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3 “Must Have” Natural Cleaning Products for your Bathroom

May 22, 2014 · 13 Comments

 

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.

♥♥♥♥

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?

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: bathroom, bleach, cleaning, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, Laura trotta, natural cleaning, sustainababy, vinegar

Make your own natural citrus cleaning spray!

February 11, 2012 · 32 Comments

Make your own natural citrus cleaning spray!

I love this homemade natural citrus cleaning spray. It’s so cheap, so simple, free of chemicals, it smells yum and work really well. What a star!

I found this cool idea for making citrus-infused vinegar on a friend’s Facebook status, who had found it here.  I had to experiment straight away. After playing around a little, I came up with this all-purpose cleaning spray using the vinegar!

 

Citrus Cleaning Spray

 

This is what you need:

Citrus peels (orange and mandarine are best)

Vinegar

Natural dishwashing liquid (Kin Kin and Abode are my favourite brands)

Glass bottles or jars (with a wide mouth so you can get them out again – very important!!)

Spray bottle

Funnel

Large Bowl

Sieve

 

 

So, this is how you do it:

Start collecting your citrus peels in your jar.

Tear them up, squeezing as you go (I found this released more of the natural citrusy oils) as you put them in the bottle or jar.

Pour over the vinegar until all the peels are covered. You can add more citrus peels to this mix as you collect them too.

Secure lid and store in a cool, dark place for about four weeks. You can leave them longer if you want – they will start to ferment and you get the extra goodness of good bacteria.

Strain the vinegar.

You may need to do this several times if there are lots of pithy bits.

Look how beautiful the colour is – I used mostly orange and mandarine skins. The peels end up very mushy.

 

citrusstraing

 

Now, pour the vinegar, using a funnel into a spray bottle. You can repurpose one you already have, just make sure it hasn’t had any chemicals in it or you wash it really well.

Next, add a good squirt (depending on how big your bottle is) of natural dishwashing detergent and give it a good shake.

Now, you are ready to use your own natural citrus cleaning spray.

I use it in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on glass…. anywhere that needs a good clean. You can also use it with bicarbonate of soda for really greasy or grotty stuff. Just sprinkle the bicarb and spray with your magic spray, give it a good scrub and rinse well.

As always, I would love to hear how you go if you decide to make some of your own.

Drop by and chat to me!

 

You might also like to read:

6 Natural Cleaning Tips Using Lemons

10 Zesty Lemon Recipes

 

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: citrus, cleaning, cleaning spray, eco friendly, natural remedy, vinegar

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