by Triple Witching

Created on: February 24, 2009   Last Updated: March 07, 2009

The potential health dangers of using household chemical cleaners are becoming more and more prominent yet many people are still swept up in the commercial limelight of the latest and greatest products to use. Of course the effects of many household cleaners are satisfying but the added preservatives in many of these cleaners can contribute to asthma, dermatitis, headaches and are toxic if inhaled. Children do not deserve to be growing up in this type of environment.

In addition to potential health problems, the cost of household cleaners is getting ridiculous. Thanks to commercialism, we now have a different set of cleaning products for every room. Some cleaners can cost almost $10 each! All this extra money spent could be saved for a nice night out each month and all that extra space in the laundry could be well used storage for more important items. Cleaning with vinegar is cheap, safe, natural, easy and much quicker than using all these different chemicals.

Just grab a few different clean sponges for each room, a mop, some detergent and vinegar and we'll go to work together. If you are really concerned, then grab the bicarbonate soda (bicarb) as well.

1. Clean the Kitchen a) Add about half a cup of vinegar to your normal washing up water. By adding the vinegar, not only will the sponge not smell, but it will neutralise any other smells.

b) Clean down all the benches and the stove first.

c) If you need to clean the oven, make a paste of some bicarb and water and smother it all over the oven.

d) Then wash all your dishes while the bicarb works on the oven.

e) Once all the dishes are washed, then wipe out the oven. You may need to make a fresh batch of water.

f) If you have a dishwasher, once it is empty, clean and decalcify the pipes by putting a third of a cup of bicarb in the detergent dispenser, a teaspoon of washing up detergent and a cup of vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser, if it is empty, alternatively, just add it during the rinse cycle. The dishwasher should be sparkling by the end of the cycle.

2. Clean the Bathroom

a) Half fill the sink with warm water and add 1 tablespoon detergent or clear laundry liquid, half a cup of vinegar and 7 drops of lavender oil. Use a sponge or cleaning mitt to wipe over all the benches, the bath and shower.

b) For mould in the shower, you might find wiping it with an old towel will be more effective or if it is even more stubborn, put some bicarb paste on it to sit for a while. Pour some vinegar over the paste before wiping

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