The Benefits of Organic Cleaning Products

Everyone wants a clean living or work environment, but cleaning can be hazardous to your health if you use cleaners with harmful toxins. Exposure to the harmful toxins found in cleaning products can worsen asthma and cause allergic reactions.

You may not even be aware that you're polluting your home when you clean. But if you'll check the ingredients posted on the side or back of regular cleaners, you'll see many allergy and cancer-causing ingredients listed. You can research these chemicals and see the harmful health effects they've been linked to.

Earth-Friendly All-Purpose Cleaner

Using organic cleaning products offers many benefits that chemical based ones do not. By using organic cleaners, you can rid your home of chemical cleaner toxins. Organic cleaning products don't contain harsh chemicals that will not only damage your skin but can affect your lungs if you breathe in the vapors.

Cleaning products are used in every room in the house, including on counters, on floors, and on furniture - and everyone in the home is exposed to whatever active ingredients make up the compound of the cleaning product. What do you want your family to come in contact with?

The number of children diagnosed with asthma continues to rise and concerns have been raised by study groups that exposure to the toxins found in household chemicals may be to blame.

One form of asthma, called extrinsic asthma, is caused by environmental contaminants. By using organic products, you'll create a safer home environment for everyone around you. Because they're non-toxic, organic cleaners are safer to use around kids and they're also safer to use around your beloved pets, too.

Organic is better for allergy suffers as well as asthma sufferers. Going organic cuts down on (and in many cases eliminates) illness brought on by being around chemical cleaners. Not only are organic products better to use in your home for health reasons, but they're also better for the environment.

Chemical cleaners can contain harsh abrasives that damage the surfaces of counters - even granite - and bathroom fixtures too, whereas most organic products are gentle and won't hurt the surfaces. Even when you're finished using a chemical cleaner, the chemical toxicity can stay on your counters, tubs and toilet for several hours if not longer before evaporating.

Organic cleaners can clean as well as (and in most cases, better than) chemical cleaners. Plus, there's the cost involved. Chemical cleaners seem a lot less expensive, but they're not in the long run. Many organic and natural cleaning products are highly concentrated, so you don't have to use as much of them. And when you factor in the long-term impacts on your health, organic cleaners come out way ahead.

How to Get Rid Of Mold Naturally

Mold is a nasty household problem. Not only is it unsightly, but mold can aggravate allergies and cause respiratory distress and structural damage. Yet some of the chemical-based cleaners on the market for getting rid of mold can also cause an allergic response and other respiratory problems.

Here are some natural, healthier alternatives for fighting mold in your home.

- Grapefruit seed extract
Grapefruit seed extract, or GSE, is an effective anti-fungal product and it's odorless. Most health food stores carry GSE - just be sure to get the liquid kind that comes in a dropper bottle (not tablets). Mix 20 drops with 2 cups of water to make an anti-fungal spray, and do not rinse after spraying.

Tea Tree Oil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

- Tea tree oil
Also an anti-fungal, tea tree oil can be added to water in a ratio of one teaspoon per cup of water, then put in a spray bottle. It does have a pungent odor, but it goes away after about a day. Don't rinse.

- Vinegar
Used straight from a spray bottle, vinegar is especially effective against mildew. Yes, it is rather smelly, but the smell goes away in a day or so. Don't rinse this treatment, either. You can also use vinegar in the washing machine - wash moldy shower curtains and add a bottle of vinegar to the machine. Floors can be mopped with a vinegar and water solution to keep mold at bay.

- Store-bought natural cleaners
Some stores carry natural mold fighters, such as Ecover and Naturally Clean brands. These are generally quite effective but can be expensive.

Here are some things you can do to keep mold from returning.

- Dehumidifiers
Consider investing in a dehumidifier. While it does use electricity, the water collected in its tank can be used to water plants or flushing toilets. Many dehumidifiers have a connection to which you can attach a hose, and the hose can be directed into your garden, providing a continual drip of moisture to the outdoors, where it belongs!

-Ventilation
Run your bathroom's exhaust fan during and after your shower. If you don't have a fan, open a window. Air conditioning (or heating) your home also dries the air.

- Keep things dry
Watch the drips from your shower curtain and kitchen sink. Wipe up even small amounts of spilled water and make sure there are no leaks where moisture can get into your home. Keep your home's gutters clean and make sure water from downspouts is directed away from the foundation.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to get rid of household mold without resorting to toxic cleaners.

The Importance Of Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Ever rush from the bathroom coughing and gasping from the cleaning fumes left behind after you clean the shower or tub?  Those fumes and chemicals aren’t just bad for your lungs, they’re bad for the environment.

Here’s why:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Long-term health effects.  The majority of cleaning products are full of toxins that have lasting health results.  In fact, according to data published by the Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network, six of every 100 janitorial workers injured on the job each year are hurt by the cleaning chemicals they use.

Environmental effects.  Cleaning products, we’re talking about everything from common dish soap used in your kitchen to laundry detergent to floor polish and bathroom milder removers, cause immense amounts of pollution.  Not just when we use these products in our homes but also when these products are manufactured and when they’re transported from the manufacturer to the stores. 

* Chemical-based cleaning products pollute the air with their toxic chemicals. 

* Cleaning products tossed into land fills pollute our soil having a detrimental effect on our plants and animals.

* Cleaning products pollute our water supply when they’re washed down the drain.  They end up in our lakes, rives and oceans having a negative effect on our health as well as the health of nearby wildlife.

* Cleaning products contribute to the depletion of the ozone causing global warming and a loss of resources. 

How to Get Started Using Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Clean out your cupboards.  Get into your cleaning cupboards and pull out anything that is full of chemicals you cannot pronounce.  Set them aside in a box and call your hazardous waste pick up folks to get rid of them. 

(Photo credit: Israel Defense Forces)

Now that your cleaning supplies are down to the bare bones it’s time to find eco-friendly replacements.  Look for cleaning products which are biodegradable and non-toxic.  Rather than try to memorize a list of acceptable ingredients, some of which are still unpronounceable, simply look for danger, poison, or toxic warnings on the label.  If the label is free from those, then you can reasonably assume it’s at least more eco-friendly than most. (Or try our favorite - Earth Friendly Products - they make everything from all-purpose cleaners to laundry detergents to furniture polish, and all of their products are reasonably priced, and contain only naturally sourced ingredients which are safe for you and the planet.)

You can make your own.  Many of the items in your pantry and refrigerator are excellent cleaning products.  You can use these common household items to make home made cleaning products which are not only safe for you and your family but also safe for your environment.  Common safe and effective household cleaning substances include:

* Baking soda
* Club soda
* White distilled vinegar
* Tea tree oil
* Lemon juice

Choosing eco-friendly cleaning products isn’t just good for your health and the health of your family - it's good for the environment.  And these products can also be good for your pocket book, particularly when you make them yourself.  Embrace eco-friendly cleaning products - you’ll be glad you did.

For some more ideas for safe and eco-friendly cleaning products, visit our website at http://www.newholisticliving.com