Plain old vinegar is one of the best household cleaners around. Ditch those icky chemical cleaners and switch to a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water. If you don’t like the vinegar smell (it does dissipate quite quickly, though) add a few drops of your favourite essential oil. I like to use lavender oil, which reputedly has a calming effect, disinfects, and repels insects. Keep your cleaning solution in a simple spray bottle, and along with your microfibre cleaning cloth, you have a potent cleaning solution which cleans and disinfects sinks, toilets, mirrors, windows, tiles, shower recesses, kitchen benches, and anything else where dirt, soap, calcium deposits or grease have built up. It’s also great for removing mould from grouting between tiles (leave to sit for a little while, then scrub with an old toothbrush or nail brush). When washing floors, spray some of the solution on a wet microfibre floor cloth/mop and that’s all you’ll need. Use with caution on surfaces that are sensitive to acid, such as some types of natural stone or terrazzo.
Typical home cleaning products cost at least three times the price of cheap vinegar (no need to use gourmet vinegar). Manufacturers also try to convince you that you need to buy a different product for each cleaning task – that is a waste of your hard earned money, and a lot of extra packaging to dispose of. Commercial cleaning products contain many harmful chemicals such as VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which can make your indoor air more polluted than the air outside. When these cleaning products are washed down the drain, they can damage our waterways. Especially worrisome are some of the synthetic perfumes used in commercial cleaning products, such as some forms of synthetic musk, which are carcinogenic. This article from Martha Stewart’s site lists some of the dangerous chemicals which are often found in commercial cleaning products: http://www.marthastewart.com/267411/healthy-guide-to-commerical-cleansers
