Getting Started With Natural Cleaners

If you're new to the world of natural cleaning products for your house

, it can seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you've still got a cupboard full of commercial cleaners. You possibly feel a bit unsure as well. Can these products really do the job of killing germs? Can you really clean the toilet with natural products? Do you have to spend a small fortune shopping online for soap nuts and Enjo cloths (which, incidentally, are sold on the party plan)? What do you actually need to get started cleaning naturally?

* Start small. You don't have to change everything all at once, unless there's an urgent health reason for doing so. Just make little changes here and there at first. For example, start by using baking soda to clean the bathroom sink and the bath. Then extend it to cleaning the fridge or the microwave. Then make another change - vinegar for window cleaning?, maybe. The places that are usually the last to switch to natural cleaning products are the toilet (overcoming a deeply ingrained belief that this is a stronghold of germs that needs commercial strength disinfectant to sanitize), the dishes (dishwashing liquid and powder does do a good job, and that foam while you handwash dishes is very satisfying and adds some fun to the work) and the laundry (laundry powder works better in cold water than soap does).

* Use the bottles and containers left from the commercial cleaners to house your new home-made products. Rinse them out well before use. You may also want to re-label them so others in your house know what they're for. The spray containers are particularly handy, but you'll need to pump an entire bottle of clean water through the spray system to get it clean.

* Start with common products. You probably already have vinegar and baking soda in your cupboards for use in cooking. Start by using these - you can clean an awful lot with them. Later on, you can add in other ingredients such as essential oils, borax, soap nuts, Enjo cloths, etc.

* Remember that you don't have to have one product for the kitchen and another for cleaning the bathroom. Most natural cleaning products are very good at multi-tasking.

* If you're not sure whether a certain natural cleaner is OK to use on a particular material, don't. However, remember that water is pretty safe to use with anything, so you can fall back on this as a standby.

* Don't get too worried about the "right" essential oil to use. Many recipes for natural cleaning products specify which oil to use. However, these oils can often be left out, as they are mainly there for smell and added disinfectant power (the other ingredients are often also disinfectants in their own right, e.g. vinegar, salt and vodka). And you can also substitute one oil for another - if you can't find lemon essential oil, you can probably find tea tree or lavender oil without too much bother.

* If you add essential oil to vinegar, keep this separate from the vinegar you use for cooking. Essential oils may be natural, but they should only be taken internally with the advice of a qualified practitioner in alternative medicine (i.e. a doctor).

* Don't feel guilty if you use commercial products occasionally. Just remember to wear gloves and not to breathe the stuff in. This writer admits to using a commercial wood polish because the smell brings back good memories - the excuse is that positive memories and enjoying doing the work boost the immune system.

by: Nick Vassilev

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