3 “Must Have” Natural Cleaning Products for your Bathroom
The lovely Laura from Sustainahome is here today to share with us her natural cleaning tips for the bathroom.
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I distinctly remember cleaning our shower recess with a popular household bleach product while pregnant with my first son. At the time I was using eco products to clean all other areas of my home but I was reluctant to give up this one product because of its stellar performance on shower grime.
This day however, it got the better of me.
Overwhelmed with the smell I had to stop cleaning and get some fresh air. I was giddy, headachy and felt sick. I couldn’t help wonder that if the cleaning product was having this impact on me, what impact was it having on my unborn baby?
Am I anti-chemical? Certainly not!
I just firmly believe that chemicals have a place in our society and that the place is not our homes.
Without a doubt, the ability by humans to extract minerals and indeed, manufacture chemicals, has led to the high standard of living many of us enjoy today.
Whether it is nickel for mobile phones or zinc for skin products, chemicals, or minerals that have been extracted from rock with the assistance of chemicals, are essential for our modern lifestyle.
While chemicals have undeniably improved our standard of living beyond our wildest dreams, their use in a controlled industrial context is significantly different than in our homes.
Strict health and safety policies manage the exposure of industrial workers to chemicals. In a household context, chemicals are often used in and around young children mainly by women, who may be pregnant or breastfeeding. There is a risk that safety precautions may not be taken at a household level to the same degree as an industrial setting.
Our environment is also paying the price for our love affair with chemicals.
Many modern cleaning agents are made from petrochemicals, a non-renewable resource. Each different product we use has been manufactured, transported to market, used, flushed down our drains and then, more often than not, the container disposed to landfill.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Household chemical cleaning products have only been around for about three generations, yet homes were still clean before that time.
Over the past few years I have enjoyed testing many traditional cleaning remedies in my home. I now have a small ‘green cleaning toolkit’ that is a fraction of the size and cost of the chemical alternative and am very happy to say my family enjoys living in a chemical free, yet clean, home.
But what about that trusty bleach product I once used to clean my shower?
It was replaced long ago by the following three “must have” natural cleaning products:
♥ Clove Oil
If you don’t own small bottle of clove essential oil, I suggest you run out and buy some right now. This product is truly amazing.
Clove oil kills mould spores. It doesn’t bleach them white like chemical bathroom cleaners, it kills them.
To apply, simply mix ¼ teaspoon of clove essential oil with 1 litre of water and spray it on the mould. Leave to rest overnight and clean the area with a white vinegar and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) mix the following morning. Your shower will look as good as new. Promise.
♥ White Vinegar
White vinegar is an ecoceptionally versatile cleaning agent. Its acidity makes it effective for killing most bacteria and it is fantastic for removing stains from a wide range of surfaces. In fact, white vinegar alone can replace just about every commercial home cleaning product!
In the bathroom, I find white vinegar most effective to shine chrome sink fixtures and showerheads. Lime build-up around taps can be removed by cleaning with a paste of 2 tablespoons salt to 1 teaspoon white vinegar. To remove mineral build-up on your showerhead detach and soak in white vinegar overnight.
♥ Eucalyptus Oil
Made by distilling foliage from Eucalyptus trees, eucalyptus oil is an excellent natural disinfectant, antibacterial cleanser and deodoriser and can be used to clean every room in the house.
My favourite application for this oil is to clean and disinfect the toilet.
To use place two capfuls of undiluted eucalyptus oil into the toilet bowl and scrub with a toilet brush. Wipe the toilet seat (and door handle) using Eucalyptus Oil spray and a clean cloth and you’re done!
By adopting the three natural cleaning products above in your bathroom alone you can replace several commercial chemical cleaners. Even better, these three products have literally countless applications for other cleaning tasks in your home and will prove their value time and time again.
About Laura:
Laura Trotta is an ecoceptionalTM mum, environmental engineer and founder of Sustainahome. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineer, Masters of Science degree in Environmental Chemistry and worked as an environmental professional for 11 years prior to starting Sustainababy in 2009. Laura is passionate about helping parents lead a more sustainable lifestyle and lives in regional South Australia with her husband and two young sons
What do YOU use to clean the bathroom?
