Traditional Versus Eco-Friendly Cleaners

Are these cleaners much better than the traditional cleaners containing chemicals? What ever happened to cleaning with simple household supplies? Does this still work?

From the USAtoday.com article titled, “Some Skip Commercial Cleaners for Those Made from Pantry” by Jim Stem, there are about 80,000 children who are taken to the emergency room in the USA each year as a result of accidental poisoning by household cleaners. According to this article, some household cleaners that seem perfectly safe can still be hazardous as they contain volatile organic compounds that can trigger asthma attacks, allergies, and other reactions.

Cleaning with Simple Ingredients

Some simple, safe, and very inexpensive cleaning supplies can include baking soda, vinegar, club soda and hydrogen peroxide. All of these supplies are natural, non-toxic and can be used with ease around small children and pets. They can be purchased almost anywhere and cost little to stock. These cleaning supplies do not need any special equipment to use or dispense other than some rags or towels.

Traditional Cleaning Approaches

Traditional cleaning may involve using products such as glass and bathroom cleaners, bleach, and ammonia. These products are much riskier and have to be measured and used with wise discretion. Using large quantities of some of these products may be harmful because of the powerful fumes the products give off. When cleaning with these types of products, be mindful to use them separately and never mix them.