Say it with me, ready?
2-Butoxyethanol.
Honestly, I’m not sure if I pronounced that right, but hey props to you if you did. And if you did do you know what it is used for? I think the title of this blog post gives it away but it’s cleaning products. It’s what gives your Windex that sweet smell and it belongs to a group of chemicals known as glycol ethers (thanks chem class). And whilst this compound isn’t going to kill you on the spot, if enough of it is in the air, it can start to wreck some havoc.
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I think it is safe to say that between car exhaust, cleaning products and even nail salons (I can’t stand the smell of those), there is a heap of toxins in our air. And before you roll your eyes and say, well everything is going to kill me these days if you can minimise the number of harsh chemicals you come into contact with what’s the downside of that? Plus, homemade cleaners with more natural stuff can actually save you some money too. Here are some of our fave ingredients to get you whipping up your own cleaning products in no time.
White Vinegar
Whilst vinegar can be great for salad dressings and poaching eggs, because of its acidic nature it is also great for removing grease and dirt! Just add some essential oils to help mask the vinegar-y smell.
Tea tree oil
We love tea tree oil. Not only is it a great beauty ingredient but it is also great for cleaning too. It smells great and is also naturally anti-bacterial too.
Lemon Juice
Not only does it smell good (I will admit I have an affinity for citrus scented cleaners) but lemon juice is great for killing mould and mildew as well as being great for all of your other all-purpose cleaning needs.
Baking soda
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate isn’t just used for making cakes rise but it also is great for deodorising and making things shiny again (my favourite part of cleaning). It’s also great in a natural deodorant or in toothpaste.
Rubbing Alcohol
For those places like your toilet where a natural cleaner just isn’t quite strong enough, rubbing alcohol is great because it will kill all that bacteria for you. Just add some lavender essential oil and your bathroom will be fresh and clean in no time.
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Do you have any favourite natural cleaning products? Let us know in the comments below.
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