Most of us would prefer to live in a clean, fragrant house than to live in a pig-sty infested with germs and dirt. However, over many years, the media in general, and particularly in advertising, have brainwashed us into tending to believe that if we don’t buy this or that cleaning product, then we’re going to be labelled unclean and our homes deemed unfit for human habitation. However, the truth is that we are doing ourselves more harm by using cleaning materials containing such a vast compound of chemical materials. Whether its ammonia, sodium hydroxide, chlorine or some other chemical, there are other ways of keeping your home clean without resorting to the harsh chemical based cleaning materials which can cause nausea, headaches, allergies, skin irritations and far worse damage to your health.
Here are some alternative suggestions to keep your house clean and the people living within it healthy.
Detergents
Fragrances which are contained in many dish and laundry detergents have been known to trigger asthma attacks, headaches and have caused skin and respiratory irritation. You should try to use detergents which are fragrance-free or those which are plant-based, containing the likes of coconut oil. Ecover is a brand which has come onto the market over the past few years and has the added benefit of producing similar chemical free products for other areas of the house such as, bathroom and kitchen cleaning solutions. Basically, you should be looking for biodegradable solutions which are plant extract based.
Air Fresheners
You might be surprised to learn that many people choose aerosols as their preferred method for keeping the air smelling fragrant inside their homes but do not give a thought to opening their windows or doors. Aerosols contain nerve-damaging ingredients as well as producing tiny particles that can get lodged in your lungs. If it’s not too cold and the air is clean outside, why not open windows or doors? Alternatively, a box of baking soda left open will help to remove odours or you can buy sachets of dried flowers or herbs that give off gently fragrant scents or use natural oils like lemon and lavender.
Dusting
You can buy static dusters which negate the need for you to also use a spray.
Ovens and Toilet Bowls
The chemicals used in sprays and liquids to clean ovens, toilet bowls and baths in particular are often highly corrosive and can cause severe irritation to the eyes, skin and respiratory system as you’ll no doubt be aware of if you’ve ever got too close and have breathed in the fumes.
Once again, baking soda is a good alternative and keeping on top of your cleaning each time you use the cooker and using non-chlorine based solutions for the bathroom and toilet are much less harsh. Remember, it’s our overall loathing of cleaning things like cookers and toilets on as regular basis as we might clean other items around the house which has facilitated in the ‘need’ of cleaning materials companies to manufacture more toxic and harsh solutions to grime and germs which may have been neglected a little longer than other areas around the house might be.
Vinegar is another useful natural solution to solving many cleaning problems and, despite the fact that the more eco-friendly solutions tend to still cost a little more than those containing a cocktail of chemicals, the price difference has already begun to narrow and, as more people turn away from using chemically based products around the house, the price gap will narrow further. And, more importantly, a few extra pence to reduce the risk of harming our health is a small price to pay.
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