At Catered Fit, we serve you food that has the nutrients you need and none of the junk you don’t. We know you’re conscience of what you’re feeding your body, that’s why we don’t add white sugar, serve meats that have been pumped with antibiotics, or pack your meals in toxic plastics.
While most of us are aware of what we’re putting into our bodies, many neglect to consider how environmental toxins affect our bodies, even as we spray them on our countertops or wash our floors with them. We’re talking about the products you use to clean your home!
Just as you would check a nutritional label for ingredients like added sugar or aspartame, you should get in the habit of checking your cleaning supplies to make sure you aren’t subjecting you or your family to harmful chemicals, toxins, and carcinogens like ammonia, sodium hydroxide, and 2-butoxyethanol. Or, better yet, get in the habit of making your own non-toxic cleaning supplies!
Not only are homemade cleaning solutions far safer for your family and pets, they’re also cheaper, reduce plastic waste, and can often times be mixed up with ingredients you have on hand.
Try out our 3 favorite homemade cleaning supplies for yourself!
The Best All-Purpose Cleaner
Soap scum and mildew, sticky countertops, and greasy surfaces are no match for the acidic cleansing and disinfecting power of vinegar. Not a fan of the smell? Not a problem. Here’s the recipe for our fresh scented vinegar cleaner:
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 Tbs rubbing alcohol
• 10-15 drops of orange or lemon essential oils
Add ingredients to a glass (or plastic) spray bottle and get to cleaning!
*Do note that long-term use of undiluted vinegar can be damaging to hardwood and natural stone surfaces
All Natural Deep Cleaning Scrub
If you’re looking for something with a bit more power for your messier projects, try this concoction from Ann at Keeper of the Home that naturally bleaches and whitens:
• 1 part castile soap (1 or 2 tablespoons, depending on how large a surface you’re cleaning)
• 1 part cream of tartar
• Spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide
Mix together castile soap and cream of tartar in a small bowl until a paste forms.
Scoop out the paste with a sponge, rag, or your hand.
Rub over the surface you’re cleaning.
Spray the surface down with hydrogen peroxide and then let sit for a few minutes.
Scrub to clean and rinse surface off with water.
Toilet Cleaner
Hesitant to give up your store bought bowl cleaner? The Environmental Working Group gave Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner an F for potentially significant hazards to health or the environment or poor ingredient disclosure. Here’s our recipe for a friendlier version with the same sparkly clean results:
Use your vinegar all-purpose cleaner to disinfect the lid, seat, and handle. Spray the solution on the inside of the bowl as well and allow it to sit for several minutes. Wipe the lid, seat and handle clean with a cloth.
For the inside of the bowl, pour in ½ cup of baking soda and 5 drops of tea tree oil and scrub. The baking soda is a great scouring agent and natural deodorizer while the tea tree oil will help to kill bacteria in the bowl. Have a heavy duty stain? Checkout Tips Bulletin for an all natural formula designed for those dirtier jobs…
What are your favorite homemade cleaners? What have you found works well or doesn’t work at all? Share with us at [email protected]!