Because toxicity has become a way of life, and we must breathe and eat, we are continually exposed to pesticides and pollutants, some stored just under our kitchen sinks, says a report from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Massachusetts. , and Harvard. University School of Public Health.
The study was published last October in Environmental Science & Technology, Sedona, Ariz., says naturopathic doctor Teresa Dale, Ph.D. “She shows that we are exposed to a wide range of chemicals on a daily basis that affect our hormonal systems.” Chemicals such as phthalates and alkyphenols can increase the risk of hormone-related diseases such as breast cancer and testicular cancer.
To limit your exposure, “read labels carefully, use nontoxic cleaning products, and avoid using pesticides indoors,” says Dave Dergan, spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency. There are non-toxic cleaning products and pesticides in your kitchen. If you have baking soda, white vinegar, borax, and rubbing alcohol in your pantry and bathroom, you have the basic ingredients to make your own cleaning products and pesticides that won’t break the bank. I have included formulations for making your own products from these articles and many more at the end of this article.
There are many effective and environmentally safe cleaners that you can buy or make. Using these alternatives will reduce the toxic load on your home and the environment. By switching to green cleaners, you protect your health and the health of the community you live in while reducing air, water and soil pollution.
I bet you’re wondering, “Why doesn’t everyone do it?” Very few people actually read the labels of the products they buy, and even fewer are aware of the impact these chemicals can have on our bodies. Most people don’t take the time or don’t have the time to research the chemicals found in these products.
Not all “green” products are created equal, some have simply added essential oils to make it smell like the formula has changed. “You need to read labels carefully for irritating chemicals, such as chlorine, ammonia, and artificial fragrances and colors,” says Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, a preventive medicine specialist in Tucson, Arizona. “Buy cleaners at health food stores or retailers that specialize in green products.”
“Green cleaning and laundry products are the next frontier of environmentalism,” says Marci Zaroff, a former editor at Macrocosm and CEO of Under the Canopy, an organic clothing company. “It is an economical, easy and effective way to protect our planet and the commitment to life.”
Here are some options to get you started on the path of “thinking green”:
* CITRUS OIL; Sold in health food and home improvement stores, it fills rooms with the smell of orange and is much easier on the nose (unless you like the smell of hospitals).
To clean or polish hardwood floors, dilute 1 tbsp. of citrus oil to a gallon of hot water and mop up with a sponge. For greasy floors, just use a stronger solution. You can also clean kitchen countertops and tables with this solution. Citrus does not remove protective sealants. On porous surfaces like marble or granite, only use diluted oil and it should never be allowed to sit on a surface, always dry it when finished.
* ESSENTIAL OILS OF TEA TREE, THYME AND LAVENDER: These have been shown in some studies to have more antiseptic properties than phenol, the most common chemical disinfectant. Many disinfectants contain chlorine, which reacts with organic matter in drinking water to produce potentially carcinogenic trihalomethane.
To make a natural disinfectant, mix 20 drops of one of the essential oils listed above and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Apply and let sit for 15 min. or until dry.
* BAKING SODA: Sodium bicarbonate (or bicarbonate of soda), an alkaline substance used in fire extinguishers, antacids, and sparkling water.
You can use it to clean your bathtubs, sinks, countertops in the kitchen and bathroom. Combine 3/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. of borax and enough dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste or if you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 t. lemon juice to the paste. To go down your sink drain to mess up and unclog drains, place 1/2 cup of baking soda in the drain and add a cup of vinegar, wait 30 minutes. and for hot water by drain. I use this method once a month on all the drains in the house to keep them clean.
*BORAX: Borax, like its close relative boric acid, has relatively low toxicity levels and is considered safe for general household use, but the dust can be harmful if ingested by small children or pets in sufficient amounts. Keep it out of their reach. Borax is toxic to plants, so in the garden, be very careful when applying borax on or near the soil. It doesn’t take much to seep into the soil to kill nearby plants and prevent further growth.
But it’s great for removing tough stains from the sink, even rust on stainless steel or porcelain sinks. Make a paste of 1 cup borax and 1/4 cup lemon juice, put some of the paste on a cloth or sponge and rub it on the stain, then rinse under warm running water, the stain should be gone with the paste .
You can also remove mildew from upholstery and other fabrics by soaking a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup borax dissolved in 2 cups of water and rubbing it into affected areas. Let it soak for several hours until the stain is gone, then rinse well. To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of 2 cups of borax to 2 quarts of water.
Want a way to clean your toilet bowl sparkling white without those dangerous fumes? Use a stiff brush to scrub it with a solution of 1/2 cup of borax mixed with one gallon of water.
VINEGAR: Known as nature’s handiest liquid, vinegar is so versatile that you can use it in the kitchen and bath, laundry and garden, home and car cleaning, even pet care and grooming. staff.
Damp mopping with a mild vinegar solution is recommended as a way to clean wood and vinyl or laminate floors without wax. Be sure to check with the floor manufacturer because even though the acidity of dilute vinegar can ruin some floor finishes, and too much water will damage most hardwood floors. But if you want to try vinegar on your floors, use 1/2 cup of white vinegar mixed in 1 gallon of warm water. You may want to start with a test app in a discrete area. Before applying the solution, wring out the mop well (or just use a spray bottle to moisten the mop head).
To liven up dull wood paneling, mix 2 cups of warm water, 4 tablespoons of white or cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl, shake a few times, and apply with a clean cloth. Let it soak in for several minutes, then buff with a dry cloth.
To keep your computer, printer, and other home office equipment clean and dust-free, dampen a clean cloth in equal parts white vinegar and water, wring it out well, and begin cleaning. Before you start, make sure your equipment is turned off and never use a spray bottle; you don’t want liquid getting into the internal circuitry. Keep a few cotton swabs handy to get into tight spaces (like between the keys on your keyboard).
To make a scratch on a wood table much less noticeable, mix some distilled or cider vinegar and iodine in a small jar and paint over the scratch with a small artist’s paintbrush. Use more iodine for darker woods; more vinegar for lighter shades.
To remove the white rings left by wet glass on wood furniture, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and apply with a soft cloth while moving it with the grain of the wood. Use another clean, soft cloth to polish it. To remove white water rings from leather furniture, blot with a sponge soaked in pure white vinegar.
For the outdoors, vinegar can get rid of bugs and ants or you can use it as an insect repellant and clean outdoor furniture and decks.
Pour equal parts white vinegar and water into a spray bottle and spray on anthills and around areas where you see ants. Ants hate vinegar and it won’t take long for them to move on. Additionally, you can spray picnic areas and playgrounds to keep ants away. If you have a lot of anthills, pour strong vinegar over them.
Are you going camping or fishing? Here’s an old army trick to keep ticks and mosquitoes away: About three days before you leave, start taking 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar three times a day. Continue along on your way out and you might just walk home without a bite.
Before you resort to bleach to get rid of mold on your deck or patio furniture, try these milder, vinegar-based solutions.
*Keep undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle and use where you see mold. The stain will immediately be cleaned from the wort surfaces, and the vinegar will prevent it from reappearing for a while.
*Remove mold from wood decks and wood patio furniture by sponging them with a solution of 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 gallon of water . Use an old toothbrush to work the solution into tight spaces.
*To deodorize and inhibit mold growth on outdoor plastic mesh furniture and patio umbrellas, mix 2 cups of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in a bucket of hot water. Use a soft brush to work it into the grooves in the plastic and to scrub the seat pads and umbrella fabric. Rinse with cold water; then dry in the sun.
RUBBING ALCOHOL: Be sure not to confuse denatured alcohol with rubbing alcohol. Alcohol denatured to ethanol (drinking alcohol) that has poisonous and foul-tasting chemicals added to make it unfit to drink. Often the chemicals used in denatured alcohol are not the ones you should be putting on your skin. Isopropyl alcohol is made from chemicals that are safe for skin contact, most often 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and 30 percent water.
Ticks hate the taste of rubbing alcohol as much as they love the taste of your dog. Before removing a tick from Fido, he rubs the creature with alcohol to loosen its grip on him. Then grab the tick as close to the dog’s skin as you can and pull it out. He rubs again with alcohol to disinfect the wound. This also works on people.
The problem with ice packs is that they do not conform to the shape of the injured body part. Make a slurry conformable pack by mixing 1 part isopropyl alcohol with 3 parts water in a zip-top plastic bag. The next time your knee hurts, wrap the slush bag in a cloth and apply to the area.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of ways to use eco-friendly products that you can do yourself. I have used most of these recipes for the last 10 years. They cost next to nothing to make and the results are fabulous. I use olive oil and vinegar to clean my furniture and I don’t have to dust it for a month. The solution seems to repel dust, just mix the olive oil and vinegar together like you would a salad dressing.