Do you know what’s in the products that you use to clean your house? Commercially made cleaning products can kill germs and wash away dirt, but over the years, many chemicals in them have been shown to be toxic to our bodies. Why not return to the basics, save money, and revel in the freshness of a clean home without harsh chemicals and artificial perfumes?
Why would you want to do this?
You’ll know what is in your cleaning products, and you’ll reduce your waste by reusing containers.
How does this differ from store-bought versions?
Your homemade cleansers are natural products. If you prefer scented cleaning products but want to keep them natural, you can use essential oils in your homemade versions.
Cost comparison:
Homemade cleaning products can be made for one-tenth to one-third of the cost of store-bought products.
Cleaning products can be made from basic ingredients that clean effectively without leaving toxic residues in the name of hygiene. Homemade cleaners do not last as long because they are made of perishable ingredients and do not contain artificial preservatives, so you simply make small batches and use them up within a couple of months.
Baking soda, borax, cornstarch, rubbing alcohol, salt, and vinegar are some of the basic ingredients that work great as cleansers, either on their own or in combination with others. You probably already have most of the ingredients that you’ll need. The following recipes are excerpted fromNatural Cleaning for Your Homeby Casey Kellar. Copyright c 1998 by Casey Kellar. Used with permission from Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
This article was excerpted with permission from the book Urban Farm Projects: Making the Most of Your Money, Space, and Stuff, copyright 2014, I-5 Publishing, LLC. For more budget-friendly and environmentally conscience projects and recipes, pick up a copy today!
