Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 28) feeling great HOUSE HYGIENE Clean your house the natural way Here’s how to keep your house clean and smelling fresh without hurting the planet — or your pocket. By Susanna E. Guzman You can keep your home clean and fresh with natural products, such as lemon juice. and to get dirt off wood surfaces. For a safer window cleaner, add a quarter-cup of white vinegar to a quart of water in a spray bottle. White vinegar also works as a fabric softener and static cling reducer in the laundry. Use an equal amount of vinegar in place of your liquid fabric softener before the rinse cycle. A clean house is a healthy house. But you don’t have to use harsh chemicals to get that spic-and-span look and feel. You probably have many of the ingredients for a team of Soap vs. detergent Liquid soap and detergent both cut grease, but they aren’t the same thing. Soap is made from natural ingredients, such as fats and lye. Soap works best in areas that have soft water (water that has very small amounts of dissolved salts in it). Detergents are made from synthetic materials. They don’t cause soap scum when used in areas that have hard water. If you have hard water, you can buy biodegradable detergent at most health food stores. A biodegradable detergent breaks down into its basic ingredients, like water, carbon dioxide and mineral salts. These ingredients are less damaging to the environment than phosphorous and surfactants, two ingredients found in regular detergent. environmentally friendly cleaners in your kitchen cupboards right now. Besides being gentler and less expensive, natural products are safer for you and your family. Baking soda Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a common and cheap cleaning agent. It’s slightly gritty when wet, so you can use it to clean kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens and fiberglass. It can also absorb odors. One-half cup of baking soda per load of laundry will get rid of perspiration odors and chemical smells. Sprinkle baking soda onto carpets before vacuuming to help make carpeted rooms smell better. Essential oils Lavender, clove and tea tree oil are essential oils that kill and prevent the growth of mold, bacteria and viruses. Grapefruit seed extract also kills germs and bacteria. Just a few drops to a teaspoon of essential oil or grapefruit seed extract added to a quart of water will produce a spray that disinfects surfaces without the need for harmful chemicals, such as chlorine bleach. Susanna E. Guzman is an editor with the American Academy of Family Physicians, headquartered in Leawood, Kan. Washing soda Use washing soda (sodium carbonate) to cut grease and automotive oil on hard surfaces. It can also remove wax and lipstick. For an all-purpose cleaner, dissolve one-half cup of washing soda in one gallon of warm water. Don’t use washing soda on fiberglass or aluminum. Washing soda can be used on fabric, but it can damage elastic, wool and silk. Remember to wear gloves when using washing soda. White vinegar and lemon juice White vinegar and lemon juice contain acid that can remove buildup of hard water (water that has a greater amount of dissolved minerals in it). Use vinegar or lemon juice to remove tarnish from silverware 28 familydoctor 2007 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION American Lung Association http://www.healthhouse.org/consumer/index.asp CharityGuide http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/ natural-cleaning-products.htm http://www.healthhouse.org/consumer/index.asp http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/natural-cleaning-products.htm http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/natural-cleaning-products.htm
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