Go natural when cleaning your home

The next time you clean your house, try to do it without causing much harm to the environment.

Chemical cleaners are not the only things that will do a good job of ridding your home of stubborn dirt, according to an article by Jessica Kellner in the online site Care2.

She says three natural productsvinegar, baking soda and lemoncan be used to clean your whole house. They are versatile, not expensive and you probably have them already in your kitchen.

Kellner says, Many of the chemicals used in conventional cleaning products are bad for human health, and using them actually pollutes the air inside our homes. These cleaners are also a health hazard for children and pets.

After use, the chemicals go into the waterways and may leach into bodies of water, harming wildlife and potentially contaminating drinking water.

Kellner, editor of Natural Home & Garden magazine, a sustainable home and lifestyle magazine, says chemical cleaners are simply not necessary. Common household items can clean and disinfect just as well as commercial preparations without putting peoples health and the environment at risk.

She offers formulas to turn the natural products into effective cleaners.

To use vinegar as disinfectant, Kellner suggests mixing one part vinegar with four parts water. The all-purpose cleaning solution, she says, will disinfect anything from countertops to doorknobs.

To clean glass, combine 2 cups water, cup vinegar and teaspoon of liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. As for the toilet, Kellner says to pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet and let sit. Add a few tablespoons of baking soda for extra whitening power then use a toilet brush to remove rings, then flush. She says vinegar naturally deodorizes and kills germs.

For clogged drains, she recommends pouring cup of baking soda down the drain followed by cup of vinegar. Cover the drain to keep fizzing action inside. After the fizzing subsides, follow with a liter or two of boiling water, Kellner says. Snaking the drain or repeating the whole process may be needed in some cases.

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Go natural when cleaning your home