Keeping your home clean is essential if you want to make sure it's healthy and looks neat and tidy. Unfortunately, many of the products designed for cleaning your home can be poor choices if you want to protect the environment. When you're more careful about your choices, you can help to protect the planet and avoid causing any unnecessary damage. It might take a little more effort to find the right products and methods to use, but you could make a big difference through your personal choices.
Here are some of the things that you could do if you want to keep your home clean but protect the environment at the same time.
Wash your home exterior without cleaning products
You might clean your home interior more often, but your home exterior needs to be cleaned too. It helps to keep it looking smart and might prevent certain problems from occurring too. The great thing is that there's no need to use any harsh chemical products when cleaning the exterior of your home. Instead, you can power wash your home to clean it with water alone. Power washing uses a high-pressure jet to blast dirt off your home, so you don't have to use any cleaning products to get the job done.
Use eco-friendly detergents
Some detergents, such as laundry detergent and dish soap, can be very harsh on the environment. First of all, many of them are made with petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource so even buying these products isn't the best idea. Secondly, they can then pollute the environment when you use them.
Fortunately, there are more eco-friendly options available, and you don't have to revert to using a washboard and mangle. Look for fragrance-free detergents for healthier options and try green brands. You can also use more natural ingredients to make your own products.
Find green cleaning products
Other cleaning products have the potential to harm the environment too, but you probably have a variety of items you use for cleaning your home. One thing you should avoid is antibacterial soaps, which are actually helping the growth of resistant bacteria. Instead, just use normal soap and wash your hands thoroughly.
Chlorine bleach can have a negative impact on the environment, so make sure you look for products that use less harsh ingredients. Remember never to mix bleach products with those containing ammonia too. Not only will it pollute the environment, but the resulting chlorine gas is also very dangerous to your health!
Make your own cleaning products
One way to make sure you know what's in your cleaning products is to make them yourself. You can choose what you put in the products you make and select the best ingredients for what you want to clean. For example, mixing baking soda and water gives you a good cleaning solution for scrubbing away dirt.
Vinegar is great for cleaning windows when mixed with water, or you can use lemon juice instead. A few simple ingredients can make powerful cleaning products. Just make sure you don't mix anything together that could turn dangerous. Always do a quick google search!
Avoid harsh drain, oven, and toilet cleaners
Sometimes you might feel like you need to get out heavy-duty cleaning products to effectively clean parts of your home. Perhaps the drain is blocked or you need to clean the inside of your oven. But these corrosive products can be dangerous for your health and they can pollute the environment too. Fortunately, there are alternatives that you can use instead. To clear drains, a plunger snake tool used for plumbing can help to remove blockages without causing damage. Ovens can be cleaned well using a baking soda paste, which you can leave overnight then wipe off.
Keep the air fresh
Some of the things that you use to keep your home clean could also pollute the air. Air fresheners, scented candles, and incense might make your home less healthy and can be bad for the environment. If you want to remove bad odors in your home, there are natural ways to do it. Firstly, open the windows to ventilate if the air outside is clean. Baking soda provides yet another use by helping to remove odors. Or try using natural scents, such as essential oils or potpourri.
If you want to avoid polluting the environment, consider these tips to make sure you're using the right products and methods to clean your home. Have any questions? Leave a comment below!
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