There aren’t many pleasures in life that compare to a spotless, shining kitchen. However, not every cleaning product we use in our Charleston houses is safe for the environment. The good news is that there are more environmentally friendly cleaning products accessible than ever before. In truth, you can create natural cleaning products that are safe, efficient, and cost a fraction of what store-bought goods do with a few basic items you probably already have in your pantry.
Why Use Eco-Friendly Products?
There are numerous benefits to using environmentally friendly cleaning supplies in the kitchen. Strong chemicals can be exceedingly damaging to your eyes, nose, skin, respiratory system, and throat. They also represent a serious hazard to sensitive family members or pets. Most store-bought cleaning products include chemicals that can damage the environment in addition to having negative health consequences. Harmful substances may get into rivers, groundwater, and lakes via our kitchen drains, polluting the soil, poisoning fish and animals, and killing vegetation.
Eco-friendly cleaning products, on the contrary, use basic, non-toxic substances that are more beneficial to the planet. However, not all products that make the “natural” or “organic” claims are eco-friendly. There are minimal federal laws that determine which items can be labeled “natural.” Likewise, there aren’t any laws requiring makers of cleaning products to identify the chemicals on the product’s packaging. Thus, it is the responsibility of the informed customer to either investigate the available eco-friendly cleaning product brands or create their own.
Simple Ingredients = Safer Cleaning
Two basic chemicals, white vinegar and baking soda, are found in many of the best environmentally friendly cleaning products you can manufacture or buy. These two kitchen essentials, when used in various ways, can handle practically any messes your kitchen may make. With a few more common cleaning tools, you can clean your whole kitchen from floor to ceiling without turning to the nasty chemicals in so many store-bought brands. Below are a few ideas:
- Floors: Wood and tile floors that have been sealed can be disinfected and cleaned with a little warm water, white vinegar, and a towel or mop. Although vinegar may not have a particularly pleasant smell, you may easily add a drop or two of your preferred essential oil to transform the odor of your kitchen.
- Ovens: It might be tricky removing the burned-on filth from the inside of your oven. Even so, you can try a baking soda paste to get rid of all that tenacious gunk with a little bit of water, baking soda, and endurance. Before scrubbing, you should let the baking soda paste sit overnight for the best results.
- Glass and shiny surfaces: To clean glass or other polished surfaces, combine white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, cornstarch, and water, in a sanitized spray bottle. Next, spray and wipe with a microfiber or lint-free cloth. It is not a good idea to use paper towels to clean glass and other glossy surfaces, as they are not eco-friendly and tend to leave streaks and paper towel fragments behind.
Buy or DIY?
If the idea of developing your own cleaning supplies is still unappealing, there are now numerous eco-friendly alternatives. Products from Mrs. Meyer’s, Bon Ami cleansers, and Method brand products are some of the most well-known names. These and other brands promise that their goods are safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Some of these companies even employ packaging made entirely of post-consumer recycled plastics.
After you learn about the advantages of eco-friendly cleaners, you might never go back to using harsh chemicals in your kitchen cleaning products again, whether you decide to buy them or manufacture them yourself. You’ll not only protect your household and yourself, but you’ll also be supporting environmental preservation.
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Originally Published on February 28, 2020