Cleaning your house could be dangerous for you and your family. There are so many chemicals contained in household cleaners that just cleaning your house is a health hazard. The average home contains more chemicals than are found in a typical chemistry lab. The Consumer Safety Commission has determined that cleaning products are some of the most dangerous substances in the home. Most states have laws against dumping household chemicals in standard garbage cans. There are special locations that dispose of chemicals. If these cleaners are too dangerous to dump at ordinary garbage disposal areas then why do we use these chemicals in our homes and around our children?

Commercial Cleaning Products Trickle Toxins

"Toxins in U.S. homes now account for 90 percent of all reported poisonings each year," says Rose Ann Soloway, administrator of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. And approximately 1.4 million children under the age of 12 are poisoned in the US each year. In fact, children account for 85 percent of all poison victims, and over 70 percent of these children are under the age of 5. Among children ages 5 and under, the most common poisons are from household cleaners or personal care products. Ordinary products used by adults each day around the home can become dangerous poisons in the hands of a child. Even products created specifically for children like baby shampoo contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, which you are rubbing on your child’s head.

Using Natural Substances for Cleaning

Natural substances like vinegar and baking soda can be used to clean-up dirty messes. Most of the time they work as well or better than commercial cleaning products and they are definitely less expensive than the products you buy from your grocery or drug stores.

Vinegar—Not Just For Cooking

Vinegar is a multi-purpose product. It can be used for literally thousands of tasks. You can use it for health purposes, for beauty (hair and bath), food and cooking, gardening and house cleaning. Vinegar can be used to clean out your system and basically disinfect your body to keep you healthy, but one of the most common uses of vinegar is for cleaning. Vinegar is a natural antibacterial and a powerful cleaning agent. Before chemical and commercial cleaning products were introduced to consumers to entice them into paying more for their cleaning needs, people used vinegar and it worked! Do your spring-cleaning with vinegar, save money and create a safe, healthy sanitized house for the whole family to enjoy.

Here are some ways you can use vinegar in your household cleaning routine:

Window cleaning: Mix with water or use full strength to clean windows, glass and mirrors. Dry with crumpled newspaper to get a fresh streak free shine every time. It removes water spots and dirt for cleaning windows indoors and outside.

Floor cleaner: It is safe on your no wax vinyl, wood and tile floors. It removes dirt and build-up while leaving the floor looking clean and shiny. Add a ½ cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water and mop up those dirty, messy floors with ease. You can also use it in the spray mops for quick clean-ups.

Dishes/dishwasher: Use vinegar in your dishwasher to remove build-up from the dishwashing detergent or use it as a rinse aid to leave your dishes streak-free. Run a cup of vinegar through a full dishwashing cycle once a month to clean and deodorize your dishwasher. Also you can use it in the sink in hot water with dish soap to remove soap build-up and water deposits from glassware.

Oven Cleaner: Use vinegar as a final rinse when you are cleaning your oven with the harsh alkali cleaners that stay in your oven and stink-up your kitchen when you use the newly cleaned oven after you scrub. Wipe the entire oven with vinegar to remove the chemical build-up and to freshen and polish the inside of the oven after a deep cleaning. It can also be used on self-cleaning ovens.

Washing Walls: Vinegar can remove harsh stains off of walls with ease. It can remove nicotine stains if you have smokers or pen and crayon from little ones. Use vinegar just to wipe down your walls for normal washing it absorbs odors and clean the walls without striping the paint. Vinegar is a natural neutralizer so it will freshen the air and leave your house smelling clean.

Pet Messes and Odors: Vinegar can be used to clean up after pets and to sanitize areas of the house where pets have had accidents. Pour half vinegar and half warm water directly on the area scrub mixture in with a scrub brush and soak up excess water with a wet sponge or towel. For an added boost spray with hydrogen peroxide and let dry.

Vinegar is one of the oldest cleaning products. It has been used for generations to keep things looking clean and smelling fresh. There are different kinds of vinegar you can purchase. The two that work best for house cleaning are distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. If you can protect your family’s health, use a natural cleaner that actually works and keeps your house looking and smelling clean why not use it for all of your household cleaning needs.

Baking Soda—for cleaning

Dirt and Grease clean up

Baking soda will cut through dirt and grease leaving a clean surface and a clean fresh smell. You can get rid of dirt and grease just by sprinkling baking soda on a damp cloth and wiping the surface clean. Greasy stoves or counter tops are not match for the cleaning power of all natural baking soda.

Bathtub

Make a thick paste with baking soda and a little vinegar and wipe away soap scum and mineral build-up in your bathtub. Make your faucets shine in no time.

Clean Jewelry

Baking soda is safe and effective when it comes to cleaning jewelry. Use a paste of baking soda and peroxide to clean build-up and dirt off or your jewelry. It gets rid of dirt, grime and body oils to leave your jewelry shining and looking new.

Air Freshener

Baking soda is great for an air freshener in your home. It leaves a fresh smell without polluting the air with harmful toxins. For a delightful inexpensive air freshener mix one-cup baking soda with about 3 drops of your favorite scented oil and place it in a decorative bowl or shelf to display. It will leave your room smelling wonderful and best of all it costs pennies to make.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on cleaning products and air fresheners in order to keep your house looking and smelling fresh. You have wonderful resources available right under your nose. Using products like vinegar and baking soda for many of your cleaning needs will help eliminate dirt and odors from your home while keeping your home free of toxins and pollutants. By using natural substances and ingredients to clean you will be protecting your family’s health and safety.