There are a host of healthier alternatives to chemical-laden household products
Baking Soda
Everyone has around a tub of baking soda, which has proven virus-killing abilities. Its neutralising properties can eliminate odours in fridges, clothes and carpets, while its granular texture helps with scrubbing.
Because it is alkaline, it can dissolve grime, too. In fact, most commercial household products work this way.
Castile Soap
Castile soap is made exclusively with vegetable oils (meaning it uses no animal products or chemical detergents). Traditionally, it was made with 100 per cent olive oil, but modern Castile-style soaps blend in other vegetable oils, like coconut.
Popularized by Dr Bronner’s line of products, castile cuts through grease and cleans.
Vinegar
Thanks to its acidity, vinegar effectively (and gently) eliminates grease, soap scum, and grime.
Clean with a solution of half water and half vinegar. Get glass surfaces, from windows to mirrors, sparkling with white vinegar.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice one of the best natural cleaners due to its low pH and antibacterial properties.
It annihilates mildew and mold, cuts through grease, and shines hard surfaces. It also smells lovely.
Diluted lemon juice will clean stains from cutting boards. Squeezed-out lemon halves are also good for cleaning glass: rub on glass doors and chrome fittings to remove cloudy stains and bring back shine.
Olive Oil
This pantry staple also works as a cleaner and polisher.
Simply pour a drop of oil onto a rag and wipe down your stainless steel appliances to get them looking brand new again.
Essential Oils
There are many oils that work: Lemon is naturally antibacterial and antiviral; tea tree fights germs, bacteria and viruses and rosemary’s natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties make it a great addition to homemade soaps and laundry detergent.
Lavender is one of the best-smelling naturally antibacterial essential oils. This essence pairs well with vinegar.
Microfibre clothes
These can be used to clean and sanitise almost every surface in the home with nothing more than water and a wipe.
And unlike sponges and conventional cloths, which are often breeding grounds for bugs, microfibre cloths don’t retain bacteria, which eliminates the danger of cross contamination.
The greater the concentration of fibres per square centimetre, the greater the cleaning power. Independent tests showed that e-cloths which have 480,000 fibres per square cm, at least 100 times finer than a human hair.