If you are truly committed to being “green” and making a difference then you need to educate yourself and your children to make informed choices for the present and ultimately, the future. The secret lies in educating ourselves so that we can make these informed choices. Now that “green” is the new rage, you will notice that companies are advertising that their products are “green”, “eco”, “environmentally safe/responsible” or that they are “carbon neutral” (they make products that are not always green so they offset their impact by planting trees).
Have you ever thought about what happens to the products you use on yourself and home once they go down the drain? Where does it end up, how is the “grey water” and “black water” processed. Just look at the balance in our streams, rivers and oceans to find that answer. Our waste water goes through very complex processes to be “cleaned” and released back into our dams and rivers, and the natural balance of the water is disturbed by the treated water that is fed into it. You can make a huge difference by using products in your home and personal care that reduce the impact you have in this process.
When it comes to “green” cleaning your home, where do you start? The first thing you need to be aware of is that natural cleaners do not “disinfect”. We have been conditioned to believe that our homes have to be sterile in order to protect our families. This is codswollop! There is a natural balance that needs to be maintained in any home or kitchen, which does not require surgical sterile conditions. If you eliminate the “good bacteria” from your home and body, it creates the perfect breeding ground for “bad bacteria” to flourish. Just think of yoghurt, when you take antibiotics, they kill ALL the flora in your gut. So you eat yoghurt or take a probiotic to restore the balance. The same goes when you use harsh household cleaners, the problem is that there is no “probiotic” spray you can use to put the good stuff back (unless you use something like Probac Cleaners). And bad bacteria flourish faster than the good ones…… something to think about not so? If any of you have grannies who are in their 70’s and 80’s ask them what they used to use in their homes to clean. I bet you that 2 of the things they mention will be vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. And your Mom survived didn’t she! We have been led to believe that if a product foams it is good….hmmm, type into your google search “sodium lauryl sulphate or sodium laureth sulphate” and see what it says.
Here are some recipes with these products:
Washing Up :
To a bowl of hot water, add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and the juice of half a lemon.
To a bowl of hot water, add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and the juice of half a lemon.
Chopping Board:
Regularly give your chopping board a deep clean by spreading bicarb over the surface and
spray with vinegar. Let it bubble for a while and then rinse with hot water.
Regularly give your chopping board a deep clean by spreading bicarb over the surface and
spray with vinegar. Let it bubble for a while and then rinse with hot water.
Toilet Cleaning:
To clean the toilet bowl, sprinkle in bicarbonate of soda, add white vinegar and scour with a
brush.
To clean the toilet bowl, sprinkle in bicarbonate of soda, add white vinegar and scour with a
brush.
Laundry:
Add ½ cup of bicarbonate of soda to a load of washing to help with the removal of stains and
grease.
Add ½ cup of bicarbonate of soda to a load of washing to help with the removal of stains and
grease.
Deodorizing Drains:
To freshen drains and help prevent blockages, pour a cup of bicarbonate of soda down the drain
and then wash down with some boiling water.
To freshen drains and help prevent blockages, pour a cup of bicarbonate of soda down the drain
and then wash down with some boiling water.
Blocked Drains:
Pour about 16 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down the sink and then pour in about 120ml of white distilled vinegar. Put the plug in for a couple of minutes as the 2 chemicals will fizz. Rinse through with boiling water
Pour about 16 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down the sink and then pour in about 120ml of white distilled vinegar. Put the plug in for a couple of minutes as the 2 chemicals will fizz. Rinse through with boiling water
Going natural cleaners - more.....
We can also ‘go natural’ and make our own cleaning products. All one needs is white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, water, and a bit of elbow grease. Not only are these ingredients cheaper than other products on the market, they come in fairly large containers from your local supermarket – white vinegar, for instance, is available in 2 litre bottles (plastic, unfortunately, but it is recyclable).
• general cleaner – white vinegar+bicarb+water - it even foams, and cleans just about anything
• odour-remover - bicarb - sprinkle it on carpets to soak up smells and then vacuum; place it in a cup in your fridge or cupboards
• loo freshener –water mixed with essential oils, or just add plants to a room – they act as air filters
• basic bleach - hydrogen peroxide (believe it or not, this is a totally biodegradable product – we were also surprised) available from chemist. It can, however, irritate the eyes, skin and mucous membranes, so use with care
• oven cleaner – dampen oven surfaces, sprinkle bicarb over surfaces and leave overnight; for stubborn dirt, use steel wool
• mildew zapper – 2 tsp tea tree oil with 2 cups water – just spray on surface and leave
• furniture polish – ½ tsp olive oil & ¼ cup vinegar/lemon juice – wipe on furniture with a rag – olive oil also preserves wood
• toilet cleaner – ¼ cup of bicarb into toilet bowl, let it stand for about 30 mins and then scrub. You can use borax for tough stains (just keep this out of reach of little fingers)
• window cleaner – 2 tsp vinegar and 500 ml water, spray on windows and wipe dry with newspaper
• odour-remover - bicarb - sprinkle it on carpets to soak up smells and then vacuum; place it in a cup in your fridge or cupboards
• loo freshener –water mixed with essential oils, or just add plants to a room – they act as air filters
• basic bleach - hydrogen peroxide (believe it or not, this is a totally biodegradable product – we were also surprised) available from chemist. It can, however, irritate the eyes, skin and mucous membranes, so use with care
• oven cleaner – dampen oven surfaces, sprinkle bicarb over surfaces and leave overnight; for stubborn dirt, use steel wool
• mildew zapper – 2 tsp tea tree oil with 2 cups water – just spray on surface and leave
• furniture polish – ½ tsp olive oil & ¼ cup vinegar/lemon juice – wipe on furniture with a rag – olive oil also preserves wood
• toilet cleaner – ¼ cup of bicarb into toilet bowl, let it stand for about 30 mins and then scrub. You can use borax for tough stains (just keep this out of reach of little fingers)
• window cleaner – 2 tsp vinegar and 500 ml water, spray on windows and wipe dry with newspaper
