Toss out those expensive chemical compounds and clean your home a safer, natural way.
For many of us, the thought of housecleaning conjures up the image of a huge array of cleaning products -- products with brand names and mysterious chemical ingredients. The average person has been so bombarded with advertisements for these products that he or she actually believes cleaning is impossible without them. We know of one woman who bought $38.32 worth of cleaning items alone on one trip to the supermarket. And for many of us, these expensive products end up lying half-empty, moldering in kitchen cabinets. But cleaning can be done without brand-name products, which are not only expensive but also can be dangerous your health.
Of the two million chemicals now in existence, only a few hundred have been tested adequately for their potential for causing cancer, liver or kidney damage, birth defects, and so on. Even when there is a known danger, many chemicals remain in use. Spot removers, for instance, contain either chlorinated hydrocarbons or petroleum distillates, and can be lethal even in small quantities.
Some 35,000 serious accidents occur each year with bleaches, dyes, waxes, polishes, and assorted cleaning compounds. More than a thousand children in the United States die each year from accidental poisoning, often from chemical compounds. Some swallow electric dishwasher detergent (the container may look like a cereal box), some drink furniture polish that resembles cherry soda. But these are the acute cases.
A clue to long-run effects of these chemicals is found in the recent study showing that housewives have a cancer rate double that of women working outside the home. Our houses contain many of the chemicals known to be cancer hazards in industry -- and many of these we use for cleaning.
However, we can reduce the number of dangerous chemicals in the home to a very few -- perhaps bleach, washing soda, and ammonia. We can keep these under lock and key, and use them sparingly. As for all the rest, the o-phenylphenols and isopropanols, we don't need them.
Here are some "grandmother-tested" ways to clean without dangerous chemicals, and save money, too.
Scouring powder: Combine nine parts whiting (from a hardware store) with one part soap granules. This mixture won't scratch surfaces as commercial products do, and it omits the unnecessary chlorine, which could accidentally combine with other chemicals -- like ammonia -- to produce dangerous chlorine gas.
Brass and copper cleaner: Vinegar and salt paste.
Window cleaner: 4 tablespoons ammonia, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 quart water, followed by lots of elbow grease with crumpled old newspapers for a special sparkle.
Drain cleaner: First, try a plunger. Then try 1/2 cup washing soda followed by 2 cups boiling water. For a stronger treatment, combine a handful of baking soda with 1/2 cup vinegar. Close the drain and let it sit, then flush with water. Do this regularly to prevent buildup. (Washing soda is an alkali much less caustic than lye, but it should be kept locked up. It is dangerous.)
Rug cleaner: Get the spill scooped or blotted up fast! Dip a small brush in cold water and work out the spot. For a grease spot, sprinkle a generous amount of dry baking soda or dry cornstarch on the spot. Let it stand for an hour or so, then vacuum. If the grease remains, try the Magic Spray Cleaner below, and a stiff brush.
Rug shampoo mix: Mix 1/4 cup mild detergent or soap, with 1 pint of warm water and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Whip into a stiff foam. First, vacuum the rug thoroughly. Apply the foam and scrub. Let dry, then vacuum again.
Magic spray cleaner (for surfaces other than varnish, aluminum or asphalt tile): 1/4 cup ammonia, 1/8 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon baking soda, and 1 quart water. Pour into glass or plastic bottle, screw on a hand squirter top, and enjoy.
Furniture polish: Use paste wax or mineral oil, which are much less toxic than petroleum distillates like "lemon oil," which isn't from lemons.
Spot remover: For fabrics that don't take to bleach, apply ammonia diluted with an equal amount of water. Put paper towels underneath to blot. If the ammonia odor clings, apply a table-salt solution. (A last resort for old stains is a dab of vinegar.)
Oven cleaner: Sprinkle spills generously with salt while the oven is still hot. The burned deposit should scrape off with no trouble when the oven cools. For thorough cleaning, set an open shallow dish of full-strength ammonia inside the cold oven. Close the door and let it stand overnight. The ammonia gas from the solution is absorbed by the grease, which ends up like soap. Do not use this method on aluminum.
Deodorizers: Use baking soda here, there, and everywhere -- down the drain, on baby spit-up, in diaper pails, refrigerators, cat litter and the kitchen sponge. It's easy and simple.
But now that you've cleaned the house, you're hungry. You eat, and then you have all those dirty dishes, rags, and the laundry, too. What to do about them? It's time to look at the great detergent/soap controversy.
