Natural Cleaning Products for the Bathroom
One of the most toxic areas in your home is your bathroom. Bathroom cleaners, toothpastes, shampoos, deodorants, perfumes and hair spray fill the bathroom with chemical toxins that damage your health and upset your endocrine balance. Clean up your indoor environment by greening your clean with these nontoxic alternatives to dangerous household cleaners.
This is the second part of a series on making your own environmentally friendly, nontoxic, natural cleaning products, so that you can rid your home of the toxic cleaning supplies that harm your family and the environment. Part 1 is here.
Ceramic Tile and Grout cleaner:
1 cup baking soda
1 cup nonsudsing ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
14 cups warm water
Gallon Jug
1. Pour the baking soda, ammonia, and vinegar into the jug. Add half the warm water. Swish the jug to mix the ingredients. Allow the reaction to stop. Fill the jug with the remaining water. Cap and label the jug.
Spray the solution directly on the tiles and grout. Wipe with a damp spounge or plastic scrubbing pad. (Do not mix with bleach.)
For tough stains, mix baking soda with a few tablespoons of this solution and scrub into grout with a tooth brush. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Wipe clean.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner:
1/4 cup citric acid
Soft soap (1 c. natural soap grated and mixed with 8 c. boiling water)
Sprinkle Citric acid into the toilet bowl. Spray bowl and rim with soft soap. Allow to sit for 1 hour. Scrub bowl and rim with brush and rinse by flushing.
Or try this natural toilet bowl cleaner.
Scouring cleanser for fiberglass countertops
1/2 cup grated natural soap
2 tsp. borax
1 1/2 cups hot water
5 tsp. calcium carbonate (lime)
Store in a squeeze top plastic container. Label and keep out of reach of children.
To use squeeze some of the mixture onto a spounge and wipe down the counter. Rinse and dry.
Glass and Mirror Cleaner
1 c. alcohol
1 c. ammonia
1/2 c. vinegar
12 cups warm water
Clean 1 gallon jug.
Store in jug. Label and keep out of reach of children.
All purpose disinfectant and cleaner
1 cup. isopropal alcohol or vodka
1 cup ammonia
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp. soap flakes
1/2 tsp. Pine, lavender, or lemon essential oil
Hot water to fill 1 gallon jug
Store mixture in one gallon jug. Label and keep out of reach of children.
To use, transfer mixture to spray bottle. Spritz solution on area to be cleaned. Wipe with damp cloth.
Air freshener
Air fresheners are some of the most toxic chemicals in your house. They are created to off-gas and one solid air freshener will off gas 4 oz. of toxic chemicals into your house in a month.
Try this essential oils reed diffuser instead of commercial pop-top air freshners.
Some nontoxic alternatives:
Naturally Scented soap
Joybilee Farm Wild Rose soap is a wonderful air freshener. Just put a bar in your bathroom soap dish and use it to wash your hands. The rose scent continues to keep your bathroom smelling fresh, even when not in use. Or make your own homemade soap and use your favorite essential oils
Air freshener Spray
Fill a bottle with filtered water and 1/2 tsp. of the essential oil of your choice. Spritz the air as necessary to keep the bathroom smelling fresh.
Deodorant Bags
1 cup. ground charcoal
1 cup. baking soda
1 tbsp. dried orange or lemon peel
1 tbsp. lavender blossoms
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Old nylon stocking cut into 4 inch square
1 yard of muslin fabric cut into 4 inch square
String or ribbon for tying
Mix charcoal, baking soda and spices and herbs. Place 2 tbsp. into the centre of the nylon square. Bring corners together and secure the four corners with a rubber band. Place in the centre of the muslin fabric and bring the four corners together. Tie with yarn or string.
Hang in the bathroom where the air circulates. Replace monthly or as needed. Charcoal and baking soda absorb bad odours.
When cleaning your bathroom, brushes work better than sponges and rinse and sterilize more easily. I keep a brush on the side of the tub and beside every toilet in the house for quick maintenance.
Other resources for natural cleaning products:
Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home
The Naturally Clean Home: 150 Super-Easy Herbal Formulas for Green Cleaning
Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning
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