Did you know that many household products have ingredients that may seem safe, but are far from it? The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 grandfathered in an estimated 65,000-100,000 chemicals currently on the market today. This means these chemicals have not had any safety testing, and there is very little information about their effects.

Of the chemicals tested, toxic labeling is required only if 50% or more of the animals tested with a chemical die. Under the TSCA, manufacturers are protected by trade secret laws that allow them to keep their ingredient lists a secret.

So, what can you do? Especially when you need to keep a close eye on your budget. How about using some common household products, that aren't necessarily so common for cleaning purposes? I have personally used all of these for various things. They work well, and it is wonderful to know that I can use them safely around my son and cat. Or have my son help me even.

1. Baking soda

The abrasiveness of the baking soda makes it perfect for cleaning sinks, bathtubs, and showers. Anything that needs some extra scrubbing power. Just sprinkle it in the sink, tub, or shower, and then scrub well. Using a scrub sponge helps as well. This will work on stainless steel, ceramic, tile, and any other surface. I have also used it on my glass top stove when there are stubborn stains and burned food.

2. Castile soap

Castile soap works well for any soap that you want to replace: hand soap, dish soap, or even shampoo! You can also add essential oils to give it a smell that isn’t harmful. Notes: Be sure to check the ingredients to make sure there is no fragrance in them. It should have fat, lye, and water. And don’t mix with vinegar as the vinegar counteracts the soap. Why avoid fragrance? That’s for another article, but you can find more information on safecosmetics.org.

3. Vinegar

Vinegar can also work well as a cleaner. And can be used in your dishwasher to replace JetDry or your washing machine instead of fabric softener. It has also been known to help clean mold. For cleaning my toilets, I use a mixture of vinegar, castile soap, and tea tree essential oil.

4. E-cloth

E-cloth cleaning cloths can be found on their website, Amazon, and in many Ace Hardware stores around the nation. They use microfibers in the cloths to help clean more effectively. There are mops, sink cloths, window cloths, face cleaning cloths, and more.

5. Baking Soda and vinegar

I already talked about these two separately, but together, they can also be effective. Need to do an extra thorough clean of your toilet? Open the toilet tank, make it so no water can get into the bowl, and flush to empty the tank and bowl. Then put baking soda in your toilet bowl and vinegar in your tank and flush. Be careful not to add too much baking soda or you will overflow the toilet.

Cleaning is rarely a fun job, but when you can do so knowing that you aren’t putting toxins into your home or the environment, that can make cleaning less of a burden. And if you have children, you can breathe safely knowing they can learn to clean and help you clean without harming themselves.

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