Keep your home clean and toxin-free with homemade cleaners

Contributed by Lisa Weil

Use in well-ventilated area.  

If ingested, call Poison Control immediately.  

Highly Flammable.

These don't sound like substances you would want in your home. And yet these are warnings commonly found on the cleaning products under our sinks.

And that's only half the story. Many people are surprised to learn that, while the FDA strictly regulates food and medicines, there is no such consumer protection for household cleaning and personal care products. Instead, it's the manufacturers of these products who are allowed to protect their proprietary formulas by not disclosing all of the ingredients in their products.

The good news is that it is possible to keep your home clean without resorting to products containing toxic chemicals. In fact, it is simple to make your own cleaning products. What's more, it's a lot cheaper.

What's In Your Pantry?

First, a primer. What are the harmful substances lurking in common household cleaning products?

Chlorine,a common bleaching agent, is the number one cause of poisonings in children. Chlorine in the environment can react with wood pulp to form dioxins and furans, which are carcinogenic (cancer-causing), extremely toxic and can disrupt the human hormone system. Worse yet, toxicologists classify these pollutants as persistent, meaning that they do not readily break down in the environment.Trihalomethanes, another class of chemicals formed by the reaction of chlorine and organic matter, have been linked to birth defects and certain cancers.

Ammonia is poisonous when swallowed, extremely irritating to respiratory passages when inhaled and can burn the skin on contact.

Glycol ether, an industrial solvent, helps traditional tile and grout cleaner break up soap scum. The down side is that, like any solvent, it can cause central nervous system depression. Furthermore, animal studies have shown a correlation between low-level glycol ether exposure and birth defects and testicular damage.

Toluene, another solvent, is often found in hard surface cleaners. Pregnant women exposed to toluene risk harm to the developing child. Toluene is also suspected of causing cardiovascular, respiratory, immune system, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, central nervous system, and reproductive damage in adults.

Trichloroethylene, a common ingredient in spot cleaners, is a recognized carcinogen. Toxicologists also suspect that it is harmful to the liver, kidney and respiratory tract.

Your Grandmother Was Right All Along

Remember Hints from Heloise? Or your grandmother's tricks for cleaning just about anything with safe, cheap ingredients like club soda, vinegar, salt, borax, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, and lemon juice? Whether you remember, or it was all before your time, it's wisdom worth discovering.

Here are some recipes you can mix up at home.

All Purpose Cleaner - Pour 3 Tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon borax and 2 cups hot water into a spray bottle.  Shake until dissolved.  Then add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap to the bottle and shake it again.  Spray on surface and then wipe clean.  For tough dirt, leave cleaner on for a few minutes and then wipe off.  

Glass Cleaner - Pour 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and 2 cups of water into a spray bottle.  Add 2 drops of vegetable oil-based liquid soap and shake to mix.  Spray on glass and wipe with lint-free cloth.  Dry off with a second lint-free cloth. 

Sink, Tub and Tile Cleaner - Sprinkle on baking soda, rub with wet sponge or scrub cloth and rinse.  For mineral deposits, soak a cloth in vinegar and leave it on the deposit for about an hour and then clean off area.  For soap scum deposits, spread liquid soap or clarifying shampoo on the surface and leave it for about an hour.  The deposits will be softened and then can be cleaned away with a scrub cloth or a brush. For mold or mildew, make a paste of borax and water and put it on the surface to be cleaned.  Leave paste on the area for about an hour and then scrub it off.  

Spills - Dab with club soda immediately to prevent stain from setting.

Spot treating stains - Use hydrogen peroxide on whites instead of chlorine bleach.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner - Squirt vinegar from squeeze bottle under the rim.  Pour about ½ cup borax into the toilet and use a toilet brush to clean the bowl.  For mineral deposits, leave mixture in toilet for at least an hour.  Then use the brush again to clean.  Use the all-purpose cleaner and a sponge or scrub cloth to clean the seat and outside of the bowl. 

Drain Cleaner - Pour ½ cup of baking soda, followed by a cup of vinegar, down the drain. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then rinse it down with boiling water. To clear a badly clogged drain, use a plunger or a plumbing snake.

Furniture - Mix 2 tsp olive oil, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 20 drops of lemon essential oil in a 16 oz. spray bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with water and shake well. Spray onto furniture and wipe dry immediately with a soft cloth.

Oven Cleaner - Make sure oven is turned off.  Make a paste of baking soda and water and put on the sides and bottom of the oven. Let it set overnight.  Scoop out baking soda and then wipe clean with damp cloth. Use scouring pad for tough spots.  

If you want to learn more about toxic ingredients in household cleaners, and how to find alternatives, please explore the sources for this article.