Healthy Living

FIVE EASY WAYS TO REDUCE HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL USE

In our quest to keep clean, sanitary homes that support good health, we can easily go overboard, and end up producing just the opposite: an indoor environment full of potentially toxic chemicals that harm our families and the planet, as well as costing us a great deal of money.

Many common household ingredients can be used to clean most surfaces and even clothing. And freshening our indoor air doesn’t require artificial air fresheners or aerosol sprays. Follow these simple steps to start eliminating some of the chemicals used in your home, and everyone will literally breathe a lot easier.

Avoid aerosol sprays and air fresheners. They can irritate bronchial passages and trigger bouts of asthma in infants and sensitive individuals. Instead, open the windows for a few minutes at a time, even in cold weather, to exchange stale air for fresh. Install a central vacuum system, which removes virtually all indoor toxins, dust and irritants to a sealed canister away from living space.

Sprinkle carpets with baking soda several hours before vacuuming to lift stale odors out without harming the carpet fibers.

To freshen rooms, empty a box of baking soda into a pretty bowl and set it out to absorb odors. Grind up a lemon peel in your garbage disposal. Hang bunches of lavender or tuck sachets in drawers for a naturally clean smell. Reduce cooking odors by simmering a tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of water on the stove as you prepare dinner.

Instead of filling your cabinets with bottles and cans of cleaners, make your own with simple ingredients that work equally well and cost little. A good all-purpose cleaner can be made from ½ cup of vinegar mixed with ¼ cup baking soda (or teaspoons borax) and added to a ½ gallon of water. Label and store. This solution will remove water deposit stains on shower stalls, chrome, windows and mirrors, and can be safely used to clean most surfaces.

To clean lightly clogged drains, avoid highly caustic products (and possible a plumber’s fee) by heating (but not boiling) ½ cup salt in 4 liters of water and pouring down the drain. For stubborn clogs, pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain followed by ½ cup vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the vinegar and soda to react with each other to create a natural scrubbing action that will break down the clog, then pour in very hot water (not boiling) to clear the residue.