It is truly amazing how many toxic chemicals the FDA allows not only into our food and the medicines we take, but also the cleaners and personal care products we use. I have tried to figure out why they would allow such awful things, to little avail. My personal opinion is that they just make too much money from the producers of these chemicals (through gifts or lobbying or what have you), to make them illegal. I have little faith in them.
I have always been anxious about keeping chemicals in my home, as my cats can (and will) get into almost anything. Before he was even a proper cat, Gryphon learned how to hook his paws under and around doors to open them. I put baby locks on all my cabinets in VA, but when we moved to VT, that wasn’t really an option. We are renting, our landlords hate us, and there are already baby locks on the cabinets–though they are the cheap, plastic kind that don’t work. My cats have been able to get under the kitchen sink (which is about the only place I had to put chemicals) since about day 2 of living here. Thankfully, they did not often see the need to go under there.
When I learned that most of the house can be cleaned using just white vinegar, water, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda, I was nothing short of ecstatic. Now, the only cleaning chemicals I have in my house are bleach (which I only use on the cat boxes once a month), Nature’s Miracle carpet shampoo, Nature’s Miracle laundry boost, and flea fogger. Other things I use for cleaning include cream of tartar, rubbing alcohol, natural dish soap and natural laundry detergent.
The laundry detergent is especially curious to me, as it includes only two ingredients: 100% natural anionic coconut kernel oil-based surfactant, and water. I don’t understand how this company can make a great product using only TWO THINGS, and all other companies seem to have the hardest time with it, having to put 10-20 things (or more) in one bottle. It works great, too!
According to this wonderful guide from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (http://www.chej.org/documents/non_toxic_cleaning_guide.pdf), there are many common chemicals used in cleaners that can be toxic not only if ingested, but just from being inhaled or getting it on your skin. These include methylene chloride, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, ether-type solvents, petroleum distillates, butyl cellosolve, sodium hypochlorite, fragrance, alkyphenol ethoxylates, ethoxylated alcohols, quaternium 15, nitrobenzene, naphtha, phenol, cresols, formaldehyde, silver nitrate, chromic acid, triethanolamine, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, para-dichlorobenzene, EDTA, chlorine, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds. I bet if you read through all of your bottles of cleaner and personal care products, you will find at least one with some of these chemicals in it.
Chlorine can affect the developmental, neurological and reproductive systems, and cause cancer. Combining chlorine with other cleaners, such as ammonia, creates lethal fumes. Bleach made from chlorine can burn your eyes and skin.
Phthalates are generally used to carry fragrances and soften plastics. Manufacturers do not have to list the carrier in the ingredients, it is okay for them to simply list “fragrance”. Phthalates can cause developmental, reproductive and respiratory damage, altered liver and kidney function and asthma. Since they are bioaccumulated, phthalates can be passed through breast milk to children.
VOCs aggravate asthma, irritate eyes, nose, throat and skin, can cause respiratory problems, dizziness, and harm the liver and kidneys. The EPA estimates that indoor pollution levels can reach 100 times that of outdoor pollution levels, mainly due to VOCs–which are known carcinogens and neurotoxins.
One really scary chemical that we have little control over is perchloroethylene, which is used in dry cleaning. This substance has caused cancer in lab animals. Ever wonder why rats are used so much for lab work? Because their bodies are so similar to ours (combined with the fact that they reproduce quickly and show side effects quickly). You can be exposed to perchloroethylene while wearing dry-cleaned clothes. It’s best to look for cleaners that use either wet cleaning or carbon dioxide systems.
Most people know that PABA is not good for you–sunscreen bottles make it a point to let you know that their products are PABA free. However, parabens and sodium laureth/lauryl sulfates can also be bad for you. PABA can increase the risk of cellular UV damage, and causes an allergic reaction in some people. Parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors, and have the ability to mimic estrogen. SLS also mimics estrogen once it is absorbed by the body. Unfortunately, SLS is used in almost everything that creates a lather–soaps, shampoos, even toothpastes.
Once I learned about all these chemicals, I was a little bewildered as to what I actually COULD use. I found that I can use simple ingredients to create a lot of the cleaning supplies I need, but what about personal care products? Thankfully, there are a host of companies out there that make natural soaps–such as Burt’s Bees, Badger Balm, and Dr. Bronner’s.
Here is my personal list of cleaning products and their uses:
KITCHEN
Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.
Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.
Make a metal cleanser by adding enough white distilled vinegar to 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar to make a paste. Rub it on and let it dry on the surface. Wash it off and dry with a soft cloth.
Wipe grease off exhaust fan grids, the inside of your oven, or anywhere grease gathers with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar.
Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.
Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.
Remove mineral deposits from coffee makers with white distilled vinegar. Fill the water reservoir with 1 cup or more of white distilled vinegar and run it through a whole cycle. Run it once or twice more with plain water to rinse clean. (Check the owners’ manual first.)
Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.
Wash fresh vegetables with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar in 1 ½ quarts of water.
BATHROOM
Kill germs all around the bathroom with a spray of full-strength white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.
To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.
Use undiluted white vinegar to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl. Before you begin, dump a bucket of water into the toilet to force water out of the bowl and allow access to the sides. Pour undiluted white vinegar around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush to remove stains and odor. Use a pumice stone to remove any remaining hard water rings.
To remove grime, mildew, and scum from the tub, tile, shower curtain or door, wipe with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Rinse with water.
Get rid of stubborn bathtub film by wiping it with white distilled vinegar and then scouring with baking soda.
For really tough bathroom surfaces such as shower walls, pump up the cleaning power by removing the sprayer element and heating the vinegar solution in the microwave until barely hot. Spray shower walls with the warmed generously, allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse. The heat helps soften stubborn soap scum and loosens hard water deposits.
Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to tackle grimy bathtub rings, scour vanities, or remove food deposits from the kitchen sink.
For tougher grime, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the tub or sink, and allow to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Dirt, soap scum and deposits soften and are easier to remove.
Get rid of calcium deposits on faucets by soaking a cloth or paper towel in white distilled vinegar and wrapping the area tightly. Let this sit for a couple of hours or overnight.
Remove soap buildup from faucets by scrubbing them with a solution of 1 part salt to 4 parts white distilled vinegar.
Rid a faucet of lime deposits by tying a plastic bag containing 1/2 to 1/3 cup of white distilled vinegar around it and leaving it there for two or three hours. If mineral deposits don’t wipe off, scrubbing with an old toothbrush should complete the job.
To clean a scummy showerhead, pour 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup white distilled vinegar into a sandwich bag and tie it around the showerhead. Let this set for an hour after the bubbling has stopped. Remove the bag and then turn on the water.
Clean a hairbrush by soaking in a white distilled vinegar solution.
Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.
And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 peroxide solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change.
FLOORS & WINDOWS
For an economical and environmentally friendly floor cleaner, mix a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.
Clean up pet accidents by first blotting up the area and then adding a white distilled vinegar-and-water solution. Blot until it is almost dry. Then sprinkle baking soda over the area and let it dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day.
Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
LAUNDRY
Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.
You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.
Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.
Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar. Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.
MISCELLANEOUS
Clean scissors that have become sticky (after cutting tape, for instance) with a cloth dipped in undiluted white distilled vinegar.
Get rid of rust on spigots, tools, screws or bolts by soaking the items overnight or for several days in undiluted white distilled vinegar.
Prevent cats from eating your plants by spraying the leaves with a solution of white distilled vinegar and water.
CARS
Keep car windows frost-free overnight in winter by coating them with a solution of 3 parts white distilled vinegar to 1 part water.
Rid the windshield wipers of road grime by wiping them with a white distilled vinegar-soaked cloth.
If you need a solution for something I don’t, chances are good you will find it on one of the following pages:
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar
http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/peroxide.asp
http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/
http://organizedhome.com/clean-house/pantry-recipes-homemade-cleaning-products
Aloe gel is very hard to find without a lot of additives, but I did order some from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/aloe-vera-gel.php. The gel is much more liquid than any aloe gel I am used to, but I am confident in its abilities. Of course, if you don’t have animals that would like to eat the plants, you can always grow your own aloe gel.
For mouthwash, I mix 2 ounces of water with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 drop of peppermint essential oil, and 1 drop of tea tree essential oil. Tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties, so can be a great alternative for many different personal products. I premix a bottle of this solution and just use as much as I need every night. It does need to be shaken before use, as you can see the oils settling on the top if you look hard enough.
I have not been able to find an alternative for nail polish remover–luckily, I don’t wear nail polish very often. I found one website that suggested toothpaste, but my toothpaste didn’t work. Shaving cream can be substituted with conditioner, aloe gel, or castile soap.
Endo Sucks 