Every person definitely aspires to a clean kitchen. But, in this day and age, it is crucial to grasp the idea that not all of the cleaning products we use in our Jacksonville homes are safe for our environment. The good thing is that there are more eco-friendly cleaning products at hand for us to make our kitchens sparkle. Using only a few simple ingredients, most people already have in their cupboards, you can actually create safe, effective, natural cleaning products that cost a fraction of store-bought brands that work just as much or better.
There are a number of well-founded reasons to use eco-friendly cleaning products in the kitchen. Harsh chemicals can be very harmful to your skin, eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory system. To top it off, they make a serious threat to any pets or sensitive members of the household. Aside from the negative effects on your health, quite a lot of store-bought cleaning products contain chemicals that can harm the environment as well. Toxic chemicals could make headway from our kitchen drain into rivers, lakes, and groundwater, killing vegetation, polluting the soil, and poisoning fish and animals.
Eco-friendly products, on the contrary, use simple, non-toxic ingredients that are better for the environment. The challenge is that not all brands that claim to be “natural” or “organic” are truly eco-friendly. There are few federal regulations that define which products can claim to be “natural.” More than that, there are no regulations that require cleaning product manufacturers to list the ingredients in their products on their packaging.
In other words, it all depends on the informed consumer to either do some research to find the truly eco-friendly brands of cleaning products available or to make your own. Actually, some of the best eco-friendly cleaning products you can make or buy contain the same simple ingredients: white vinegar and baking soda. Commonly used together in various combinations, these two pantry staples can tackle almost any mess your kitchen can produce. With a handful of other common, versatile cleaning supplies, you can actually clean your entire kitchen, floor to ceiling, without resorting to the harsh chemicals included in many store-bought brands.
As an example, sealed wood and tile floors can be cleaned and disinfected with just a little white vinegar, some warm water, and a mop or rag. Even though the smell of vinegar may not be all that pleasant, you could easily add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to make your kitchen smell great. The same thing goes for cleaning one of the messiest parts of your kitchen: inside the oven. Getting that burned-on gunk off your oven’s interior can be a difficult task. Though with a little baking soda, water, and some patience, you can use a baking soda paste to remove all that tough grime. For a good result, you may have to allow the baking soda paste to sit overnight before scrubbing.
In a similar fashion, glass and shiny surfaces can also be cleaned with eco-friendly ingredients. To do so, you can mix together some rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, corn starch, and water in a clean spray bottle. Then simply spray and wipe clean with a lint-free or microfiber cloth. It’s an excellent thought not to use paper towels to clean glass and shiny surfaces since they are not eco-friendly and also tend to leave streaks and bits of paper towel behind.
If making your own cleaning products still isn’t appealing enough for you, there are quite a few eco-friendly options now available. A number of the more popular brands include Mrs. Meyer’s products, Bon Ami cleansers, and Method brand products. These and similar brands guarantee that their products are both safe and effective, not to mention eco-friendly. Plenty of these brands also use 100% postconsumer recycled plastics in their packaging.
It is not important whether you like to buy or make kitchen cleaning products, chances are when you get to start, you will never go back to harsh chemicals again. Not only will you protect yourself and your home, you will also be doing your part for the environment, too.
Just in case you are currently looking for a rental home or need assistance in managing your Jacksonville rental property, do not hesitate to contact Real Property Management Sunstate at 877-373-8404 to speak with a professional Jacksonville property manager today!
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