Spotlight: Green Home Cleaning Product Substitutions

Spotlight: Green Home Cleaning Product Substitutions

BY: Abigail Weiland

Ever wonder how to use less chemicals in your home? How about ways to make your home cleaning products more eco-friendly? Here are a few product substitutions you can make in your home for a more eco and budget-friendly cleaning routine.

1. Laundry: Instead of using your traditional laundry detergent, add 1 cup of vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda per load of laundry. Everything comes out clean and smelling fresh!
2. DIY All-purpose cleaner: Plan ahead by placing orange rinds in a container covered with vinegar. Let this sit for 8-10 days and then strain the liquid into a spray bottle of your choosing. This is a great way to remove chemicals from your cleaning routine!
3. Hand Sanitizer: Get your hands on 1 cup of aloe vera gel. Mix in 1 to 4 teaspoons of witch hazel and put 10 to 12 drops of your favorite essential oils in the mixture also. I personally love the smell of lavender or lemon.
4. Bleach Alternative: Instead of using bleach try mixing up your own disinfectant! Do this by mixing together ½ cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon castile soap, and ½ teaspoon hydrogen peroxide.

The wonderful thing about DIY home cleaning products is that it is fairly inexpensive, it is safer for the environment, and if you have kiddos running around your home you can get the hard chemicals out of the home to keep them safer.

Changing your habits to become more eco-friendly is not as daunting as it may seem! It just takes keeping your mind open to trying new things. You may be impressed with the new things that you can create and take control of in your home!