5 Common Household Items You Can Use as Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

The many detergents, disinfectants, polishes, and glass cleaners that are so heavily marketed on daytime television are actually loaded with potent chemicals. 

When we clean our homes with these products, we then inhale these toxins, which seep into our skin and can be poisonous if ingested. That's why I started to look for alternative cleaning products a few years ago. 

I'd been very careful about what I put into my body, so it made sense to clear my environment of other toxins, too. 

Now that I've made the switch to non-toxic cleaning products, I spend less money and use fewer products than before. 

Here are 5 non-toxic household products that I now use for the majority of my cleaning:

1. Baking soda

Baking soda is a deodorizer and scouring agent. It's great for scrubbing your cooktop, oven and sink. Sprinkle on your carpets before vacuuming to deodorize them. 

2. White vinegar

White vinegar is a disinfectant and deodorizer. I mix it with water (about 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) in a spray bottle and clean everything from the bathroom and toilet to the wood floors. The smell will only stay for a short time but you can always add a few drops of essential oil to make it more pleasing. 

3. Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide, which can work together or interchangeably with vinegar, is another great basic household cleaner (minus the strong smell). Use it instead of bleach to whiten your whites. And, when that brown film starts building up in the bottom of the bathtub, fill the bottom up with water, add a good third of a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and let it sit. After a few hours, take a cloth to the rest of the tub and tile and it will sparkle! You can find more ideas here. 

4. Lemon juice 

After you squeeze it into your tea or on a salad, run half a lemon over your counters and sink. Chop it up in the garbage disposal for a quick freshening. You can also use it on your hands to eliminate the smell of onions or garlic. It's anti-bacterial, too! 

5. Microfiber cloth. 

I personally use Norwex® microfiber products, which only require water to clean almost any surface. They tend to be more expensive but will last for a long time.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock