How to have a sparkling clean home without using harmful cleaning products?

Method products along with Percy & Figg

The only chemical I use is bleach down the lavatories.

Yes. I use Method cleaning products, & whilst a lot better than most, they’re not completely ‘non-toxic’

Have a look at supermarket own pure products I have used M & S, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Co-Op own brands, all ok and cheaper than Method.

Purdy & Figg are totally natural.

(As you can probably guess I am not supermarket loyal, more of where I happen to be I shop, never Tesco’s, Asda or Morrisons though, just cannot get on with them)

Thank you GrannyGravy13 - I’d never heard of Percy & Figg but looking at their products now. Completely non toxic which is exactly what I’m looking for.
Thank you!

It’s too late for me now as I’ve been breathing in these chemicals all my life, so any damage is already done. but I have my grandchildren over a lot so I want the house as safe as possible.

wrt lung cancer in non-smokers. The first thing to be looked at should be off-gassing from the fixtures and fittings in our houses, including mdf, carpets, laminates and so on. The off- gassing does go away after a time but the damage might have been done.

I use a very sophisticated air cleaner in my home, the VOC indicator is not at its lowest today but is still at a safe level but I did use method spray to clean, so now it is not blue but is green. It turns red when I cook or bake

Also breathing in secondary smoke as children or through work environments will have potentially affected people by altering DNA, which can and does affect future generations. This can be overcome by epigenetics

Natural does not mean safe

Look for the Leaping Bunny logo, which certifies that products are free from animal testing. Brands like Astonish, Bio-D, Ecover, Method, and Marks and Spencer (M&S), so they should be nasty chemical-free.

My cleaners only use those products.

I find a steam cleaner very good for lots of cleaning tasks, my hob for one as it soon whips any grease off. Otherwise Astonishing white vinegar with lemon can be bought at most supermarkets. Magic erasers have many uses - good at cleaning tea stains off cups, and those nasty stains under toilet seats ( don’t use the same eraser for both). Pure beeswax is expensive but makes a good polish. Clean glass with warm water and buff with newspaper.

TheWeirdoAgain60

Look for the Leaping Bunny logo, which certifies that products are free from animal testing. Brands like Astonish, Bio-D, Ecover, Method, and Marks and Spencer (M&S), so they should be nasty chemical-free.

My cleaners only use those products.

The Bunny Free App is really useful it doesn’t just cover cleaning products, but makeup, perfume and bathing products.

I’ve started having more house plants in my house because they absorb toxins in the atmosphere. My daughter sprays Dettox on work surfaces all the time and it always makes me cough.

Kandinsky

Thank you GrannyGravy13 - I’d never heard of Percy & Figg but looking at their products now. Completely non toxic which is exactly what I’m looking for.
Thank you!

Purdy and Fig.
Very good but sold in a subscription basis.

Sago

Kandinsky

Thank you GrannyGravy13 - I’d never heard of Percy & Figg but looking at their products now. Completely non toxic which is exactly what I’m looking for.
Thank you!

Purdy and Fig.
Very good but sold in a subscription basis.

You do not have to get a subscription, but if you do it’s very easy to cancel, delay or change your deliveries.

Purdy & Figg is also available on Amazon, with no subscription.

Makes me feel good for not doing much cleaning.

Kandinsky

Yes. I use Method cleaning products, & whilst a lot better than most, they’re not completely ‘non-toxic’

They used to be but no longer.

I had a choking fit when I liberally sprayed Method bathroom cleaner around when I was in a cleaning mood.

It did put me off cleaning.

I damp dust & just use washing up liquid & hot water for any really dirty/ greasy surfaces

Mel1967

I damp dust & just use washing up liquid & hot water for any really dirty/ greasy surfaces

Me too- thankyou!

Also, why do want a sparkling clean home?

I suggest you go out everyday and don't cook anything, or use any appliances or do any laundry...

I would hate to think I was prioritising cleanliness over living...

I use washing up liquid for just about everything these days as you use the tiniest amount. I use a lot of bath oils because of my sensitive skin and it’s great for cleaning the bath. I put a tiny amount in the toilet as well. I do tend to use Fairy but need to get some Ecover.

So many cleaning products come in sprays and I have wondered just how unhealthy they are. We used to use Vim and Ajax powders. What happened to them? As usual, the public need to use their influence. By refusing to buy all sprays, we will force manufacturers to go back to creams and liquids. I know that 'wipes' are rather wasteful but they do have their place. I use disinfectant wipes which are then thrown in the bin, so they don't end up polluting the water supply. I also use Milton baby tablets to wipe down the kitchen worktops. They are not as harmful as bleach.

keepingquiet

Mel1967

I damp dust & just use washing up liquid & hot water for any really dirty/ greasy surfaces

Me too- thankyou!

Also, why do want a sparkling clean home?

I suggest you go out everyday and don't cook anything, or use any appliances or do any laundry...

I would hate to think I was prioritising cleanliness over living...

Me too too.

My mother is forever spraying things in the home - furniture, surfaces and insects. She has a chronic respiratory condition, and even if breathing in all these things hasn't caused it, it certainly can't help.

On the odd occasion I have dared to comment that it can't be good for her, she replies with the usual " I've always done it and it hasn't done me any harm yet".

Well, that is debatable!

I do like a clean home, but only resort to sprays as a last resort, and am perfectly happy with a slightly damp cloth for dusting.

Thanks everyone.

And if all else fails I’ll take this advice

I suggest you go out everyday and don't cook anything, or use any appliances or do any laundry

You are right karma, Natural certainly doesn’t mean safe. A while ago, trying to avoid nasty chemicals, I bought some ‘natural’ bathroom cleaner. I went and gaily sprayed it liberally round my bath, immediately followed by a vicious fit of coughing. My lungs were burning for ages. A look at the ingredients revealed one as lemon juice. It’s citric acid! OK on a pancake, not in your lungs!
I do a lot of coughing up of phlegm, partly due to acid reflux I know but I am getting seriously concerned about spray cleaners, if you can smell them then they are getting in your lungs. I find that even my cotton face masks don’t help.
It’s difficult to buy wipe on/wipe off stuff.
Useful post Kandinsky, and the replies.
P.s trying to part company with those useful disinfectant wipes too, made with plastics, aren’t they?

Ecozone is a British company which produces environmentally friendly cleaning products. I like them very much although my partner doesn't like the washing up liquid.

I also use a damp microfibre cloth for general cleaning which is very effective.

My son suffered from hayfever and allergies to cleaning products so I used to use bicarb and white vinegar a lot for cleaning when he was little and I've never gone back to harsh cleaning products.

Ethical Superstore has a good choice of products such as Method and Ecozone.

I have gone for the option of abandoning the idea of a sparklingly clean home - works for me!