Everyone wishes for a clean kitchen. But nowadays, you must be aware that not all the cleaning products we use in our homes are safe for our environment. The delightful news is that more eco-friendly cleaning products are now at your disposal, ensuring our kitchens shine with elegance. Indeed, with a few simple ingredients that are likely in your kitchen, you can make safe, effective, natural cleaning products that cost a fraction of store-bought brands, delivering results that are equally impressive or even better.
Eco-Friendly Cleaners Are Safer for Your Health and the Environment
There are numerous compelling factors to choose eco-friendly cleaning products in the kitchen. Harsh chemicals can harm your skin, eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory system. Moreover, they present a serious threat to any pets or sensitive household members.
Along with the negative effects on your health, lots of store-bought cleaning products are infused with chemicals that can harm the environment. Harmful substances can seep from our kitchen drains into rivers, lakes, and groundwater, killing vegetation, polluting the soil, and putting at risk fish and animals.
In contrast, eco-friendly products use simple, non-toxic ingredients that are better for the environment. The issue lies in the fact that not all brands that claim to be “natural” or “organic” genuinely convey environmental responsibility. There are limited federal regulations that specify which products may assert a “natural” designation. Additionally, no mandates require cleaning product manufacturers to list the ingredients in their products on their packaging.
How to Clean Your Kitchen Safely with Natural Ingredients
People should make informed choices when acquiring eco-friendly cleaning products or making their own. Numerous exquisite choices, whether crafted at home or sourced from stores, use simple, natural ingredients like white vinegar and baking soda, which are versatile and eco-friendly.
When combined in various ways, these two pantry staples can address nearly any challenge your kitchen may present. With a few other common, versatile cleaning supplies, you can clean your entire kitchen, floor to ceiling, without the need for harsh chemicals in many store-bought brands.
For example, polished wood and tile floors can be cleaned and disinfected with white vinegar, warm water, and a mop or rag. While the odor of vinegar might not be the most inviting, you could easily add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to make your kitchen smell fantastic.
The same principle applies to cleaning one of the messiest parts of your kitchen: inside the oven. Getting that burned-on gunk off your oven’s interior can be quite a challenge. But with some baking soda, water, and patience, you can create a baking soda paste that effortlessly eliminates even the most stubborn grime. For maximum effectiveness, it is suggested to allow the baking soda paste to sit overnight before scrubbing.
Similarly, glass and shiny surfaces can also be cleaned with eco-friendly ingredients. To do so, mix rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, cornstarch, and water in a clean spray bottle. Afterward, spray and wipe clean with a lint-free or microfiber cloth. It is recommended to avoid using paper towels for cleaning glass and shiny surfaces, as they are not eco-friendly and often leave behind unsightly streaks and remnants of paper.
No matter whether you opt to buy or make eco-friendly cleaning products, once you start, you will likely never revert to the use of strong chemicals! Not only will you protect yourself and your home, but you will also be doing your part for the environment.
Seeking a rental home or need help overseeing your Oakland rental property? The local professionals at Real Property Management Pacific are at your service. Contact us online today, or call 510-900-4544 to connect with an expert property manager.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
