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I have been gradually switching over to low environmental impact cleaning products for laundry, the dishwasher, shampoo, soaps and the like. We do not like scent of any kind in our laundry so purchase laundry soaps with no scent added. Choosing any of these products really boils down to trial and testing of the various products on the market to see how the work in your water and how you personally like them.
For example Soap Nuts are a fabulous eco-friendly option but I personally found the work involved with making the soap for my front load washer was a deterrent for me. Instead I have opted for a laundry soap made locally by a fellow who produces hemp soaps and sells them at the farmer's market. I like it for two reasons, its local and it gets great results.
Must have items for cleaning:
Borax "also known as sodium borate or sodium tetraborate, occurs naturally and is mined in the Mojave Desert (Boron, California), other US states, in Chile and Tibet. It can also be created synthetically from other boron compounds. The mining side of borax production isn't all that earth friendly, but compared to some other chemical compounds used around the home, it's likely lesser of the many other evils, so it's a "greener" choice." Green Living Tips has a good article about Borax and its uses.
Hydrogen Peroxide - use it... to clean produce, in place of bleach in the laundry, to sanitize when cleaning, and to eliminate stains and odours from organic sources (food, pet stains, kid spills) There are varying percentages of peroxide you use for different applications. These are good websites to use for reference about hydrogen peroxide and its uses.
- The Many Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide-Truth! Fiction! & Unproven!
- Hydrogen Peroxide: practical, environmentally friendly & anti-bacterial
Baking Soda this is a fabulous multi-use cleaner. as a powder and mixed up as a paste, this is another of the 'must have' items in the home. These websites have lists of ways it can be used around the home.
- 27 ways to Clean with Baking Soda
- Baking Soda- The Many Uses of Baking Soda
White Distilled Vinegar great for: odour eliminating, soil testing (if vinegar fizzles your soil is alkaline) mold zapping, cat repelling, shower scum zapping, glass cleaning, water ring removing, and fabric softening to name a few. Here are a couple of pages dealing with vinegar to check out
- Vinegar (Almost) the only cleaner you'll ever need
- 1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar
