Organic cleaning is defined as "cleaning to protect health without harming the environment" (The University of Connecticut's Green Cleaning Agenda). The majority of people clean in order to maintain a safe, healthy living environment, but what is ironic and disheartening, is that the majority of household cleaning agents commonly used today contain chemicals that are hazardous to our health and the environment.

Cleaning And Our Health:

While organic house cleaners serve the same general purpose as common household cleaning agents, the biggest difference between organic and non-organic is that non-organic, or common cleaners, contain chemicals that are harmful to our health. Sure household cleaning products contain warning labels, such as "irritant", "corrosive", and "poison", but it is what the labels don't say that can be detrimental. They do not mention that the chemical ingredients "may cause cancer", "are linked to an increase in asthma, or decrease in brain function" or "may lead to reproductive issues". The list goes on, unfortunately. This being said, health and safety do not seem to be the number one concern of those whom are manufacturing these dangerous cleaning products.

On the contrary, manufacturers of organic house cleaners have taken into consideration the adverse affects chemical toxins have on our health. Thus, they have done their homework and spent the time and money necessary to eliminate these chemicals from their products. You will not find a long list of chemicals on organic house cleaner labels, but instead, a short list of natural ingredients such as citric acid (found in citrus fruits), thyme oil (which is a natural disinfectant) and other plant-based ingredients.

Cleaning And Our Environment:

Most cleaning products were certainly not created with the fragility of our environment in mind. Every year, hundreds and thousands of toxins are rinsed down drains, flushed down toilets or hurled into the streets, all in the name of keeping clean. Unlike organic house cleaners, which are naturally derived, common household cleaners contain Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOC's. Some familiar VOC's include phosphorus, ammonia, and nitrogen, all of which wreak havoc on the environment. These VOC's in particular are not removed during water treatment processes, thus they enter our lakes, rivers, and streams causing extensive damage, such as contaminated waters and depletion of marine life. Organic house cleaners, however, are a different story.

When organic house cleaners are manufactured, they are created with the environment in mind. Instead of containing dangerous chemicals that negatively impact the environment, organic house cleaners are carefully crafted using biodegradable, plant-based ingredients which have little to no effect on the environment. It's easy to understand why many people are making a conscious effort to switch to these organic house cleaners


9 natural home cleaners you can make yourself


 

 
Relying on natural materials in cleaning the house is a prevailing trend due to the high prices of ready-made detergents, in addition to containing chemicals that harm the health of your family members with frequent use. In the following pictures, we present to you 9 recipes for natural detergents that you can make yourself to use in cleaning your home.


Glass Cleaner Ingredients: 2 cups (500 milliliters) water. ½ cup (125 milliliters) white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. 2 drops of one of your favorite essential oils, such as: lemon, orange, lavender, etc. Method: Mix the ingredients together in a spray bottle, and use it to polish glass, windows, and mirrors.

Rust stain remover: Ingredients: ½ lemon. baking soda. Method: Put baking soda on the lemon, and rub the rust stains on the sinks and porcelain, but it is not safe on granite and marble.


Grease Remover Ingredients: ½ cup (125 milliliters) ammonia. 3 ½ liters of water. Method: Mix the ingredients together and use a sponge to clean the fat and grease stains in the kitchen and on the stove, then pass a towel soaked in water on it to rinse it off.

Multipurpose Cleaner: Ingredients: 4 tablespoons (60 grams) baking soda. 4 cups (1 liter) water. Method: Use a sponge moistened with the mixture of the previous ingredients to clean the various surfaces and devices from the inside.

Clothes stain remover: Ingredients: 4 liters of hot water. 1 cup (250 milliliters) dishwashing liquid. 1 cup (250 milliliters) of plain white bleach. Method: Mix all the previous ingredients together, stir them well, then use them to soak fabrics and clothes that have tough stains for 20 minutes, and wash them with cold water after getting rid of the stains.

Dishwasher Detergent: Ingredients: ¼ cup (250 grams) of lemon powder. Method: Put the lemon powder in the dishwasher drawer designated for the powder, and run it in a regular cycle, with repetition if necessary.

Copper Cleaner: Ingredients: Vinegar, lemon juice, table salt, Method: Wet the sponge with vinegar or lemon juice with a pinch of regular table salt, and wash basins, utensils and vases made of copper with it, and rinse them with water.

Marble Cleaner: Ingredients: One or two drops of unscented or unflavored dishwashing liquid. 2 cups (500 milliliters) of warm water. Method: Mix the previous ingredients in a bowl and use a sponge to clean the kitchen and bathroom marble, then rinse it with a towel dampened with water.


Parquet Cleaner: Ingredients: Vinegar Water Method: Water and vinegar are an ideal mixture to keep your parquet floor clean and shiny.

Parquet Cleaner: Ingredients: Vinegar Water Method: Water and vinegar are an ideal mixture to keep your parquet floor clean and shiny.

in today's society, people are constantly searching for ways to lead healthier lives, and this pertains to their cleaning methods also. Once people become aware of how dangerous most of the common cleaners