Yes, I know. An eco-glam fellow or lass can buy Mrs. Meyers or Shaklee almost anywhere, but let’s hypothetically say you are cheap or broke or would just rather make deliciously green cleaning products at home, how would you do it? We got your back, as always.
Most cleaning products leave more toxins behind than the germs and toxins they are supposed to clean up. Plus they give you, your kids, and your pets cancer. Read here about what mainstream cleaning products do to your insides.
Some scary, but interesting, factoids attributed to the chemicals in our mainstream cleaning products: (from HealthyCleaning.com)
- In the past 40 years, at least 70,000 new chemicals have been released into the environment through new consumer and industrial products and food.
- Male and female infertility are on the rise. Research is now pointing to pesticides as a viable cause.
- Women who work in the home have a 54% higher death rate than women who work out of the home.
- Each year more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergic diseases. Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the US, costing the health care system $18 billion annually. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (inflamed nasal membranes) has increased substantially over the past 15 years.
- Asthma ranks among the most common chronic conditions in the United States, affecting an estimated 14.9 million persons.
- According to the U.S Poison Control Centers, “A child is accidentally poisoned every 30 seconds and more than 50% of all poisonings occur at home with children under 5 years of age.”
- Asthma is the #1 cause of absenteeism in schools.
- There has been a 25% increase in the last 25 years in cancer incidence among children under 15 years of age.
- ADD/ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed childhood behavior disorder today. More than two million (3-5%) children have ADD.
- Thirty years ago the 3 major childhood illnesses were chickenpox, measles and mumps. Now it is asthma, ADD and cancer.
- Brain cancer in children is up 40% in 20 years.
If this aint enough to get you cleaning with simple products, we don’t know what is! First of all, you can technically use Dr. Bronners soap to clean EVERYTHING (and at GirlieGirl Army HQ, we do!). From washing our pets to our floors, this is an all purpose dream product and is available at any health food store. Plus a large bottle lasts forever, so it’s economically a smart choice! Dr. Bronners smells wonderful, is totally natural, and does the job – even in the filthiest of abodes. But you should also know that some of the most basic household items create cleaning products far superior to the icky commercial jobbies. White Vinegar is the holy grail of at home cleaning! You’ll get giddy for this site, which gives you 1001 uses for White Vinegar!
RECIPES:
ALL PURPOSE CLEANER: 2 TBSP White Vinegar, 1 Teaspoon Borax (natural soap), 16 ounces of hot water, 1/4 cup Dr. Bronner’s. Mix vinegar and Borax in a clean spray bottle. Fill with water and shake until the Borax has dissolved. Add Dr. Bronners. Shake and use.
KITCHEN ALL PURPOSE: Baking Soda, Essential oil. Fill a shaker halfway with Baking Soda. Add 20 drops Essential oil of your choice. Stir. Add more Baking Soda, then shake. Sprinkle a bit on dirty surface, then sponge off with warm water. Rinse well.
FOR FILTHY POTS: 1 cup fine-grade Pumice, 1/2 cup Clay Powder, 2 TBSP grapefruit essential oil, 1/4 cup Baking Soda, 1/4 cup Sodium Lauryl Sulfacetate, 1/2 cup Boiling Water – enough for thick paste. Mix all ingredients together and stir. Store in a container that closes tightly. To use, apply gently with a damp sponge or cloth and scrub.
FLOOR CLEANER: White Vinegar, Water, and Essential oil. Fill a squirt bottle with equal amounts of Vinegar and Water. Add 20 drops oil. Mix and squirt on floor.
FOR THE BATHROOM: 1 2/3 cups baking soda, 1/2 cup Dr. Bronners, 1/2 cup Water, 2 TBSPS White Vinegar. Mix Baking Sode and Dr. Bronners in a bowl. Dilute with water, and add the Vinegar. Mix with a fork until lumps are gone and mixture has a smooth consistency, adding a little more water is fine. Pour into a squeeze container, then shake well. Keep lid on firmly to avoid drying out. Use. Alternates: 1 cup Dr. Bronners, 1/2 cup Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Borax, 6 cups hot Peppermint tea, 1 teaspoon Eucalyptus Essential Oil. Add Mint tea to liquid soap, stir to mix well. Add baking soda, borax and eucalyptus oil. Store in plastic jug or squirt bottle. Shake before using. This soap can be used for washing floors, tubs, and cleaning almost anything (except your mouth after a round of dirty cursing).
FOR THE TOILET: Use White Vinegar and a brush. Baking soda can also be used if you like the SoftScrub vibe.
GLASS CLEANER: 1/4 cup White Vinegar, 1/2 cup Dr. Bronners, 2 cups Water, Essential Oil (only if you’re fancy.) Mix soap and water in a spray bottle. Add vinegar and essential oil. Shake it up and spray. We suggest using old newspaper to clean mirrors and windows. It’s exponentially more effective, and lighter on planet earth since you are re-using. To use, spray and wipe. If you don’t want to add the soap (which requires a stronger arm, but think of the bicepts you’ll have!!), it’s fine to omit it and stick with 1 cup of Vinegar per 2 cups of Water. Alternates: Experiment with lemon juice, club soda, and cornstarch, all of which (mixed together) clean windows well.
KEY LIME DISH DETERGENT POWDER: This recipe is a litte more elaborate, so only go there when you are feeling super badass. 1/2 cup Clay Powder, 2 TBSP Lime Essential Oil, 2 cups Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, 6 cups Baking Soda. Wear a dust mask to mix this formula. Mix clay powder and essential oil; then, in a 2 gallon pail, combine the baking soda and sodium lauryl sulfoacetate. Mix well. You can convert this recipe to a liquid detergent by mixing 2 TBSP’n of powder to 2 cups boiling water, and stir until ingredients are dissolved. You should use a squeeze top bottle to store this. To use, add aboout a tablespoon of powder or liquid per sink-load while filling sink. For tough jobs, make a paste by adding water and rubbing directly on spot.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT: Use Dr. Bronners, straight up. We like the Lavender scent! Use two small cap fulls for a large load of dirty clothes.
FABRIC SOFTENER: Toss 1/4 cup of White Vinegar to the last rinse cycle of your wash load. Don’t worry, it won’t smell like vinegar. The Vinegar also brightens, like a natural bleach.
DRYER SHEETS: Pour a few drops of Essential Oil (your choice of smell, there are so many!) on a hand towel or wash cloth. Toss in dryer with your clothes. Re-use forever (adding the drops of essential oil each time).
All you need is a little elbow power and creativity and you can make anything! We believe in you!!!