Non-chemical cleaning products

[newveggirl82]

I don't know if this is the right place for this, so feel free to move it if you like. I know that cleaning products have so many chemical and all. I really cannot afford Melaleuca stuff right now; do I have other options? I know you can use vinegar for cleaning; but I'm not too crazy about the smell. Any tips?

[Thalia]

I don't know if this is the right place for this, so feel free to move it if you like. I know that cleaning products have so many chemical and all. I really cannot afford Melaleuca stuff right now; do I have other options? I know you can use vinegar for cleaning; but I'm not too crazy about the smell. Any tips?
What kinds of cleaning are you most concerned about? I use baking soda instead of cleanser. It works great.

For dish soap, I use Method dish soap, but I water it down and spray it from a spray bottle in order to conserve.

I assume by "no chemicals" you mean non-toxic? (since everything is made of chemicals)

Often we can avoid the most toxic chemicals by just cleaning more regularly so it doesn't get bad enough to need a harsh chemical (for example hard water build up or stains in the toilet or build up in the shower)

[queenfluff]

The book 'Home Safe Home' has many ideas for cheap homemade non-toxic cleaning.

http://www.dld123.com/homesafehome.html

Also, if you buy concentrated products, you don't have to use as much so it last longer and doesn't cost as much in the long run. Dr. Bronners soaps are one products.

[janie]

Method (http://methodhome.com/) products are great. They don't have harsh, toxic chemicals, they're biodegradable, and they don't test on animals.

[newveggirl82]

Thanks for your replies! What I use the most is all purpose type stuff, for floors, counters, sinks, etc. I read yesterday that you can use equal parts vinegar and water, and add some lemon juice to help the smell. It seems to work just fine! I'm going to check out those method products now.

[Cinnamon toast]

You can also clean some surfaces with micro-fiber cloths and just water. Works great without harmful chemicals.

[jojob1969]

I clean houses for several other people and I like the Sun and Earth brand cleaners. They are cruelty free, vegan and environmentally friendly. I tried Method and I found most of their product to be too heavily perfumed for my liking. Sun and Earth has a nice citrus sent that I like. I use a lot, so I buy it in bulk on their web site and they don't charge shipping on orders over $45.

https://sunandearth.com/ProductsPage.aspx

[bekajoi]

Or if water and a cloth, alone, don't work, try making a water/vinegar mix. This will clean just about ANYTHING. If it is a greasy mess, try rubbing with dry baking soda before the water/vinegar. :)

[Bonoluvr]

I usually use baking soda, vinegar, water, but I do like the sun and earth and 7th generation products.
thanks for the link jojo.........i just placed an order for some sun and earth products, its cheaper to buy it in bulk than my local store, and free shipping to boot!

[MissGarbo]

I was amazed to see the tub gunk under my bar of olive oil soap disappear after a few days of using it. You can buy all purpose liquid oil soap at natural food stores (at mine anyway :p). I used some on the rest of the bathtub gunk (my bathtub is made of molded plastic) and bye bye yuckiness! It just dissolved before my eyes. Who'd a thunk?

[Coney]

Washing Soda. It's awesome! You can find it in the laundry section at the grocery store. It cleans your tub great, and gets that sticky grease stuff off your stove hood better than anything. It's a deoderizer, too.

Great for laundry as well. Au naturale.

[Spidergrrl]

I have found those microfibre cloths to be really good. I bought one at Wilkinsons for 99p and it removes soap scum like magic with no cleaner at all.

Other than that i use vinegar and bicarb of soda and I make a spray of 4 cups hot water, 1 TB each vinegar and ecover soap and about 30 drops tea tree oil/lavender oil. It makes a great cleaner. The soap cleans and the vinegar cuts grease.

I sanitize my cutting board with a spray of vinegar and peroxide kept in 2 separate little bottles.

[soilman]

Alcohol will clean things, too. You could call it a "chemical" but it is made from plant starch, naturally produced by yeast. So it is not a "chemical." Soap, on the other hand, even old fashioned soap, is not made naturally by micro-organisms, but is made by a chemical reaction between oil (animal or vegetable) and lye, a chemical, making it more of a "chemical" than alcohol is. You can also use plain lye to clean, directly. You need to be careful it will dissolve your skin off. Same goes for hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid occurs naturally in your stomach, so if you get it from a stomach, it is not a chemical. In strong concentations, it will also take your skin off, so be careful. Commercial ammonia, a good cleaner, is made, from air and fossil fuels, but you can also make it by the action of micro-organisms on urine, making it very natural.

[flvegnewbie]

For the person who posted about the vinegar/water mix, I've also read that if you buy a small bottle of essential oils and put a few drops in, it will mask the vinegary smell?

I personally haven't tried it, but in case you have some type of flooring that maybe you wouldn't want to use lemon on, you could try this!

I'm also in the last stages of eliminating alot of my "chemical" cleansers, I'm down to the last few bottles and I am planning on starting to clean with more natural products, so I was glad to have found this thread!:rockon:


Michelle

[newveggirl82]

I love the microfiber cloth idea. My living room furniture is microfiber, and ANYTHING wipes off of it. Well...not nail polish. But, I have removed crayon, ink pen, marker, dried yogurt, dried candy, vomit, and much more using only a wet washcloth. It is a must have for anyone with children, in my opinion. It seems to be very staticly -sp charged, so I have to vacuum it often, but I don't mind; because it never has stains!

[ai_08]

I clean houses for several other people and I like the Sun and Earth brand cleaners. They are cruelty free, vegan and environmentally friendly. I tried Method and I found most of their product to be too heavily perfumed for my liking. Sun and Earth has a nice citrus sent that I like. I use a lot, so I buy it in bulk on their web site and they don't charge shipping on orders over $45.

https://sunandearth.com/ProductsPage.aspx

thanks so much for posting this! i've been looking for that site for forever... i clean apartments, so this is just what i needed. ^_^

[Bonoluvr]

thanks so much for posting this! i've been looking for that site for forever... i clean apartments, so this is just what i needed. ^_^

I ordered from them........free shipping and I got the order in about 2 days!