Clean green

What can be more comforting than a clean and tidy home? A home may seem like a clean one, but that is often not the case. As you invest a fortune on the cleaning aisles of grocery stores, buying glass cleaners, floor cleaners, stain removers, etc. you may have seen that together, these products contain hundreds of chemicals. 

Although no immediate reaction is usually seen, when accumulated, these chemicals may have extremely harmful effects. These can range from minor headaches and irritation to hyperventilation, fainting, heart problems and even autism in children due to prenatal exposure! 

That is enough scary news for now. Fortunately, you can create non-toxic substitutes of nearly ever cleaning product with items from your own kitchen! Read on for some common cleaning agents and useful recipes.

LEMON JUICE 
Anti-bacterial 
Acidic nature which allows it to cut through grease 
Freshen cutting boards by rubbing a cut lemon over the surface. 

WHITE VINEGAR 
This may be used as a substitute for lemons as they have the same properties.

Combine it with baking soda in a 1:1 ratio and pour it down drains to freshen them and prevent them from clogging

Mix vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio to use as a basic, antibacterial cleaning spray for glass and hard surfaces. 

BAKING SODA
Gritty texture, which makes it a great scrub for cleaning sinks and tubs without scratching

Natural deodoriser which can be used for in your fridge (wipe fridge down with it and keep an open packet at the back of the fridge) and carpets and upholstery (sprinkle on; let it sit for some time; then vacuum) 

BORAX
Combine in equal amounts with vinegar and wipe with the mixture to banish mold formation on hard surfaces

Pour a cup into the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few hours before scrubbing, to remove stains and odor.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Good for some tough cleaning, disinfecting and bleaching 

Good for removing organic stains like food, plant, blood etc. (Warning: it may bleach the fabric)

OLIVE OIL
Good base oil for polishing 

Mix 1 part lemon juice and 2 parts olive oil, shake well and use a soft cloth to wipe on furniture. Afterwards, buff with a clean, dry cloth.

OTHER 
If you can find them, invest in microfibre cloths as they are powerful cleaning tools. Natural cleaning agents are not as strong as artificial ones, so the microfibre cloth can be used to quicken the process.

By Maisha Rumelia Rahman