. Many detergents contain petroleum based items that do not biodegrade.
Other problems come with items like surface cleaners, which may contain ammonia, and even specialized cleaners like furniture polish and items like air fresheners. Furniture polish can contain formaldehyde, and air fresheners can have nerve damaging ingredients in their containers!
There are choices, however, when it comes to cleaning products, and you don't necessarily have to use these average chemical products. No one can give up using all cleaning products, but there are alternative products out there that lie outside the aisles of the regular supermarket sections.
Sometimes, you can make up your own cleaners from common items you may already have in your home. Vinegar is a prime example, and so is baking soda. Both can be used as whiteners instead of bleach. To get a disinfectant property, however, you will need to buy some Earth safe disinfectant.
Many of these brands also make laundry detergents and dish detergents that are free of petroleum and potentially carcinogenic materials. They also avoid phosphates, which are caustic materials that can be very harmful if swallowed. Instead, natural detergents are made from plants and are gentle.
If you are looking for a way to replace some of the chemical filled polishes that are used around your home, there are also ways to do that. Toothpaste can be used as an excellent substitute for silver polish. Olive oil and vinegar can polish up your wood furniture, or lemon oil can be used as well.
Green cleaning products are a little harder to come by than the typical chemical cleaning products that are in most homes, but many stores are starting to carry these alternative cleaners. It is becoming easier and easier to care about how you clean your house and to keep your house chemical free.
Most household cleaners are made with a variety of different chemicals that are designed for specific tasks - which is why we often have to buy so many of them. There are bleaches, for example, which are sodium hypochlorite, a chemical which is very dangerous to human skin and tissues.
Then there are detergents - dish detergents and laundry detergents. These are often harmful not necessarily because of what they can do to humans directly, but because of what they can do to the environment. Many detergents contain petroleum based items that do not biodegrade.
Other problems come with items like surface cleaners, which may contain ammonia, and even specialized cleaners like furniture polish and items like air fresheners. Furniture polish can contain formaldehyde, and air fresheners can have nerve damaging ingredients in their containers!
There are choices, however, when it comes to cleaning products, and you don't necessarily have to use these average chemical products. No one can give up using all cleaning products, but there are alternative products out there that lie outside the aisles of the regular supermarket sections.
Sometimes, you can make up your own cleaners from common items you may already have in your home. Vinegar is a prime example, and so is baking soda. Both can be used as whiteners instead of bleach. To get a disinfectant property, however, you will need to buy some Earth safe disinfectant.
Many of these brands also make laundry detergents and dish detergents that are free of petroleum and potentially carcinogenic materials. They also avoid phosphates, which are caustic materials that can be very harmful if swallowed. Instead, natural detergents are made from plants and are gentle.
If you are looking for a way to replace some of the chemical filled polishes that are used around your home, there are also ways to do that. Toothpaste can be used as an excellent substitute for silver polish. Olive oil and vinegar can polish up your wood furniture, or lemon oil can be used as well.
Green cleaning products are a little harder to come by than the typical chemical cleaning products that are in most homes, but many stores are starting to carry these alternative cleaners. It is becoming easier and easier to care about how you clean your house and to keep your house chemical free.
About the Author:
Aazdak Alisimo writes about home cleaning maids, their scope of services and other issues for HomeCleaningMaids.com. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.
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