greenliving
HOMEMADE ECO-CLEANERS
DIY Recipes Keep Your Home Naturally Clean by Lane Vail
A
mericans use 35 million pounds of toxic household cleaning products annually. According to
the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, in Los Angeles, traces of cleaning chemicals can be found throughout the human body within seconds of exposure, posing risks like asthma, allergies, cancer, reproductive toxicity, hormone disruption, neuro- toxicity and death.
Equally sobering is the decades of research suggesting a relationship
between the overuse of powerful disinfectants and the rise of antibiotic-resistant super bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as well as concerns over these toxins entering water supplies and wildlife food chains. Cleaning product labels lack
transparency, says Johanna Congleton, Ph.D., a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, because “manufacturers aren’t required to specify ingredients.”
One approach to assure safe ingredients is do-it-yourself (DIY) products. For Matt and Betsy Jabs, the authors of DIY Natural Household Cleaners who blog at DIYNatural. com, creating homemade cleaners is a rewarding exercise in sustainability and simplicity. “We’re cutting through all the marketing and getting back to basics,” says Matt. Affordability is another benefi t: The Jabs’ homemade laundry detergent costs fi ve cents per load, compared with 21 cents for a store brand. Annie B. Bond, a bestselling author and pioneering editor of the award- winning Green Guide, dispels a DIY myth: “What’s time-consuming isn’t making the cleaners; it’s making the decision to switch and fi guring it all out,” she says.
Nine Basics Find these multitasking ingredients in local groceries and health stores or online.
White vinegar effectively cleans, deodorizes, cuts grease and disinfects against bacteria, viruses and mold.
Castile soap in liquid or bar form serves as a biodegradable, vegetable-based surfactant and all-around cleaner (avoid mixing with vinegar, which neutralizes its cleansing properties).
Baking soda cleans, whitens, neutralizes odors and softens water.
32 Central Florida natural awakenings
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48