Every Wise Woman

Basic Natural Home Cleaning

When it comes to a chemical-free life, we must look beyond our food choices and examine our entire lifestyle.  The easiest place to make a positive, healthy change in your life...and your family's life...is your home cleaning regimen.

Chemical companies have made a "killing" by cashing in on society's unnatural fear and misunderstanding of germs.  The result has been a slew of noxious substances that have contributed to the proliferation of "super bugs" and the impairment of people's immune systems.  The myriad chemical, petroleum-based, perfume-ladened, dioxin-producing, health-endangering cleaning products being aggressively marketed to consumers are not only harmful to you and your children, but they also are a waste of money and completely unnecessary.  You can clean anything in your home with a few simple, safe, natural ingredients.

Home cleaning is like cooking...once you become familiar with the essential ingredients and understand flavor blending, you can create a cornucopia of masterpieces.  In the natural cleaning realm, some basic ingredients can create boundless variations.

But let's start at the very beginning:

• Baking Soda = the original scour powder.  What can I say?  The stuff is amazing.  See links below for great ideas on using baking soda.
• Vinegar (distilled "white" vinegar is fine) = its acidity makes vinegar a potent enemy of molds, bacteria, germs...it deodorizes, shines and removes hard water spots, too. 
• GSE (grapefruit seed extract) = this is an extremely potent anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial...it can be used for water purification, cleaning and medicinal purposes.  It is an effective mold killer.  To learn more about GSE, see the links below.
• Tea Tree EO (see my article about First Aid to read more about TT oil) = this all-purpose antiseptic not only helps to create "anti-germ" home cleaners, but it also imparts a fresh, clean smell.
• Everclear (100 proof grain alcohol) = yep...straight, pure alcohol.  It kills just about everything (and will eventually kill you if you drink it, so don't! LOL), so it is a nice addition to cleaning recipes for moldy or "extra yucky" applications.  I use this when I am concerned about parasites.
• Hydrogen Peroxide (food grade) = fantastic disinfectant; kills bacteria; use instead of bleach.  Use a 3% dilution straight, or combine it half-and-half with water as a multi-purpose surface cleaner.
• Microfiber cloths/mop = these wonderful cloths work on dirt without any cleaning solution...just get them wet, wipe, and the dirt is gone.  The cloths make nice window and mirror cleaners, and the mops are great for solid floors (dry mop pads pick up dust, wet mop pads get up dirt).
• Scrubber brushes or sponges
• Elbow grease = sometimes you need to go the extra mile in removing stubborn stains.  Your home cleaning regimen can be part of your exercise routine. LOL  There are times when I enlist the help of my hubby and his muscles...he certainly gets the baking soda to shine the stainless steel sink in a way that I cannot.