Ecological cleaning

The "trailblazer housewife" is trying to clean in a more environmentally friendly manner! I often worry about the fumes that come from now conventional cleaning products when I use them, as well as their effect outside my home when they leave through the drains. If you have similar thoughts every time you clean (or if you're lucky, have your place cleaned for you!), then read on... 

The fewest of people really enjoy cleaning, including myself ... Nevertheless, if you want to clean your place without all the nasty chemicals, this Women's Environmental Network factsheet [PDF] gives you some tips as to what you can use (white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice etc.). I personally also use essential oils!

I have already been using white vinegar and baking soda for ages, thanks to my mum. I use these two miracle substances together or separately, mainly in laundry, to clear unpleasant smells from drains, and to clean windows and mirrors (spray on vinegar and rub off with newspaper for the latter). Vinegar is a great means via which to keep surfaces and wooden chopping boards/utensils clean and disinfected. I even tried using baking soda to wash my hair with... for about 2 months... didn't really work for me though perhaps I wasn't doing it properly. But I do still use a dilution of vinegar (and lavender essential oil) to rinse it, just as my mum taught me to do when I was little!

The books "The Natural Guide to Housekeeping" and "The Fragrant Pharmacy" (the latter is all about the amazing qualities of essential oils and makes for a fascinating read) are both great resources to find out about more natural "sanitisation".

Finally, if you're in the UK, and you're wondering where to get hold of all of this (because supermarkets don't stock most of this stuff!), try your local hardware store or this great website:  http://www.summernaturals.co.uk/. They supply larger quantities than I have been able to find in my local store (a plus, considering how much white vinegar I go through) and even supply personal hygiene basics, such as an organic shampoo base to which you can add essential oils of your choice (for example).

Have fun with it all (if you can)!