Bacteria, or cleaning products with toxic chemicals? Hmmmm. Tough choice. But, really, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many non-toxic cleaning products available in health food stores and even in supermarkets - although you do have to watch the labels carefully in the supermarket products – some say ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ but have simply had something organic or natural added to them, without eliminating the toxic ingredients.
Non-Toxic Cleaning Products from Your Kitchen
We don’t recommend specific products, there are far too many to keep track of, and we're kind of busy making our wonderful organic crib mattresses, but here is an outline of what to look for to ensure you’re getting something safe. Courtesy of Debra Lynn Dadd, Queen of Green.
"If a cleaning product contains a chemical that is hazardous, it must by law specify the hazard."
Look at your cleaning product labels and see if you find any of these words:
Toxic/Highly Toxic: poisonous if you happen to drink it, if you breathe the fumes, or if it is absorbed through your skin.
Extremely flammable/Flammable/Combustible: can catch fire if exposed to a flame or an electric spark.
Corrosive: will eat away your skin or cause inflammation of mucous membranes.
Strong Sensitizer: may provoke an allergic reaction.
Hazardous cleaning products also must prominently display the degree of toxicity with one of the following signal words:
Danger (or Poison, with skull and crossbones): could kill an adult if only a tiny pinch is ingested.
Warning: could kill an adult if about a teaspoon is ingested
Caution: will not kill until an amount from 2 tablespoons to 2 cups is ingested."
Additionally, your kitchen is actually loaded with the ingredients for just about every cleaning need. The short list includes vinegar, water, lemon, cornstarch, table salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. If you’re interested in making your own cleaning products – it’s very easy and fast – check Home Safe Home, Debra Lynn Dadd’s indispensable guide to non-toxic living.