Chemical Free Environment

Please remember that this not meant as medical advice but as a desire to share information. Please always implement treatments under medical supervision. We are cannot be held liable for any of this information.

 

 Please note that a chemical free environment is really important. We believe that Autistic individuals have a genetic problem with detoxifying both heavy metals as well as chemicals. The buildup of heavy metals and chemicals lead to damage in the brain, nervous system, immune system and the gut. Most of my patients that have healed to the extent of losing the Autism diagnosis have a chemical free environment.

 

For further information on this, please visit my website 

 

Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Commercial Cleaners and Other

Household Products

Eco-friendly alternatives to commercial cleaning products…

• are less polluting to manufacture;

• are less likely, in some cases, to cause injury if accidentally ingested;

• don’t cause indoor air pollution in your home;

• are generally less expensive than commercial products;

• can reduce waste from packaging;

• are simple and effective and have been used for generations;

• can help you save space in your cupboards and closets;

• are less likely to harm the environment during and after use.

Shopping list:

• vinegar

• baking soda

• corn starch

• salt

• borax (toxic if ingested)

• lemon juice

• olive oil

• mild liquid soap (not detergent)

• reusable steel wool (not commercial cleaning pads that contain toxic cleaners)

• non-chlorine (no sodium hyphochlorite) scouring powder (e.g. Bon Ami)

Recipes and tips:

All-purpose cleaner

Mix 2 Tbsp baking soda with 1 pint warm water in a spray bottle. Add a squeeze of

lemon juice or a splash of vinegar to cut grease.

Surface cleaner

Find a combination that works for you, and always keep some ready in a spray

bottle. You’ll find that weak acids like vinegar & lemon juice are good at cutting

grease.

Mix: 1 quart hot water, 1 tsp veg. oil-based soap or veg. oil-based detergent, 1 tsp

borax, & 2 Tbsp vinegar.

Note: Vinegar is used here as mild acid to cut grease; borax is used as a water

softener, especially good in areas with hard water, to prevent soapy deposits.

Or, mix 1/2 cup vinegar in 1 quart of warm water.

Or, dissolve baking soda in hot water for a general cleaner.

(Source: U.S. EPA)

For a soft scrubbing paste, mix some baking soda with enough liquid soap to make a

paste. Make only what you need as it dries up quickly.

(Source: Children’s Health Environmental Coalition)

No-streak glass/window cleaner

Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1 quart warm water.

Or, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 quart warm water.

Apply with a spray bottle or sponge. Wipe with crumpled newspaper instead of paper

towels for lint-free results.

(Source: U.S. EPA)

Oven cleaner

Use one of the following methods: (Source: U.S. EPA)

1. Mix 1 part vinegar to about 4 parts water. Put into a spray bottle. Spray onto

cool oven surface. Scrub the oven clean. Use baking soda or a citrus-based

cleaner on stubborn spots.

2. Mix together in a spray bottle 2 Tbsp liquid soap (not detergent), 2 tsp borax,

and warm water to fill the bottle. Make sure the salts are completely dissolved

to avoid clogging the squirting mechanism. Spray on mixture, holding the

bottle very close to the oven surface. Leave the solution on for 20 minutes,

then scrub with steel wool and a non-chlorine scouring powder.

3. Or, use a non-chlorinated scouring powder, like Bon Ami.

4. Or, use a baking soda, salt, and water paste.

5. Clean glass oven door with Bon Ami. Use razor blade or spatula for tough

spots.

6. Notes: Avoid aerosol oven cleaners and cleaners containing lye (sodium

hydroxide). Avoid chlorinated scouring powders such as Comet and Ajax.

Don’t use abrasive cleaning materials on self-cleaning ovens. For preventative

cleaning, use baking soda disolved in water.

Non-toxic toilet bowl cleaner

Pour in 1 cup borax, 1/2 cup white vinegar and leave overnight. Flush to wet the

sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the borax around the toilet bowl, then drizzle with

vinegar. Leave for several hours before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

For stains in toiletbowl, try a paste of lemon juice and borax. Let sit about 20 min.

and scrub with bowl brush.

Notes: Avoid solid toilet bowl deodorizers that contain paradichlorobenzene — there

is evidence that it causes cancer in laboratory animals. Some toiletbowl-cleaning

products contain acids (read labels). If acids are mixed with a cleaner containing

chlorine, toxic chlorine gas is released.

(Source: U.S. EPA)

Tub and sink cleaner

Use non-chlorinated cleanser (e.g. Bon Ami).

For toughest stains, try a citrus-based cleaner at full strength (undiluted).

Try fine grain wet/dry sandpaper (400 grit) to remove pot marks in porcelain sinks

(gentler than common scouring cleansers).

To remove mineral deposits around faucets, cover deposits with strips of paper

towels, soaked in vinegar. Let set for 1 hour and clean.

Note: Hard water means the water has a high mineral content (e.g. calcium,

magnesium, iron, etc.). This often results in whitish mineral deposits left on faucets,

shower doors, drains, windows. Vinegar, a weak acid, can dissolve many of these

deposits.

(Source: U.S. EPA)

Bleach

Use hydrogen peroxide-based bleaches. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down to water

and oxygen in wastewater. (Source: U.S. EPA)

Laundry

For a fabric rinse, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the washing machine’s rinse cycle. This

eliminates the scratchy feel of laundered clothes by rinsing detergent completely

from clothes. To brighten clothes, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle

Reduce the amount of laundry detergent per load by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda

or borax to the wash.

(Source: Children’s Health Environmental Coalition)

Dishes

Handwashing: Use vegetable oil-based soaps/detergents.

Automatic dishwasher: Automatic dishwashing detergents have a very high level of

phosphates. One exception is Seventh Generation brand dishwashing powder.

Unclogging drains

Use one of the following methods:

1. Pour one or two handfuls of baking soda followed by _ cup white vinegar

down the drain pipe and cover tightly for one minute. The chemical reaction

between the two substances will create pressure in the drain and dislodge the

obstruction. Rinse with hot water.

2. Pour _ cup salt and _ cup baking soda followed by lots of hot water.

3. Plunge the sink. Find out how from Better Homes & Gardens.

4. Use a drain snake — also called a sink auger — to unclog stubborn drains.

Drain snakes can be purchased at hardware stores or ordered online,

sometimes for less than the cost of a bottle of chemical drain cleaner. More

expensive heavy-duty drain snakes can be rented for less than the cost of a

chemical drain cleaner. Find out how from Better Homes & Gardens.

5. Read “Unclogging a Sink Drain ,” from DoItYourself.com.

Moth balls

Store clean clothing in airtight containers or sealed bags with cedar blocks, shavings

(available as cage bedding in pet stores) or oil. Place cedar in drawers and closets as

well. Inspect any used clothing or furniture carefully for moths or larvae before

bringing them into the house, or clean them first. Vigorously shaking clothes will

remove larvae and eggs (remember to vacuum well afterwards). And the heat of the

dryer will also kill larvae and eggs.

(Source: Children’s Health Environmental Coalition)

Floor or furniture polish

Use one of the following methods:

1. Use 1 part lemon to 2 parts olive oil and apply a thin coat. Rub in well with a

soft cloth.

2. Mix three parts olive oil and one part vinegar.

Carpet deodorizer

Sprinkle carpet liberally with baking soda. Wait 15 minutes longer, then vacuum. For

musty rugs that have been sitting in the attic, leave the baking soda overnight.

Metal polishing

(Source: U.S. EPA)

Brass: Mix 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup white vinegar with enough flour to make a paste.

Apply thickly. Let sit for 15 min-1/2 hr. Rinse thoroughly with water to avoid

corrosion.

Copper: Polish with a paste of lemon juice and salt.

Silver: Boil silver 3 minutes in a quart of water containing: 1 teaspoon baking soda,

1 teaspoon salt, and a piece of aluminum foil.

Or, rub silver with a baking soda/water paste and a soft cloth; rinse and polish dry.

Or, rub with toothpaste.

Use a toothbrush to clean raised surfaces. Be careful not to scratch surfaces. Be

gentle and use a light hand.

Chrome: Wipe with vinegar, rinse with water, then dry. (Good for removing hard

water deposits.)

Or, shine chrome fixtures with baby oil and a soft cloth. (Good for removing soap

scum off faucets.)

Stainless steel: Clean and polish with a baking soda/water paste or a cleanser like

Bon Ami.

Paper towels and rags

Crumpled newspaper is a great substitute for paper towels for cleaning windows. If

you do use paper towels for cleaning, choose unbleached paper towels with high

post-consumer recycled content. Reusable cloth rags are also a good choice.

Disposal of commercial cleaning products

Get rid of toxic household products stored under your kitchen sink and in your

basement — but don’t pour them down the drain or throw them in the trash.

Remember that many household products are considered hazardous waste. Contact

your local environmental agency or public works department to find out about

hazardous waste disposal in your area. You can read about local disposal rules at

www.cleanup.org.

Commercial citrus-based cleaners:

Citrus-based cleaners are extremely effective and can reduce the need for packaging

when purchased in a concentrate. The price for the concentrate will seem high –

about $8 for a 16-ounce bottle — but each bottle makes eight gallons of cleaner, and

the product is ultimately much cheaper than other cleaners. Citra-Solv and Seventh

Generation are two brands of citrus-based cleaners.

Citrus-based cleaners can help cut down on packaging, but not as much as bulk

cleaners sold in some health food stores. With bulk cleaners, you can re-fill the same

container hundreds of times. An article on the website of Bio-Pac, Inc., a

manufacturer of bulk cleaners, points out that most of the environmental impact

associated with cleaners comes from the packaging.

www.ems.org – Environmental Media Services

Last update: April 15, 2002