Clean House Detox

Cleaning House / Detox :

I personally feel that in order to fully benefit from a raw food plan, you should really step back and look at the whole picture before adding other elements. I'm referring to detoxifying your body and environment before changing your diet, or even using a detox method in order to help transition into raw food. Some people refer to this as "Cleaning House," but just to be a bit tongue and cheek I am referring to detoxing your house. You have to detoxify yourself and your surroundings, and since it is spring time...it's time to do some cleaning!

So I've decided to finally rid my house of those toxic cleaners, not that I really use to many of those kinds but I finally wanted to give vinegar a shot. I've heard so many good things about it but for some reason never tried it out.

I came across a web page recently which has so much great natural cleaning information and methods that I have to post it, it's way too much to post on my little blog, so here's the link : http://nourishedmagazine.com.au/blog/articles/clean-and-green-natural-cleaning-formulas .

Here are the essentials you will need :

BAKING SODA (sodium bicarbonate): An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.

BORAX (sodium borate): A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. Please note safety precautions at the bottom of this page.

CASTILE and VEGETABLE OIL BASED SOAPS: Cleans everything

CORNSTARCH:Starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease

HERBS and ESSENTIAL OILS: For disinfecting and fragrance

LEMON JUICE: Cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing.A bleach alternative.

SALT (sodium chloride): An abrasive

TOOTHPASTE: A mild abrasive

VINEGAR (acetic acid): Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.

WASHING SODA (sodium carbonate): Cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Increases the cleaning power of soap.

All Purpose Cleaner: 3 tbsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. washing soda, 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil based liquid soap, 2 cups hot water. Mix ingredients in spray bottle or bucket. Apply and wipe clean.


Glass Cleaner: Equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle (can't get any easier then that)


Bathroom Cleaner: Toilet Bowl Cleaners:  Baking Soda and Vinegar: Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then squirt with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. Cleans and deodorizes. If you also want a tile cleaner that kills mold & mildew try : pure white vinegar to combat mold in your shower, and mix water with a few drops of tea tree oil.


Kitchen Cleaners: Dishes:  Use Baking soda and liquid soap 
Spot-free Dishwasher Rinse: Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse compartment of your automatic dishwasher. Wash dishes as usual.


Laundry Wash: 1-2 cap fulls of Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid soap
Garbage Disposal : keep lemon rinds and grind them into the garbage disposal, it will break up the grease and smell lemony fresh


If your sick of smelling vinegar, and want some more options here are some great companies to try....

My favorite : Holy Cow

A quote from the Holy Cow Products web site states: "These amazing cleaners contain NO solvents, NO VOCs (volatile organic compounds), NO toxins, NO alcohol, NO ammonia, NO harmful oxygen-based bleach cleaners, and NO citrus-based products which may dissolve rubber or plastics." 

I use the all-purpose cleaner on everything, including stains on my clothes, and the concentrated cleaner is great for tough cleaning, like grout and barbeque's.

My 2nd favorite : Method

All method products contain natural ingredients. When you see the word "natural" on a method label, it means that 100% of its functional cleaning ingredients - things like soaps, detergents, solvents and enzymes - are either found in nature or derived from natural sources. We use natural and naturally derived materials from renewable or abundant sources wherever we can. If we can't find a natural ingredient to get the job done, we'll use a safe, green, man-made version instead. In all cases, we only use ingredients that have passed through a comprehensive green and health screen: ingredients we have confirmed to be totally safe for people and safe for the environment.

If you click on this link, you can print a $2.00 off coupon for methods new laundry detergent,  http://methodlaundry.com/coupon , I'm kinda excited to try it out ...

And, last but not least the 3rd product I use and love : Mrs. Meyers

http://www.mrsmeyers.com

(my favorite scent is the Lavender and Lemon Verbena

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day cleaning supplies make cleaning your home fresh, fun, and fragrant. All of our cleaning supplies are made with natural essential oils, are biodegradable and phosphate-free, and we never test on animals. Whether you use our All Purpose Cleaner (good for just about everything) our Dish Soap (cuts grease like nobody’s business), or any of our other cleaning supplies, you’ll find our products are good for your house, your nose, and the environment.

So....enough about how I clean my house. 

I would also like to talk about detoxing your body.

(This blog is getting a bit too long, I will make this one a two parter, read above for info. 

on detoxing your body) Check it out...