Ecological Cleaning Products

There is nothing cheaper to clean than an ecological product. Good, cheap, simple, and practical. But do you know how to use them and for what cleaning purposes? In this guide, we will give you tips and tricks for each of them, as well as other secrets.

Using ecological cleaning products is the best way to clean your house, while taking care of your family and the environment. These types of natural products do not have synthetic chemicals, so they are softer to the touch with the skin and do not cause lung problems when breathing near them.

If you are thinking of starting to use these types of products to clean your home, we recommend that you read this guide full of tips and tricks to use them until the end.

Ecological cleaning products are those that are made with substances that are harmless to the environment or, at least, as harmless as possible. The ingredients that make up a cleaning product, to be considered ecological, must be biodegradable and their formulas not tested on animals.

Examples of these biodegradable elements that make up ecological cleaning products are the following: Oils of vegetable origin from palm, olive, or coconut, sulfates of alcohols from coconut fat, and surfactants (one of the biggest contaminants of water) extracted from the sugar, silicates, etc. The scents they use are of plant origin (essential oils).

Most cleaning products contain chemical elements that are harmful to the environment and not only to ecology but to people’s health in general. The amount of them that are used daily, both in our homes and in industries, produce considerable pollution to the environment.

The harmful components that we can most commonly find in cleaning products, let’s call them conventional, are phenol, naphthalene, ethyl alcohol, creosol, butoxyethanol, and ammonia, among other dangerous substances.

To ensure that the products offered to us are truly ecological, they normally carry approved labels to recognize them. Each country or community usually has its model, find out which one corresponds to your area. Another way is to check that the compounds are the ones indicated above.

There is a general belief that the effectiveness of ecological household cleaning products is inferior to that of conventional ones. They really can be as good as these since they are studied and produced by specialized laboratories and are approved by them, both for their quality as an ecological product and for their effectiveness as a cleaning product.

There are quite affordable products in your pocket. Others, on the other hand, may be a little more expensive but compensate with other advantages such as:

In addition, just as for the home, they can be used in your business, office, or the ecological hotel industry. This can attract customers who seek this type of benefit for ecological or health reasons, such as allergies, etc.

Ecological and Health Benefits

Non-ecological cleaning products contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment and their production also generates waste that is harmful not only to the ecology but also to human health.

The amount of them used in our homes also produces great pollution to the environment and destroys biodiversity, fishing decreases, they turn drinking water into toxic, etc.

How to use ecological cleaning products

In cleaning the home you only need a few basic ingredients that are usually present in the house: lemon, baking soda, or vinegar.

Before putting the advice in this guide into practice, always remember to wear gloves to protect your hands and read the label on the packaging of the products you use.

Tips to Keep in Mind When Using Homemade Cleaning Products

Whenever you are going to use ecological products for the home, you must take into account these three considerations:

1. Use natural product recipes. Do not combine products without first making sure that it is safe to do so. It is always good to read the label of each one to know what not to do.

2. Do not mix products that can generate toxic gases.

• Baking soda and vinegar.
• Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
• Vinegar and bleach.
• Ethyl alcohol and bleach.
• Ammonia and bleach.
• Bleaches and acid solutions.

About these combinations, you can read our guide called Dangerous combinations of cleaning products: what you need to know. It is also recommended, in case you are going to combine these ingredients with a commercial product, that you read the instructions on the label.

3. Always test in an inconspicuous area. Especially if it is delicate surfaces such as fabrics, wallpaper, walls, or carpets.

Basic Principles Of Natural Cleaning Products

We leave you some tricks so you can start implementing ecological cleaners at home:

Always have lemon, baking soda, and white vinegar on hand. These are the basic natural products that should be in any kitchen when it comes to cleaning.

Dare to create your ecological products for the home. To do it, I followed the homemade recipes that we give you in this guide. Keep in mind that the same cleaning or disinfection efficiency is not achieved with natural products as with commercial products.

If you use commercial products, always check their ingredients. I chose concentrated formats that are in containers made from recycled plastic to take care of the planet (this is the case of Cif BIO Active, which has a new and unique BIOACTIVE technology, which has 100% biodegradable active ingredients, and is made with 100% recycled plastic and is also 100% recyclable)

With these principles, you already have enough information to venture into the use of ecological cleaners. If you also want to understand why it is better to opt for concentrated products, we recommend reading our guide Why use concentrated cleaning products?

Homemade Cleaning Products: How To Make Green Cleaning Products

Follow these homemade and very simple recipes to make homemade cleaning products that respect the environment:

Homemade Multi-Purpose Cleaner

Combine a cup of white vinegar and a cup of water.

Add a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant fragrance (lavender oil, in addition to having a good smell, is also a natural antibacterial).

I put the solution in a spray bottle and use it where I normally use the commercial multi-purpose.

Try not to use this cleaner on either wood or stone surfaces, as vinegar is not recommended for such materials.

Bathroom And Kitchen Cleaner

I combined lemon juice and salt to create a paste.

Put this paste on a sponge and clean the entire bathroom faucet with it.

Rinse the surface with water to finish.

You should not be afraid to use this mixture on any surface, although it is true that it is specially designed for use in the bathroom (tiles, toilet, etc.).

Homemade Glass Cleaner

Mix a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar in two cups of water.

Add a few drops of lemon juice or essential oil to give it a good smell.

He put the solution in a spray bottle to clean the windows and mirrors and leave them streak-free.

Like the multipurpose, this combination is not recommended for wood or stone surfaces, but it is for marble.

Homemade Floor Cleaner

Heat eight cups of water and put them in a bucket.

Then combine them with a quarter cup of white vinegar.

Add a few drops of essential oil.

Remember that vinegar should only be used on these types of surfaces, never on wood or stone.

Baking Soda To Clean: Some Tricks

Baking soda is an excellent natural cleaner as it contains small amounts of natural acid. Take these tips:

Use baking soda in an open box inside your fridge to eliminate bad odors.

Put a solution based on baking soda and water on a cloth to remove dirt, stains, and residue from any surface in the kitchen (always test it first on a small area of the surface to be cleaned)

I applied baking soda to the stains on the carpets. Let it act for several hours so that it absorbs the stains. Then I vacuumed.

To unclog pipes, you can apply a mixture of half a cup of baking soda with half a cup of water and pour the solution down the drain. After fifteen minutes, pour hot water and the pipe will be uncovered.

You can also use it to clean your oven. If you want to know how to read our complete guide How to Clean an Electric Oven.

Cleaning With Vinegar: Tips And Advice

The acidity of white vinegar is very good at fighting germs, bacteria, and mold. However, it is not a disinfectant product, so it is recommended that you use other more powerful products to eliminate viruses, fungi, and other bacteria.

To use it effectively, follow these tips:

I cleaned the bathroom walls with vinegar to prevent mold.

I combined vinegar and salt to clean the faucet.

He cleaned the inside of the oven with vinegar, leaving it to act for a few minutes, to remove grease stains and food residue.

Put a little vinegar on a sponge to remove sticky substances from the burners with it.

To implement more tricks in the use of vinegar, we recommend you read our complete guide Cleaning with vinegar: everything you always wanted to know.

Cleaning With Lemon: Everything You Need To Know

Lemon contains citric acid, which is perfect for removing tartar, among other evils. It also has antibacterial and deodorizing properties, making it one of the best natural cleaning products. Follow these points to use it efficiently:

To clean the most important places in the house, just cut a lemon in half and pass it over the surfaces. In addition, leave a good smell in the environment.

Combine half a cup of lemon juice with half a cup of oil to polish your wooden furniture (don’t use it on softwood).

I squeezed the juice of a lemon over the faucet to remove the scale.

With half a cup of lemon juice, you will get rid of the bad smells in your fridge.

To clean a microwave with lemon, you just have to fill a cup with water and put half a lemon inside. Then microwave at full power for 5 minutes.

Olive Oil To Clean Wood And Polish Stainless Steel

The oil is a natural cleanser that works to:

Clean and polish wood (a little oil on a clean cloth is enough to restore the shine to the wood).

Remove paint (rub a few drops of oil on the surface you want to remove the paint and let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse everything with water).

Polish stainless steel (just by passing a cloth with oil over the surface).

Toothpaste: Metal Polish

Toothpaste has abrasives such as calcium carbonate and aluminum oxides that fight bacterial plaque on the teeth. Those same compounds are what make toothpaste one of the most effective green cleaners.

You can use the toothpaste to:

Soften scratches on glass (applied a little paste on the area and then wipe it with a damp cloth).

Eliminate food odors from your hands (put a little on your hands, massage well and then rinse with plenty of water).

Do you know how to clean brass with toothpaste and how to clean silver with toothpaste? I rubbed the paste on the object and then wiped it off with a dry cloth, easy as that.

As you have seen, making your cleaner at home is not complicated and is always the most economical and sustainable option. But what if you don’t have time to do it? Then commercial products can give you a hand.

Among them, brands such as Cif, Vim, ALA, and Comfort stand out, offering products for every household need – several of these products contain biodegradable active ingredients and come in containers made with recycled and recyclable plastic. Just always remember to follow label directions and apply products to a small, inconspicuous area before use, on a trial basis.

Frequently Asked Questions About Green Cleaning Products

What Can Be Cleaned With Baking Soda And Vinegar?

Practically everything: bathroom walls, faucets, the interior of the oven, the burners, the bad smells from the refrigerator, and even the carpet. However, you should never mix them because they create reactions that cause toxic gases.

How To Make Green Cleaning Products?

In general, it is to mix vinegar, baking soda, or lemon with water, and then add a few drops of essential oil to give it fragrance. The ingredients change depending on the use you are going to give them.

How do you clean glass at home?

The best thing you can do is create a homemade glass cleaner: mix a couple of tablespoons of vinegar with two cups of water, then add a few drops of essential oil and finally put the solution in a spray bottle to clean the glass and leave them without marks.

Some Examples of Organic Products?

Baking soda, toothpaste, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon are some of the green products that everyone has at home and can use to clean.