Chemical Free Cleaning

[GrowYourOwn]

With a young child in the house I have never liked having chemicals around. But sometimes I find myself at a loss to replace the cleaning products that I have used in the past-for instance bleach for laundry.

How do you keep your home chemical free?

[treehugger]

Bleach isn't so bad for the environment as other chemicals. I cut down on my bleach use by adding white vinegar to the rinse cycle (about a cup) and hanging clothes on the clothesline. The vinegar helps to whiten but also softens without using extra chemicals. Hanging white clothes on the clothesline takes advantage of the sunshine for natural whitening, as well.

[Sally]

What? bleach is horrible for the environment and for humans. It leaves dioxins, a known carcinogen.

I use oxygen bleach, which breaks down into potash. I also use the power of the sun, and I boil my white linens to get them whiter.

[GrowYourOwn]

Yes-sunning items is probably my main form of stain removal-even though I don't have a clothes line. I lay them on my shrubs.....back of the house, no one to see :P

Bleach only gets used for stains that don't come out of whites in that way. I am using the same bottle of bleach now that I bought when I moved here, two years ago. Vinegar is good for a lot, but it doesn't whiten well enough.

Sally-oxygen bleach-does it have the same effect? Is it as effective? And where can I buy one-what brand do you use? I would willingly give up bleach if I can find a replacement because having it in the house scares me.

[Sally]

It doesn't lighten and whiten quite as well as chlorine bleach, but it's also not harmful. I use a scoop of powder in my laundry (and borax too). Right now I have oxyclean. I've also used oxyclean laundry spray with great results... takes out curry stains right before the eyes!

[Kitten]

We use vinegar a lot. Not for washing laundry usually, but for things like window cleaner, in place of the stuff in the dishwasher that keeps them streak-free, etc.

[Green-Moo]

The only cleaning materials I use in my home are dish washing up liquid and vinegar.

My solution to stains on white clothes is not to wear white clothes LoL