Homemade Simple Green Cleaners

There are so many reasons to stop buying chemical cleaning products.

• They are dangerous - using them involves inhaling lots of toxic fumes.
• They are really dangerous - storing them involves child and pet proofing your cupboards.
• They really are dangerous - they pollute our water and land.
• Did I mention they are really dangerous?  They worsen and possibly cause allergies of all kinds.
• They and their packaging are often petro-chemical based or derived.  We all know oil is running low so why not reduce your use at home?
• They are expensive - need I say more?
• They take up so much room!

The simple solution is to ditch the majority of the chemical cleaners you buy.  Hey use the one's you've already got at home but just don't replace them all as they run out.  Most of them are duplicates of each other anyway.  A multi-surface kitchen cleaner, a floor cleaner, tile cleaner and a bathroom cleaner?  Why can't you clean the kitchen surfaces with the same product you use in the bathroom?  We really do just get sucked into this ridiculous marketing gimmick that we need to have different products for different rooms.

Once you start to run out of store bought chemical cleaners you have two options.  Go down the supposedly eco, green or environmentally friendly option and buy a rather expensive alternative cleaner.  Or use ordinary household products our grandmother's were familiar with and maybe a little more elbow grease than we're used to.

It's great to slowly replace chemical cleaners with basic alternatives such as soap and water, vinegar and baking soda (bicarb).  You save so much cash and help the earth in the process.  You don't have to haul so much heavy stuff home from the store or get rid of so much packaging.  The cupboards have extra space and you don't need quite so many child and pet safe storage areas either!

There are lots of green cleaning tips and ideas to help you clean without chemicals.   There are so many simple green cleaning recipes you can create at home.  You can make so much with some good reusable cloths, soft soap, vinegar and baking soda.  You don't need to stop using all the products you're used to in one go.  That would be quite a wrench I'm sure.  But if you start simply, such as using a cheap microfibre cloth with a little vinegar to clean the bathroom mirror you'll realise how easy it is to reduce your reliance on chemical cleaners.  Gradually, as you run out of things you can replace as many (or few) as you like with your home-made recipes.

There are many items you can make at home to live a more sustainable and frugal life. You can make your own products for battling garden pests, cleaning the oven or just to save some money on liquid soap! All it takes is a few simple ingredients and the willingness to reduce your impact on the planet and improve your health.

So if you would like to move, in however small or large a way, towards a more Self Sufficient Life come visit. We have lots of tips, tricks and ideas for a move towards a more sustainable future.