baking soda with white vinegar
Over the past decades, the human race has played a significant role in environmental degradation, manifested by scenarios like the intensifying global warming. From the release of harmful industrial gases and toxic substances into the air to plastic overuse, people have surely done it all.
Now you may be wondering what your cleaning has got to do with harming the environment. Simply put, most disinfectants are composites of toxic chemicals. They do a perfect job on the sleek desk in your office, but in the end, the micro toxic components end up in the air. For this reason, you’d want to read this article for five environment-friendly tips to clean your home or office. Because at the end of the day, you need a clean place anyway.
- Use Non-Toxic Disinfectants
The severity of ecological destruction has led scientists to explore eco-friendly compounds such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl) for cleaning purposes. Like bleach, HOCl is believed to be effective in killing bacteria and viruses. Unlike bleach, however, it’s non-toxic and non-irritating. Since this acid is all-natural, it has no ecological effects when released into the environment. For these reasons, you may want to consider a hypochlorous acid cleaner for your disinfecting purposes.
When shopping for an eco-friendly disinfectant, check the label to ensure it’s biodegradable and doesn’t have poisonous substances, such as petroleum, phosphate, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and solvents. Also, avoid spray cleaners as they are mostly toxic, and instead go for the gel or liquid in pump bottles.
- Reduce The Number
You don’t always have to empty the convenience store shelves for cleaning agents. Instead, you could shop for fewer, more effective disinfectants. Additionally, consider buying multi-purpose chemicals that you’ll use for chores all over your house.
By reducing the number of disinfectants, you’ll cut back on your expenses and reduce the amount of plastic waste, especially if you recycle empty disinfectant bottles. Additionally, you’ll also reduce the release of harmful disinfectant components into the ecosystem.
- Go Natural
Closeup on busy woman in green apron and pink rubber gloves with spray bottle of green cleaning supplies and brush spot cleaning floor in the living room in sunny day.
Sometimes, the remedy is right at your disposal. You wouldn’t have to purchase any cleaning products when you could use natural ingredients from your kitchen cabinet. Here’s a list of some common items you can mix with water or other natural substances to clean and freshen up your house:
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- Lemon juice. This has antibacterial and antiseptic properties that make a great cleaning agent. It leaves a refreshing smell when used on surfaces and adds sparkle to the cleaned surfaces. However, bear in mind that it’s not an effective disinfectant. So, it won’t kill all the dangerous microbes on your countertops.
- Baking soda. Versatile and affordable, baking soda can be used to eliminate odors, remove stains, and get rid of grease. And when added to water, it reduces the need for excess detergent use as it’s a water softener.
- Vinegar. This can be used on glass windows and ceramic tiles to shine up the cleaned surface. It also removes accumulated mold. However, avoid vinegar on your marble surfaces. Due to the chemical properties of the two, a reaction may occur that’ll ruin your precious stone top.
- Borax. A mixture of borax and baking soda makes an excellent dishwashing detergent.
And these are but a few of the natural solutions. It’s evident, therefore, that you can still shine your surfaces and add a refreshing smell to them without resorting to harmful chemicals.
- Use Deionized Water
Water is great for cleaning almost anything. However, deionized water might be even better, more so if used on glass surfaces. It’s a natural, biodegradable product, hence it’s environmentally friendly.
Due to the lack of mineral ions in the water, you may use it for your windows without the need to dry the glass after rinsing, as you’d usually do with tap water. The deionized water will naturally dry, leaving a crystal-clear shine on your squeaky-clean windows.
- Opt For Eco-Friendly Wipes
To dust off that thin layer of dust on your keyboard, you can use an eco-friendly wipe. Unlike ordinary disinfectant wipes, these green wipes are reusable and made of organic matter that eventually breaks down when released into the environment. These characteristics make the wipes an ideal solution for an environment-friendly cleanup.
Conclusion
You don’t always have to use toxic substances for cleaning. You can go green by using non-poisonous disinfectants. Additionally, you may opt for natural alternatives, water, and biodegradable wipes. And when you have to shop for antiseptics, buy few but effective chemicals.
In the long run, you’ll make your surroundings clean and make a meaningful contribution to safeguarding the environment.
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