“Less is More” when it comes to household cleaning products:
When I was a child, we only had a few cleaning products at home. Now when you walk down the detergents aisle in the supermarket, you easily get overwhelmed by the choices marketed to consumers for cleaning every single part of the home. Do we really need that many kinds of detergents? Have you realized that we have been unknowingly taught to think that we “need” that many products for “a cleaner, more fragrant home”?
“Less is more” also applies to the amount of chemicals in the detergents.
When you buy a cleaning product, make sure you look at the ingredients list. If the list is very long and there are many chemicals that you cannot pronounce, it is possible that the product contains harmful chemicals that you don’t want in your home or washed into the sewage system. Buying less cleaning products also means you are spending less, and you create less plastic pollution.
Click here for my previous post about toxic ingredients in cleaning products and how to avoid them.
I'd like to share some all-natural recipes that I use at home to clean even the toughest stains and oiliest places at home.
Recipes for all-natural cleaning solutions:
Kitchen Hood cleaner: Hot Water + Castile Soap
What products do you usually use when cleaning your greasy kitchen hood? Is it a spray that says “power through tough grease and grim”? I don’t know about you, but every time I use it, the irritating smell of chemical "powers through" into my throat. I really do not want to expose myself and my family to these toxic fumes.
Please see a quick video on how to deep clean your kitchen hood without any toxic cleaning products:
All purpose cleaner / spray: Liquid Castile Soap + lemon or citrus essential oil
All you need is an effective and non-toxic cleaning product for your living and dining areas, something that doesn’t stain but is effective enough to clean. What I usually do, is to buy concentrated all-natural Castile soap from refillable sellers, and I dilute the detergent for use for various purposes.
Recipe for DIY All-purpose surface wiping spray: One or two capfuls of liquid Castile soap 10-15 drops of essential oils (citrus for uplifting smell, oregano/tea-tree/mint/vetiver for disinfecting effect) Dilute with warm water and mix well
All natural hand-washing or body wash foam
Use a foaming bottle, add:
All purpose Castile soap up to 1/3 of the bottle, add in boiled warm water (boiling kills germs) until full and gently mix well.
To make the liquid more attractive, you can add your own herbs such as rosemary or rose petals, and add one to two drops of food colouring or water colours.
Making your own cleaning products is not only a healthier choice, it also reduces the use of plastics
You can buy big 5 gallons bottles of reputable liquid Castile soap, but what's better, buy refillable liquid soap from the tap using your own containers.
Sellers that offer refillable liquid Castile soap in Singapore include:
(Please write to me if you know of more good sellers in Singapore! Thank you)
I particularly enjoy the service of The Castile Soap Shop because the lovely owners personally drive their little van to deliver products to my home and all I need to do is to prepare empty clean bottles to hold the soap. Click here for The Castile Soap Shop "House Call Service" that delivers Castile soap to your doorstep
*please note that I am not affiliated to the companies mentioned in this post and I do not receive any commission from them.
No time to DIY? Here are other sustainable ways to clean
If you are not into DIY, I recently came across this all-purpose cleaning product that I like very much, it’s called “Liquid Sunshine” – what a beautiful name! I reviewed the ingredients list and tried it at home, and I like it that the ingredients are safe, and it smells pleasant. It cleans well and packaging look nice too. Next, I am going to get their 1.89L version to reduce plastic use. Here's more information about the product if you are interested too.
*please note that I am not affiliated to the companies mentioned in this post and I do not receive any commission from them.
More tips on all-natural and effective cleaning for you:
1. Save water – identify multiple uses of water before you pour it down the drain!
Hot water is very effective in melting away grease. After you boil veggies, keep the water warm in the pot. Pour it on frying pans and dishes to wash away grease. Your non-stick pans will last longer, if you use this method and then gently wipe it dry with a dish towel. No detergent, no scrubbing, don’t use cold water for longer lasting non-stick pans.
2. Make your own eco-enzyme to clean your kitchen – your citrus and fruit peels can be made into eco-enzymes that are great for cleaning and disinfecting. I love the eco-enzyme that my good friend “The Green Mama” makes. Go to her page to see how she makes it.
3. Use Bokashi Tea from bokashi compost bin to clean toilets. Bokashi tea is acidic and it contains good bacteria that can help to clean and disinfect toilet bowls. I have written a post before about bokashi composting – click here to read.
4. Use essential oils for fragrance and better cleaning effects. Add citrus for bleaching effect and uplifting fragrances: lemon, lime, sweet orange oils are great. Add tea tree oil, oregano, or vetiver for disinfecting.
5. Use the powerful cleaning properties of citric acid or vinegar plus baking soda and hot water to clean tough stains and clear blocked pipes. Vinegar is great for cleaning and descaling washing machines. You can even infuse orange peels in white vinegar to make a great cleaning vinegar for your home, you can even use it to condition your hair. Click here to see.
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