Kelly's Healthy Home

Let me start by saying I love my husband and he is a very hands on father and partner. With that said… he rarely does any cleaning in the home. While doing dishes the other day, he complained that the soap wasn’t working. I asked why he thought that and to my dismay he said “because there are no suds.” UGH! Needless to say, this is why I’m blogging about cleaning products today.

The advertising world has made us believe that the more suds, the cleaner an item will get. But the amount of suds absolutely does not equal cleaning power. According to HowStuffWorks, “The simple explanation for why certain soaps foam is that these soaps contain chemicals called foaming agents. Common foaming agents used in consumer products are the chemicals ammonium lauryl sulfate and — even more common — sodium dodecyl sulfate (sometimes referred to as sodium laureth sulfate) [sources: Fields, Rosen].” Notice that they state- certain soaps- not ALL soaps. Soap molecules will react differently, so be sure you read and follow the instructions for usage too- especially if you use laundry detergent.

And some soaps will create zero suds, which is my preference when cleaning my home.

Let’s take our cleaning back to basics. This isn’t a new trend, there are hundreds of blogs you can read to making your own cleaners. The essentials are alcohol, baking soda, vinegar and water.  You could add some essential oil such as orange, lemon or tree tea if you want to get fancy, but it’s not necessary.

These simple ingredients can remove drain clogs, disinfect counters, and clean floors. Other handy products are castile soap and hydrogen peroxide.

An added sustainable practice I’ve implemented is to use old spray bottles from my non DIY days for my cleaners. This saves money and waste! I just make sure I label them so myself and husband know the contents.

Looking for help? Here is a good resource: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/replace-cleaning-products-with-natural-ingredients/