Jadelynx
If you have ever looked at a bottle of Fantastik or 409, the contents are pretty scary. These cleaners are rated as being the highest concern rating and are considered to have potentially significant hazards to health or the environment.
- ALKYL DIMETHYL BENZYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDES (C12-16)
- ALKYL DIMETHYL ETHYLBENZYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDES (C12-18)
- ALKYL DIMETHYL ETHYLBENZYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDE (C12-14)
- N-ALKYL DIMETHYL ETHYLBENZYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDES.
- PROPYLENE GLYCOL BUTYL ETHER.
Do you recognize any of these ingredients? I don’t! Is this something you want to put on the surfaces in your home? Remember these cleaners have been rated to have potentially significant hazards to health or the environment. Why would anyone want to have this in their home?
What to use instead is a very easy and cheap to make all purpose cleaner that cleans practically everything and also disinfects.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
- 2 cups of water
- 15 drops of tea tree oil
Just put the ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake. If you don’t like the aroma of the vinegar, it should disappear as it dries. If you would prefer to make the cleaner itself smell more appealing, you can add any essential oil that you like, such as orange or lilac.
The only surface that you should not use this on is granite, quartz or marble because vinegar can be corrosive to those materials. Other than that, you can use this to clean your appliances, cupboards, sinks and toilets; just about anything in your house.
I am very sensitive to cleaners, and I cannot use most store bought ones. I started using this homemade cleaner, and I have never looked back. Try it, you will be surprised at how effective it is, and how little it costs!
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Image Credit: Flickr
A good recipe, thanks for sharing
One thing that should be noted is that this mixture does need to be used immediately. A few hours after it is mixed, the acid in the vinegar is neutralized by the alkalinity in the baking soda, yielding water and carbon dioxide.
Another great biodegradable all-purpose cleaner can be made with 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of dish soap. This will clean and sanitize almost any surface except glass. (Soap leaves streaks when used on glass.)