Embracing Natural Cleaning: Our Guide to Safe and Sustainable Homes
As parents we instinctively prioritize the well-being of our families. We carefully choose what we feed them, what they wear, and even the environments they play in. Yet, when it comes to cleaning our homes, we might overlook the impact of the products we use. In our quest to create a safe haven, it's crucial to consider how conventional cleaning agents can affect our loved ones and our environment.
As parents we instinctively prioritize the well-being of our families. We carefully choose what we feed them, what they wear, and even the environments they play in. Yet, when it comes to cleaning our homes, we might overlook the impact of the products we use. In our quest to create a safe haven, it's crucial to consider how conventional cleaning agents can affect our loved ones and our environment.
The Heart of the Matter: Health and Safety
Think about it: we clean our homes to protect our families from germs and allergens, but many conventional cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that can do more harm than good. These substances can irritate skin, trigger allergies, and even lead to long-term health issues. As a parent, it’s vital to ensure that the spaces where our children play and our pets roam are free from harmful toxins.
By opting for natural cleaning products, such as good old-fashioned baking soda, vinegar, and castile soap, you’re choosing safety. These ingredients are not only effective but also gentle on the environment and your family. Baking soda is a powerful deodorizer and abrasive cleaner, vinegar cuts through grease and grime, and castile soap can tackle everything from kitchen surfaces to laundry.
Nurturing the Environment
The environment is our shared home, and as parents, we have a responsibility to nurture it for future generations. Conventional cleaning products often contain chemicals that can pollute waterways and harm wildlife. By making the switch to natural cleaning products, you’re contributing to a healthier environment.
Imagine the impact of choosing a simple vinegar cleaner over a toxic chemical cleaner. Not only are you reducing waste and chemical runoff, but you’re also fostering a lifestyle that respects the environment. Your choice sets an example for your family, instilling values of sustainability and care for the environment.
Cost-Effective and Eco-Friendly Products
Creating a clean and safe home doesn’t have to break the bank. Natural cleaning products are often more affordable than their chemical-laden counterparts. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make effective cleaners that cost a fraction of store-bought options. Reusing spray bottles and glass jars to store your products saves costs too.
Here are a few easy recipes to get you started:
All-Purpose Cleaner: Natural Cleaning Spray
- 2 TBSN Castile Cleaning Soap
- 500ml Water
Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle, and you’ve got a versatile all purpose cleaner for countertops, sinks, walls, floors, carpet and more.
Toilet Cleaner
- Natural Cleaning Spray
- 2 TBSN Cleaning Grade Baking Soda
- 5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
- 4 TBSN Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9%
For my toilet, I spray all surfaces with Natural Cleaning Spray, then add 2 tablespoons (or more) of Baking Soda to the toilet bowl, with about 5-10 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil, give it a scrub. Wipe the surfaces of the toilet with a damp cloth.
Then add 4 Tablespoons (or more) of Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9% in the toilet bowl, and while it is fizzing I scrub again. Flush clean. If you have brown stains in your toilet bowl, over time this should disappear, or add a little more Baking Soda to help. You should be left with the clean smell of Tea Tree oil, a natural disinfectant, antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal.
Creating a Safe Haven
As a parent, your priority is to provide a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment for your family. By choosing natural cleaning products, you are not only safeguarding their health but also teaching them the importance of caring for themselves and the world around them.
Embrace the power of simple, natural ingredients in your cleaning routine. Your family will thank you, and so will the environment. Let’s make cleaning a positive, safe, and sustainable practice that benefits everyone. Together, we can create Your Home, Naturally spotless and filled with love and care.
THE MANY USES OF CLEANING GRADE VINEGAR 9.9%
Most people don’t realize that you need strong white vinegar to clean and disinfect. Most people use supermarket grade vinegar – this is food grade 4.5% strength designed to be consumed and not strong enough for cleaning and disinfecting.
Your Home, Naturally’s Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9% is very acidic – making it twice as strong as standard supermarket products. Our Vinegar is just as strong as bleach but without the toxins. It also cuts grease very well and acts as a deodoriser.
USE: Vinegar can be used as a window cleaner, shower cleaner, toilet cleaner, dishwasher rinse aid, fabric softener, microwave cleaner, drain unblocker and weed killer.
You can also tackle mold and mildew by adding Cleaning Grade Vinegar to spray bottle with a few drops of tea tree oil. Always wear gloves and a mask when cleaning mold, not because of the product you are using, but because of the harm that mold causes. Spray liberally, leave it to do its thing for 30 minutes and then scrub off with a cloth and warm water. Repeat the process if needed. (Vinegar is not to be used on grout or silicone, use Natural Cleaning Paste instead).
Use Cleaning Grade Vinegar NEAT for a disinfecting cleaner. You can spray it on your toilet for that extra disinfecting clean, leave on the surface for as long as possible before wiping away, or allow to air dry. Due to its high vinegar content, avoid use on grout, natural stone and silicone.
Cleaning Grade Vinegar can be used in the rinse-aid dispenser - it’s natural, safe to ingest, biodegradable and an easy switch to give your dishes some sparkle. Fill the rinse aid compartment with our vinegar and dilute by half with water. On completion of the load the hot steam may smell like vinegar - but the smell will dissipate as the contents dry. In addition to adding a bit of shine to your dishes the vinegar will act as a disinfectant and will prevent mineral scale build up within your machine.
Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9% can be used to keep concrete cracks weed free. For large weedy areas fill a spray bottle with Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9% and spray directly onto weeds.
Fabric Softener – 2 Tbspns Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9% in the fabric softener compartment.
HOW NOT TO USE VINEGAR
Mixing Baking Soda with Vinegar! We often see DIY cleaning recipes mixing baking soda and vinegar together, then stored for later use. When you mix Baking Soda and Vinegar together it creates a chemical reaction making carbon dioxide. The fizzing part is when you need to immediately clean with these ingredients like unblocking a drain or cleaning the toilet. When the fizz is finished the baking soda and vinegar have neutralized each other, turning into water!
HOW TO CLEAN A MICROWAVE WITH CLEANING GRADE VINEGAR 9.9%
Exploding beans and splattered left-overs? The microwave is a kitchen appliance that accumulates food grime very quickly, so it is important to regularly clean this appliance to ensure your food tastes as good as it should.
There are many different methods and products available to clean a microwave, but cleaning grade vinegar is easy, safe and cheap. Steam cleaning a microwave with cleaning grade vinegar gets the job done with minimal effort. This is because white vinegar is very acidic, making it a great natural cleaning product. The acidity means it can tackle microwave dirt and grime easily. Together with steam, cleaning the microwave with white vinegar makes it less of chore.
What you will need:
Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9%
Microwavable bowl or jug
Damp cloth
Cleaning the Microwave:
1. Take the microwave safe bowl or jug and add 200ml of Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9% followed by 100ml of water.
2. Place the bowl or jug into the microwave. Then microwave on full power for 5 minutes, you will notice the liquid beginning to boil.
3. Once the 5 minutes is up, leave the microwave door closed for around 3 minutes. Keeping the door closed will trap the steam inside. This will help to loosen the burnt-on food grime.
4. Carefully open the microwave door and remove the bowl or jug. The solution will be very hot, so wear a glove or oven mitt. If your microwave has removable parts such as a turntable, remove this too.
5. Use a damp cloth to wipe the inside of the microwave, starting from the roof, down to the sides and door. The grime should wipe away easily due to the steam, however burnt-on grime may require a little more elbow grease.
6. Then clean the turntable and dry off with a tea towel.
7. Use a clean dry cloth to buff the microwave dry, then place all the removable parts back and you are good to go.
Your Home, Naturally Cleaning Grade Vinegar 9.9% is available to purchase in a 2L refillable bottle. 5L and 15L is available via email. 
Sustainability in Your Home, Naturally
When starting your sustainable journey in your home we advise that you start small and make a new habit, one product at a time.
Here is a basic list of 20 ideas to get you started!
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo toothbrush.
Rip up old worn out clothing for cleaning rags.
Open your windows to cool down your home or air it out daily.
Use Beeswax Wraps to keep your food fresh in the fridge.
Wash clothes when they are actually dirty, instead of after only one wear.
Try to avoid palm oil.
Switch to environmentally friendly dish washing liquid.
Don’t leave your house without a full reusable stainless steel water bottle.
Use Be Natural Soap in your Glass Foaming Soap Bottle - return the empty bottle of soap for a refill.
Start a backyard compost.
Learn to regrow kitchen scraps - Spring Onion is easy!
Reuse containers, refill Glass Bottles where ever possible.
Line dry a load instead of using the dryer.
Always run a full dishwasher or load of clothes.
Commit to bringing your reusable bags to the store. If you don’t have them, turn around and go get them! After forgetting them once, you won’t do it again.
Ditch sponges in lieu of compostable pot scrubbers or dish brushes.
Check out your local farmers market.
Learn how to make your own natural cleaning products at a workshop! It’s easy!
Beware of greenwashing, and always do your research - read the labels!
Our Sustainable Home & Living range is a great place to start your journey to creating a more sustainable home naturally.
When starting your sustainable journey in your home we advise that you start small and make a new habit, one product at a time.
Here is a basic list of 20 ideas to get you started!
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo toothbrush.
Rip up old worn out clothing for cleaning rags.
Open your windows to cool down your home or air it out daily.
Use Beeswax Wraps to keep your food fresh in the fridge.
Wash clothes when they are actually dirty, instead of after only one wear.
Try to avoid palm oil.
Switch to environmentally friendly dish washing liquid.
Don’t leave your house without a full reusable stainless steel water bottle.
Use Be Natural Soap in your Glass Foaming Soap Bottle - return the empty bottle of soap for a refill.
Start a backyard compost.
Learn to regrow kitchen scraps - Spring Onion is easy!
Reuse containers, refill Glass Bottles where ever possible.
Line dry a load instead of using the dryer.
Always run a full dishwasher or load of clothes.
Commit to bringing your reusable bags to the store. If you don’t have them, turn around and go get them! After forgetting them once, you won’t do it again.
Ditch sponges in lieu of compostable pot scrubbers or dish brushes.
Check out your local farmers market.
Learn how to make your own natural cleaning products at a workshop! It’s easy!
Beware of greenwashing, and always do your research - read the labels!