Detoxification
“Green” household cleaning chemicals — recipes for inexpensive,
non-toxic alternatives
Our bodies are under enormous detoxification demands from all sides, and it can
seem frustrating when we try to address them. And nowhere do our decisions seem
more important than in our own homes! On the one hand, we’re advised to keep
our kitchens clean and disinfected for fear of food-borne pathogens — but
on the other, the cleaning solutions we’re offered in the supermarket are
full of toxins. The good news is that you can have inexpensive, non-toxic cleaners
for your household if you’re willing to do a little “home chemistry”
using some simple ingredients. We’ve collected a bunch of useful tips on how
to do this for our readers who are looking for ways to keep a clean house without
polluting their environment or emptying their wallets.
Baking soda and baking powder — what’s the difference?
If you don’t bake, you might not be familiar with the difference between baking
soda and baking powder. The distinction may not seem obvious, particularly since
both are shelved near one another in the aisle that contains baking ingredients
like flour and sugar. Some traditional baking powders contain baking soda, but baking
powder is really only used for baking (not cleaning) and contains other ingredients
— and it’s considerably more expensive than straight baking soda. Manufacturers
usually package them differently too — baking soda almost always comes in a rectangular
box, whereas baking powder usually comes in a round box or tin. When it comes to
cleaning, baking soda rules!
Natural cleaning ingredients
There are a few basic supplies you’ll need to mix your own natural cleaning
solutions. It may surprise you that very few of them are found in the cleaning aisle,
and most of them are dirt cheap (no pun intended). Most can be bought and stored
in quantity.
- Baking soda. If you remember those Arm & Hammer ads that touted the deodorizing
power of baking soda in your fridge and sink, you’re probably at least somewhat
familiar with baking soda as a cleaning ingredient — and it really does work.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, or NaHCO3) is a slightly alkaline compound that
can neutralize acids, and with them certain odors — but it’s nontoxic
enough to be used for just about anything (you can even deodorize your dog —
just sprinkle on and brush!). As a paste, it makes a gentle scrubbing agent for
sinks, counters, refrigerators, and other surfaces. It’s also great for removing
odors from plastic containers, like milk jugs. In combination with other ingredients,
it can be used to remove laundry stains, polish furniture, kill mold and mildew,
and even remove tarnish from silver!
- Washing soda. Baking soda should not be confused with washing soda. Although the
two are chemically similar and their chemical names sound and look a lot alike —
washing soda is sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) — washing soda is a highly alkaline
substance and can be somewhat caustic. It’s also an inexpensive way to treat
greasy stains and soften hard water. Adding ½–1 cup to your wash will allow you
to use less detergent to get clothes clean. Unlike baking soda, washing soda is
harmful if swallowed, so be careful not to store the two near one another if you
use them both. Keep washing soda out of the reach of children, and wear gloves while
handling it.
- Distilled white vinegar. Baking soda can clean and deodorize, but it’s vinegar
that lends real disinfectant power to many home cleaning recipes. Multiple studies
have shown that a simple 5% solution of distilled white vinegar — the kind
you find in large jugs in the supermarket for next to nothing — can kill 99%
of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of viruses. You won’t see this on the packaging
because making that claim requires registration with the EPA as a pesticide —
but it’s common knowledge that vinegar is a powerful antibacterial, and it’s
just about the least expensive natural antiseptic around. It cuts grease and can
even remove scale on coffee makers. And though some people dislike the odor that
comes with vinegar, it dissipates more rapidly than the fumes that come with chemicals
— and white vinegar’s odor, unlike chemical fumes, isn’t toxic.
- Lemon juice. Like vinegar, lemon juice is acidic, which helps it to cut through
dirt. Unlike vinegar, it has a pleasant scent. Lemon juice doesn’t have the
same antibacterial properties as vinegar, but there are plenty of places it can
be put to work. If you want to clean without the vinegar odor and killing microbes
isn’t your main concern (for example, if you’re polishing furniture
or cleaning brass or copper), you can use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
- Natural liquid soap (not detergent). Most of the liquid soaps you’ll find
in the supermarket are actually detergents, which are chemically different from
soaps. They have one end that dissolves in water (hydrophilic) and the other than
dissolves in oils (lipophilic). That’s basically how they remove grease. True
soaps, such as the ones you’ll find in natural foods stores, are made with
natural minerals and fats. In combination with other ingredients, you can use natural
liquid soaps to make a variety of other cleaning fluids for windows, ovens, or all
purpose cleaners — you can essentially create your own grease-cutting detergents,
without the toxins and expense of mainstream cleaning products.
- Borax. Also know as sodium borate, this mineral occurs naturally and is environmentally
safe. But it can be an eye and skin irritant, and should be kept away from children.
It’s a strong disinfectant and deodorant, and can often work when gentler
substances aren’t enough. You’ll find this ingredient in the laundry
detergent section.
- Empty spray bottles. If you mix your own cleaners, you’ll need something to
store them in. New, empty spray bottles are readily available at most stores, and
they can be labeled with the recipe for the cleaning fluid you put in them so there’s
no confusion. It’s generally not a good idea to recycle empty bottles from
store-bought cleaners because of the potential for chemical reactions between the
residue and some of the natural cleaning ingredients we list here (for example,
vinegar reacts with bleach to create toxic fumes — so putting a vinegar-based
cleaner into a bottle that contained a bleach-based cleaner could cause a serious
health hazard).
Recipes and tips for non-toxic green cleaners
Here are some non-toxic green household cleaning recipes and tips we’ve compiled
over the years from our friends and a variety of other sources. You can explore
further on your own by clicking on the links on our References section.
Deodorizing rugs, garbage cans, and refrigerators: Turn to that old stand-by, baking
soda. Sprinkle rugs with baking soda, rub it into the rug with a broom, then vacuum
up the residue. For deodorizing a trash can or fridge, dissolve a cup of baking
soda in two cups of hot water, wash with a sponge, and wipe down with a wet cloth.
And yes, it’s true—if you put an opened box or a bowl of baking soda into
the fridge and freezer, the baking soda will absorb the food odors, although it
helps if you stir the baking soda from time to time and replace the box or bowl
every two months.
For particularly nasty stains or odors in garbage cans or refrigerators (especially
if you need to disinfect as well as clean), white vinegar often works well, either
straight or cut with equal amounts of warm water. If carpets are stained, mix 1
teaspoon of liquid soap with 1 one teaspoon of white vinegar in a pint of lukewarm
water, apply with a soft brush or towel, rub gently, and blot dry. Repeat until
the stain is gone. Don’t use straight vinegar on carpets or upholstery without
testing for color fastness first.
Garbage disposal cleaner: Mix 1 cup white vinegar with enough water to fill an ice
tray, then freeze the mixture. Run the vinegar cubes through the garbage disposal,
then flush with cold water. A freshly sliced lemon (or leftover lemon rind) offers
an effective, fragrant alternative.
Coffee-maker cleaner: Fill the coffee maker’s water reservoir with white vinegar
and run the brewing cycle. The vinegar will remove mineral deposits and scale in
the coffee maker. Rinse thoroughly when the cycle is finished.
Kitchen surfaces and cutting boards: Keep a spray bottle filled with straight white
vinegar in the kitchen, and use this for cleaning surfaces that are used for food
preparation — just spray and wipe with a clean cloth. For cutting boards,
spray the board just before going to bed and let the vinegar evaporate overnight.
If ants are a problem in your kitchen, use the vinegar spray on the cabinets and
floors as well to deter them.
Fruit and veggie wash: And don’t forget to wash the fruits and vegetables
you buy, too — if you put ¼-cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt into a sink
or tub and let your vegetables and fruits soak for 15 minutes, it eliminates much
of the dirt, pesticide residue, and waxes used by many produce suppliers (and there’s
no effect on the flavor). You can add baking soda to scrub fruits as well. Be sure
to rinse your produce thoroughly after soaking to be sure all the residue is removed.
Oven cleaner: Sprinkle or spray warm water over the grime on the bottom of the oven,
cover with enough baking soda that the surface is completely white, and sprinkle
more water on top. Be generous with both water and baking soda — it can take
a fair amount to break up oven grime. Let this mixture set overnight to loosen the
grease. Simply wiping with a cloth should get the worst of it off, and you can remove
the rest by washing with a little bit of liquid soap on a sponge.
Soft scrubber for bathroom sinks and tubs: Combine ½-cup of baking soda with liquid
soap to make a paste. Use a sponge to apply the mixture to a bathroom sink or tub
surface. It rinses easily and doesn’t scratch. For toilets, straight vinegar
can be used for every day cleaning and deodorizing. Stubborn rings in the toilet
can be removed by pouring 1 cup of vinegar onto the stain, letting it soak for 5
minutes, then sprinkling baking soda on the stain before scrubbing. Or, for really
bad stains, a paste of borax and lemon juice can be applied to the bowl (flush it
first so it’s wet when you rub the paste on). Let the paste sit two hours,
scrub, and flush it away.
Silver polish: Line a sink or glass baking dish with aluminum foil, and fill it
with hot water. Add two tablespoons each of salt and baking soda. Drop the silver
pieces into the container, making sure they’re touching the foil and each
other. The tarnish will disappear as the baking soda initiates a chemical reaction
with the aluminum that draws the oxidation off the silver (heavily tarnished items
might need as long as five minutes). Remove the silver when it looks clean, rinse
and dry it to remove the baking soda residue, and buff it with a soft towel. A container
of activated charcoal or a piece of chalk stored with the silver will minimize future
tarnish.
Brass, pewter, or copper polish: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white vinegar
and add white flour until a paste forms. Rub the paste onto the metal and let it
stand about 15 minutes, then rinse in warm water and polish until dry.
Window cleaner: Mix white vinegar and water in a spray bottle — half water
and half vinegar works for very dirty windows, but you can also get away with less
vinegar if your windows just need a touch-up. If this mixture leaves streaks, there
may be wax build-up from chemical cleaners on the glass, which can be removed with
rubbing alcohol before cleaning with the vinegar and water. If you’re pressed
for time, combine ½-teaspoon of liquid soap with 3 tablespoons of vinegar in 2 cups
of warm water and remove wax while you clean — the windows aren’t quite
as crystal-clear as you’ll get with just vinegar and water, but the soap will
remove the residue.
Here’s a useful tip for colder climates: A solution of 3 parts vinegar to
1 part water can be used to “coat” the windows of your car to keep them
from freezing in the winter.
Wood cleaner and polish: Wood furniture can be cleaned with the same vinegar and
water mix you make for windows. Once the cleaning fluid evaporates, you can polish
the wood with a mixture of an oil plus an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar.
Mineral oil is most commonly used in commercial polish and works well for home-made
versions, too, but if you have young children you might prefer to use an edible
oil, such as olive or corn oil, so there’s no concern about toxicity should
your child happen to drink your furniture polish! Just be aware that polish made
with edible oils needs to be refrigerated. One part lemon juice mixed with two parts
oil makes a lemon-scented polish, or use vinegar in place of the lemon juice (white
vinegar for light woods, cider vinegar for dark). If there are stubborn rings from
wet cups or glasses in the wood, use equal parts vinegar and olive oil and rub with
the grain of the wood to remove the stain. For wood floors, you can clean with the
vinegar/water solution and then rub a polish made of equal parts white vinegar and
vegetable oil into the wood to keep them shiny.
Heaven knows we have enough toxins in our environment — why not eliminate
a few around the house? These tips are great for getting started! Use your creativity
to choose aromatic essential oils to include in your recipes, or the ratios that
work best for your own home needs. More helpful cleaning tips and recipes can be
found using the resources in our References section. It’s such a great feeling
to dwell in a space that’s clean and green — and getting there can be an
inexpensive and health-enhancing endeavor.
Our Personal Program is a great place to start
The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.
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Related to this article:
References & further reading on nontoxic green cleaning
Original Publication Date: 07/14/2009
Last Modified:
08/17/2009