Natural Home Cleaning - Why and How

Natural Home Cleaning - Why and How

Today's biog post I'm sharing some of my top tips, learning's and recipes for natural home cleaning.

I personally made the decision that I really wanted to eliminate harsh chemicals from being able to get into my families bodies , I really wanted to reduce the amount of plastic waste I make and protect the environment, by considering what chemicals I wash washing away into our water systems. In doing this I have embarked on a journey of research (I just love to learn new things),  had loads of fun being an alchemist at home (I'm slowly creating my own recipe book) , saved myself a ton of money, reduced my plastic consumption dramatically and feel a lot healthier for it. With all that said I also have a fresh sparkly clean home that's safe for my family, making us all happier and healthier. I am one of those (possibly) strange people in life who really enjoys cleaning ( I know there are lots of us out there really!) But even if you don't enjoy cleaning it is a chore that needs to be done even occasionally so I hope you will find this both helpful and inspiring.

Bottles from @shabby2chicstudio on Etsy

The Main Four. 

These are what I call the main four and the reason for this is I have found any combination or single version of these can do all the jobs I previously bought 'specialised' products for. If you look under your sink or in your cleaning caddy now today. You may find some of these but I'm sure you will also find glass cleaner, stainless steel cleaners, oven cleaners, drain unblocks, stain removals for every fabric you own, brighteners, whiteners, softeners, scent boosters, toilet cleaners, pan cleaners, carpet freshness, heavy duty scrubbers, the list can go on and on .......
All likely to be in a plastic bottle, all likely to include harmful ingredients and all likely to amount to a vast amount of money spent.

I have found that with these main four you can do everything these products would do and in my experience some even do the job better!

I think to really help inspire (or convince) you I need to share my research , so lets find out some more.......

Borax Substitute. 

Borax Substitute, really known as Sodium Sequicarbonate is a mineral compound with a similar PH Level to Borax. It is important for me to mention here that in the UK and EU you can no longer buy Borax as in 2010 the group of chemicals that came under Borate (including Borax) were reclassified as potentially dangerous to our health. Borax Substitute is actually two different salts, sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate.Na₃H(CO₃)₂
I buy the Dri-Pak 500g in a cardboard box, they can be easily purchased at many stores including Amazon.

It can be used so many things but I have used it for:

• Making a cleaning paste - You just mix with a little water to form the paste and it will replace the kind you might have used for heavy duty scrubbing jobs such as cleaning pans or the oven
• Deterring pests such as ants and fleas
• As Natural Weed Killer!
• Cleans tiles and grouting _ bit of elbow grease and they look like new 
• Cleans, reduces, even removes rust 
• Clean toilets - Really well! and the brush at the same time 
• Remove marks from stainless steel 
• Unblocks drains 
• Removes odours from bins 
• Removes stains on materials and floors 
• Reduces/removes marks on mattresses and yellowing of bedding duvets and pillows 

It's a stronger product than just Bicarbonate of Soda which has many of the same uses, it will soften the water and act as a gentle grease remover in the same way. 

The best thing I found whilst researching, is that is is the perfect substitute for products that have phosphates in them. In particular is a good substitute for Triodium Phosphate which if you look at in your cleaning cupboard is often found in heavy duty cleaning products. Here is a good article on why Phosphates are considered bad for your health. It will also help stop these phosphates getting into our water supply and oceans. As phosphates help increase algae production , taking up oxygen and suffocating sea life. Not to mention the single use plastic bottles that they are more often than not in, or not recyclable (take a minute to check the triangle logo to goggle to see what your bottles are made of and if they can actually be recycled ) if they can be recycled they might be deemed to be contaminated by the product inside and still end up in landfill or being incinerated. Some of these products will also still end up in our water systems even after going through water treatment centres and they might also contain gasses that contribute to global warming and affect adversely our own and our families health. 

So for me (and my cleaning obsession) this is a great alternative. 

Bicarbonate Of Soda. 

I touched on this product above, Bicarbonate of Soda which is also a combination of Salts, Sodium Cation and Bicarbonate Anion.NaHCO₃. 

I buy the Dri-Pak 500g in a cardboard box, they can be easily purchased at many stores including Amazon.

It can be used loads of things (not limited to cleaning, but we will stick to that for today's blog) like:

• Removing odours - Put 4 tablespoons in a bowl in the fridge to keep odours at bay
• Soak stained lunch boxes or food containers to remove stubborn food colouring
• Cleaning microwaves - put in a bowl with water and steam inside to remove grease and stubborn stains or use an Angry Mummy 
• Removing grease from dishes, sinks, pans - no more soaking pans 
• Cleaning sponges - soak over night to refresh them 
• Carpet freshener- just sprinkle on carpet , leave for 15mins and then vacuum all up 
• Pet beds -it will refresh and deodorise - just sprinkle leave for 15mins (away from pets ability to eat it, and then brush, wash or vacuum off 
• Removing finger prints, heavy duty dusting and cleaning grease or scum off - just add to water in a spray bottle
• Bring whites back whiter for laundry 
• Unblocks drains - best to add white vinegar to it to make it fizz but hot water works well too
• Makes a lovely home fabric freshener for trainers, rugs, carpets and other soft furnishings - you can add essential oils to it in a spray bottle with some water 3/4 hotter, 4 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and essential oils of your choice. 

Just as before it is perfect for natural home cleaning, helping reduce plastic waste and chemicals going into our water system, air and our bodies. What have you used this for? If you have any top tips , do let me know in the comments below.

Citric Acid.

This is a naturally occurring product that is usually found in citrus fruits. C₆H₈O₇. It is a powerful limescale remover, can kill bacteria, mould, mildew and is strong at removing deposits, so tough on stains, and deposits of calcium, rust, or sticky glues. 

It can be used for:

• Removing limescale - great for cleaning stainless steel drum washing machines - just add some and run a 60.C wash 
• Remove Calcium depots from taps or kettles in hard water areas - boil water, unplug appliance, add citric acid and leave for 15 minutes and then rinse 
• It will remove soap scum in baths - just add to water and scrub affected area
• It will remove mould from shower curtains, add some to a wash either soak or put in washing machine, depending on the material of your curtain 
•  Add some to water to clean glass, shower screens, windows,UPVC and electric hobs. 
• Remove sticky labels or stickers your kids want to put everywhere! 

I use the Dr-Pak 250g which again comes in a cardboard box, they can be purchased at many shops or on Amazon . This is also plastic free cleaning option. The spray bottles I use are linked here and I make my own labels so I can reuse these many many times. But you could wash any bottle out and reuse one you already have. Just be careful not to mix products or chemicals together as they can produce harmful vapours. So wash thoroughly or be mindful of which bottles you choose to re purpose. 

Soda Crystals.

Soda Crystals are natural compounds traditionally used in laundry cleaning but have multiple general purpose cleaning options. I choose again to use the Dri-Pak option as they come in a 500g bag (so sadly not plastic free) but the bag is recyclable at my local council recycling centre so for now this is an acceptable alternative to many other bottles I may have otherwise used. You can buy them at lots of stores or Amazon. Known as Sodium Carbonate Dechydrate (manufactured by the solvay process) CH₂₀Na₂O_13. They do often come in a liquid form as well but I find the compound lasts longer and reduces the plastic waste as discussed before. They dissolve in hot water and I personally usually use a ratio of 1 tablespoon to 500mls of water but you can add more to make it stronger.
It can be used for:

• Removing algae and moss - garden furniture, patios, doors, windows, garden ornaments 

• Softening towels, I soak the towels or add some to my wash 

• It makes a great floor cleaner 

• Can clean silver - soak for around 10 minutes in a solution mixed with water (be careful with precious stones) 

• Unblock sinks - 1 cup down the plug followed by the same amount in hot water 

• Clean tea stained mugs (NEVER use bleach!) or cutlery - Soak overnight and wash as usual

• Use a multi purpose cleaner 

• Use as a laundry detergent

Again the best part of using Soda Crystals is that it will replace many jobs that previously you may have used a bleach product for, it has no enzymes, no phosphates and is biodegradable. (biodegradable meaning of a substance or object is capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms and thereby avoiding pollution.)

There are lots of other uses I am sure. As with any product or combination please always be careful before using. Read any instructions or warnings and make sure you test an area if you are unsure. Keep these products up out of the reach of children and animals. Keep your families safe, happy and healthy. 

It can be a really difficult decision on which products to keep at home as many do not list ingredients. I generally check for words like can be toxic to wildlife, skin irritant, do not inhale, only use in a well ventilated room. I avoid these. Also be careful of companies that claim to be green , natural or Eco friendly. Take some time to research and find out what this means. You like me will be shocked and surprised I'm sure. 

If you found this post helpful then feel free to share it, comment on your thoughts, ideas and experiences below or on any of my social media links. I would love to hear how you are bringing natural home cleaning into your life, how you are helping protecting the environment and doing your bit for reducing plastic waste. 


Best Wishes 

A.K.A Magick Mummy