All Purpose Cleaners

All purpose cleaners are soaps and detergents that are multi-purpose. This means that they can be used for various cleaning duties, such as cleaning surfaces and appliances at the same time.

While these cleaners are convenient, they have also come under massive disapproval due to their high toxic content. Many contain hazardous chemicals and in a bid to keep our homes safe, we are also filling them with lots of harmful toxins. Though the law requires products to list their ingredients, what they do not indicate is the amount of toxicity you get by using these detergents.

It is therefore, up to us to ensure that we know what products to use and avoid.

Some of ingredients to avoid are:

1. Petroleum solvents: Petroleum solvents can damage the mucous membranes. 2. Phenols: Phenols are common in disinfectants and are quite toxic to the circulatory and respiratory system. 3. Diethylene glycol: Commonly found in window cleaners, Diethylene glycol is toxic to the nervous system. 4. Perchloroethylene: This is yet another toxic chemical to avoid, as it has been associated to liver and kidney damage. It is popular in spot removers. 5. Chlorinated phenols: These phenols are harmful to the circulatory and nervous system. 6. Butyl cellosolve: This is a common chemical in all purpose detergents. It's quite toxic and has been known to damage the liver, kidneys, bone marrow and the nervous system amongst others.

Unfortunately, the list is vast and we cannot list down all the ingredients to steer clear of. So what is the best way forward? Use organic or non toxic cleaners.

Buying Non Toxic Detergents There are many non toxic detergents in the market and the good thing about these is that they are made using plant based and organic ingredients. This means that they are not only great for cleaning your home, but also do not harm your family or pets. They also do not become toxic when they interact with your sewage system or septic and you can rest assured knowing that you are not generating toxic fumes while cleaning the home.

Non Toxic Home Substitutes There are also ways you can keep your home safe from toxins without spending much on commercial all purpose detergents. This obviously depends on the cleaning duty you are undertaking. Great cleaning substitutes you can easily source from your pantry include:

1. Baking soda: This is one of the best multi cleaning products you can have in a home. It's great for scouring and is a great deodorizer as well. 2. White vinegar: Vinegar can help you remove wax build up, grease, mildew, odors and certain stains. 3. Lemon juice: Lemon contains strong acids that are effective in cutting grease and disinfecting as well. 4. Borax: Borax not only cleans, it deodorizes, disinfects and softens water as well. 5. Plain soap: Plain soap consists of water, oil and alkali and has no synthetic additives, making it a great all purpose cleaning agent. 6. Cornstarch: Cornstarch acts as a great shampoo for rugs, carpets, and windows and can be used as a furniture polisher as well.

As you can see, there are simple ways to keep your home clean and toxic free either with manufactured cleaning agents or non toxic product substitutes.

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