As you walk down the grocery store cleaning aisle, you will notice the many cleaning solutions offered. We spend billions of dollars each year in cleaning supplies and trillions of litres of chemicals are flushed down the drains.
Listed below are a few healthy alternatives that avoid harmful chemicals from being released into the environment:
- Instead of using an air freshner, use a cup of vinegar or charcoal which absorbs odours in the room.
- An all-purpose cleaner can be mixed together with a cup of vinegar and baking soda in 2 litres of water.
- To prevent mold, vinegar or lemon juice can be used or you can make a mixture of one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts water.
- To clean wooden floors, you can mix together two teaspoons of washing soda and two litres of hot water.
- To clean pots and pans in the kitchen, you can use salt as the abrasive agent and lemon to scrub with.
- Painted surfaces can be cleaned with baking soda and a sponge.
- Lime deposits in kettles can be cleaned by boiling a half cup of vinegar with two cups of water for five minutes.
- To clean your drains, pour one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar down the drain, wait five minutes then pour down boiling water.
- Use microfiber cloths for dusting as they attract dust without the need for additional chemicals.
Source: Article by Maggie Calloway in the column "Smart Choices for Our Future"
