Posts Tagged ‘environmentally friendly cleaning’

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To understand why certain cleaning products are better or worse for your health or the environment, it is important to understand how soaps and detergents differ. To understand how they are different, it is important to understand first what they have in common.

Soaps and detergents clean surfaces. The molecules of a soap or a detergent will attach to the dirt, odor, grease, food, or other culprit, loosen it from a surface, and pull it into water, where the other part of the soap or detergent molecule is firmly attached. The offending substance is then washed away from the surface with the water.

The “attaching” process is where our troubles begin. In an effort to make more money, soap manufacturers invented detergents designed to create a quicker and stronger attachment to dirt and other substances. To do this, cleaning companies added petroleum products, preservatives, antibacterial agents, and artificial fragrances (the latter to cover the unpleasant chemical smells).

Detergents “attach” too well, which causes two problems. First, detergent molecules often stay on the surface rather than pulling away with the water. You know these remnants as soap scum or residue left on your clothes, sheets, or skin. Second, detergent molecules can also pull away surface molecules as they wash away with water. This causes deterioration of home surfaces or clothes and dry, irritated skin.

Soaps, on the other hand, are the byproduct of a fat (usually a natural oil) and lye interacting. They have a ph of 9 or 10 generally, so they are not as harsh. Soaps retain glycerin that is usually removed during the detergent making process. The effect with soap is a less harsh interaction with a surface.

Another big difference between soaps and detergents is their effects on the environment. Many toxins and synthetic substances are used in the manufacture of detergents. This means that a lot of energy is used to produce them, and they leave their mark on the world everytime we wash them down a drain. Soaps use very little energy in production and are made from natural substances. The ingredients will also biodegrade after they run down your drain and out into the world.

Hopefully, you will make an effort to choose a soap over a detergent the next time you shop. You may need to visit a health food store to find one.

I also wanted to explain the differences before I introduce any further blogs on why “green” cleaning is so much more effective than what we have become used to. I will keep you posted in future blogs on how we have all been duped into believing we need cleaners and antibacterial substances that we not only do not need, but that are actually making our world less safe and dirtier!

Help make a difference – time is running out!

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Recipes from previous blogs gathered here for quick and easy reference.

After Shower Spray

white vinegar in a spray bottle with 15 drops of essential oil

Litter Box Odor Control

baking soda with a few drops of essential oil

Air Freshener

spray bottle with equal parts water and white vinegar with 15 drops of essential oil

Sponge Cleaner

soak sponges in white vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil then boil or microwave

Ant Genocide

• 1 tsp of boric acid
• 4 tsp of sugar
• 1/2 cup of hot water
• several cotton balls

Mix the boric acid, sugar and water. Soak the cotton balls in the mixture and place them near the entrance the ants are using.

Produce Cleaner

You will need two spray bottles, white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (the 3% kind you find in the drugstore). Spray the produce with the hydrogen peroxide first and the vinegar second. Finally, rinse with water. (Do not combine the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in the same bottle!)

Tough Shower Stains

I use 3 tbsps of baking soda and 1/4 cup of liquid castile soap. Mix these together with a fork to work out the clumps. Then spread it over the stained tub and scrub with a natural bristle brush. For extra abrasion, sprinkle kosher salt on the stain as well. (The salt mixed with water gives you an added anti-bacterial agent.)

Roach Control

• a hose end sprayer
• 1 cup of liquid soap (you may substitute baby shampoo and Murphy’s oil soap)
• 1 cup of tobacco tea (made by putting a finger of chewing tobacco in a nylon stocking and soaking it in a quart of hot water until the water is dark brown)
• 1 cup of antiseptic mouthwash
• 1/4 cup of Tabasco sauce

Place this mixture in your hose end sprayer and treat the outside of your house.

Meanwhile, you need to kill any roaches that are already in the house. This is a fun one! Mix equal parts granulated sugar and baking soda. Spread the mixture in out of the way areas in your home. The roaches will be attracted to the sugar and eat the mixture. This will kill the roach because the roach has an acid based stomach and the baking soda is a base. This is even more fun because roaches eat their dead so the solution cascades through the colony!

Strip and Clean Linoleum

• white vinegar
• cream of tartar (found in the baking or spice aisle at the grocery)
• water
• a few rags or soft cloths

First, mix 1 oz of cream of tartar with 8 oz of vinegar (1 cup to 1 gallon). Apply this mixture to the floor and buff the wax off with a cloth.

Next, clean any remaining dirt with equal parts vinegar and warm water using a damp cloth.

Clean Stone Counters

a mixture of ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of liquid soap

Clean Mold, Mildew, and Fungus

1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, 3 tbsps of vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil

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Green cleaning is not just about the cleaning solutions you use but also the tools you use. Take the sponge for example. We all have them. We usually buy the wrong kind. We all use them for things we don’t need to. And we throw them away WAY too soon.

So here’s the plan:

First, only buy natural cellulose sponges that are not treated with antibacterials. (I just realized I have not blogged yet about our insane obsession with antibacterial products! The biggest lie of our times – more on that some other time.) The other sponges usually contain polyurethane, which is derived from petroleum. Not only is it toxic but it is also resource draining.

Second, use cloth rags (I use pieces of old t-shirts, socks, towels, etc.); natural bristle brushes (say that 3 times in a row fast), and squeegees (on shower walls and bathroom tile) as much as possible. Avoid using sponges on dishes by rinsing immediately, which will save you time anyway.

Finally, don’t throw it out because it looks yucky and you fear it is too dirty to clean anymore. Clean it! Use it until it is falling apart. Guys, there is no such thing as TOO dirty!  Seriously, boil your sponges for a few minutes in water, ½ cup of vinegar, and a few drops of tea tree oil to disinfect. You can also soak them in the same mixture and microwave for a minute.

It takes a few extra minutes to buy the right products and a few more to make it last as long as possible. Guys, I think that is how you become Spongeworthy!

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