Is it time for your home to go … organic?

Sure, you’ve made great strides towards living a healthier life. You’re drinking your water, so much so that it now qualifies as a hobby, you’ve mastered your keto-paleo-vegan-carnivore diet and are perfectly satisfied with the pleasant aromas of food alone as you sit in the Michelin starred restaurant eating a solitary avocado. That’s great, kind of. But that is all about your internal approach to health, what you ingest.

What about external factors?

Its no secret that the skin is the largest organ of the human body. It is also no secret that the skin absorbs chemicals that it comes into contact with. Why, then, do we not place as much emphasis on what we feed our skin? Or even what fills the air around us?

Conscious Cleaning

Thankfully, there have been steps taken towards greener household products and it is certainly miles ahead of where things were even twenty years ago. However, if most of us take a look at our cleaning products right now, that’s right, have a look, are we really utilizing the options at our disposal? Is this even something most of us are conscious about while shopping? Or do we see this as just another fad, something that sounds like a good idea, but is just too much of a hassle to bother with. Granted, the last thing we want to think about after a long day is cleaning, so the thought of going organic-cleaning-product shopping doesn’t exactly fill you with joy and the feeling of being a kid again. But what if, that’s the problem. What if, we overcomplicated something that should be so simple. It is so simple.

Perhaps, marketing has once again bombarded us with so many options that we rather forget about it altogether. In the same way there are millions of vegan food products, when you could just eat vegetables. Or the way there are millions of protein supplements and meat alternatives, when you could just get your protein from meat and be much better off. So too has the green cleaning product industry fed us lies wrapped in a pretty, rustic, product-of-yesteryear package topped off with a buzzword bow.

To add even more insult to injury, once again much like the diet fads, a lot of these products are more harmful than they lead on. The mere fact that they are green does not mean that they are safe. Instead, they will often contain toxic chemicals which can lead to an array of health issues. Couple this with the hefty price tag many of these items sport and they are an obvious omission from your grocery list.

So now, you may be asking, if these products are all nonsense and overhyped, what is the solution? Surely this can’t be the end, regular products are terrible, and the alternative is not much better? Do not worry, there is an answer. And, as per usual, it is a lot more affordable and obvious than large corporations would like you to think.

The solution is already in your pantry

What if I told you that two household products, which cost a fraction of the alternative, could solve most, if not all, of your cleaning woes? What are these, you ask? Humble white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. This may sound way too simple and too good to be true, but its true alright.

Let’s find out exactly how these two modest giants can accomplish the same goal as your cluttered, overstocked under-counter kitchen cupboard.

Dishes

Whether washing dishes in the basin or a dishwasher, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda will do the trick. You will likely be surprised at the small quantity you will need of each. For a dishwasher, simply pour vinegar into the compartment you would usually fill with liquid dishwasher detergent. Then, fill up the compartment for the dishwasher soap tablet with bicarbonate of soda. You can add a quarter cup of bicarb to the base of dishwasher as well as another cup of vinegar for extra cleaning power. For the basin, add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar and bicarb into hot water, leaving to soak before washing. For more stubborn dishes, use a mix of water and vinegar in a 3 to 1 ratio.

Laundry

I know, I know. You’re thinking “Why would I swap out my amazing smelling detergent and softener for vinegar scented clothes?”, but don’t panic, that is not the case. Using vinegar to do your laundry will leave it odourless. On top of that, it is extremely effective at getting it clean. It will loosen dirt, remove odours, preserve the colours and even whiten your whites. Vinegar can even assist with buildup from conventional detergents. Bicarbonate of soda shares many of these benefits, with the additional function of acting as a softener. A cup of bicarb will also be enough to replace your laundry soap entirely. Rather than placing it in the soap container of your machine, place it directly into the machine with the load.

Windows

Despite all of the dedicated window cleaning products out there, nothing does it quite like vinegar. For the initial wash, use a mixture of bicarb and water with a soft cloth. Make sure to wipe off any excess bicarb. Finally, place water and vinegar in a spray bottle at a ratio of 4 to 1. Spray the entire window and wipe down with a cotton cloth. This needs to be a pure cotton cloth to ensure streak free windows that don’t even appear to be there. This is a great way to repurpose old bed sheets, they are very hard to beat for this purpose.

Drains

A blocked drain is a nuisance to put it kindly. A foul smell from a drain is not much better. If you encounter this problem and don’t have any drain cleaner around, there is another way. Start by pouring a liberal amount of bicarb down the drain, about a cup. Follow this with a 1 to 1 mixture of vinegar and water. Allow it to stand for a few minutes. Finish this off by pouring some hot water down the drain and you should be well on your way.

Above is just a few of the many ways in which you can use these two simple and safe everyday products in your cleaning routine. These are not the only natural products that work, but they are definitely some of the most effective across a wide array of uses. If you have a way that works for you, that’s great. If you’re hesitant to let go of some conventional cleaning products, that okay too. It doesn’t not have to be an all or nothing approach. You can adopt some of these methods or use a hybrid approach. Instead of ditching your detergent entirely, use half detergent and half bicarb. If you don’t want to give up dishwasher tablets, use vinegar now and again to descale and clean your machine. You may even find yourself without your usual products one day, but you have these items available and use them in a pinch. The main thing is knowing you have the option and finding a way to make it work for you.