How to Clean Your Entire Bathroom Without Using Chemicals

People ask me all the time what I use to clean my house since I don't use commercially produced cleaners anymore. Today I'm going to share with you how to clean your entire bathroom without using harmful chemicals. 

When I was looking for ways to feel better from my horrible fibromyalgia symptoms, the first thing I did was eliminate as many chemicals as possible from my home environment. I found numerous articles that explained how harmful toxic chemicals are to our overall health and well-being. Daily exposure to these chemicals has been linked to numerous autoimmune diseases, including fibromyalgia. They are used to make all kinds of cleaning solutions, cosmetics, perfumes, and household products that I used everyday. Every time I touched a surface covered in one of these products, took a breath of air that was loaded with their noxious fumes, or slathered chemically created lotion on my skin, I was exposing myself to unacceptable health risks.

Of course, I didn't know that until I got sick. I used all kinds of products for decades without a single thought about what ingredients were used to make them or the harm they could cause. By the time I had suffered with fibromalgia for over a year, I was in so much constant severe pain and had such debilitating fatigue, that I was desperate to try anything that might make me feel a little better. I was even willing to change lifestyle routines I had been comfortable with for years. Because I felt so wretched, this seemed like a daunting and insurmountable task. But the thought of being a semi-invalid for the rest of my life was even more horrible; so I was willing to give it a try.

Learning new ways to clean everything in my house took time. I gradually replaced every cleaning product in my home with something free of chemicals. It took me a year to figure out everything I needed to do. I don't want it to take anybody else that long,so I'm blogging to get the word out that you can recover from fibromyalgia and other autoimmune diseases. There are many practical changes you can make to move toward healing.

Here's how to clean your entire bathroom without using chemicals.


Dusting

Use a Swiffer duster, microfiber cloth, or similar product on wood cabinets and light fixtures. This type of tool efficiently collects dust. Swiffer and other companies that make this type of duster also market scented sprays to use with the dusting tool. Do not purchase these.The scents and propellants used in the aerosol cans are full of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Besides, the duster by itself works great.


Mirrors, Sinks, and Surfaces

Make your own all-purpose cleaner. Put equal amounts of plain white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the homemade mixture over the surface you want to clean.Scrub and wipe off with paper towels, a clean sponge, or a clean cloth. No rinsing is required. Use a clean micro fiber cloth to wipe off mirrors to avoid streaking. This is great for mirrors, sinks, faucets, countertops, doorknobs, light switches, etc. Vinegar kills most household germs as effectively as commercial products full of toxic chemicals. 


Shower and Tub

Use the homemade all-purpose cleaner on faucets and the outside surfaces of the shower and tub. To cut through soap scum on the inside of the shower, buy a dishwashing sponge with a handle that can be filled with liquid. Fill the handle reservoir with equal parts of dishwashing soap and plain white vinegar. Use a biodegradable soap like Castille or one of the organic dishwashing liquids made by companies like Method and Seventh Generation. Scrub the shower walls with the sponge and rinse. 


Whirlpool Tub Jets

Jets need to be cleaned once a month to prevent the buildup of gunk. Have you ever settled into your whirlpool tub anticipating a relaxing bath only to be slimed by gunk shooting out from the jets when you hit the on switch? Use the following mixture once a month to clean the jets and you will never be slimed again.

Fill the tub with warm water until all of the jets are completely covered with water.
Add 2 cups of borax, 1 cup of baking soda, and 2 quarts of white vinegar to the water.
Turn on the jets and let them run for 30 minutes.
Turn off the jets and drain the tub.
Use paper towels to wipe up all of the gunk that has come out of the jets.
Fill the tub with enough cold water to cover the jets and run the jets for 30 minutes.
Drain the tub and wipe up any remaining residue.
Spray vinegar and water all-purpose cleaner inside the tub and wipe with paper towels or a microfiber cloth to leave the tub clean and sparkling.


Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Buy a 16 ounce or larger squirt bottle or thoroughly rinse an empty dishwashing liquid bottle. Use a funnel to put these ingredients in the bottle in this order: 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/3 cup of Castille biodegradable soap. Add water to fill the rest of a 16 ounce bottle. If using a larger size bottle, add 2 cups of water.

Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients thoroughly. Squirt underneath the rim and on the inside surfaces of the toilet bowl. Scrub with your favorite toilet bowl brush and flush to rinse. Castille soap is made from olive oil. It can be purchased from Amazon.com or other online retailers. It can also be found at health food stores and camping and hiking stores. It is used by hikers because it is organic and biodegradable and will not harm the environment. I rarely use scented products because most of the time the scents are bound to the product with toxic VOCs. The scented forms of Castille add natural oils like peppermint and lavender to create a light scent. Castille soap may seem expensive at first: around $7.00 for an 8 ounce bottle. However, you can make four 16 ounce batches of toilet bowl cleaner from one 8 ounce bottle for a cost of under $2.00 per batch. It is difficult to find commercially made toilet bowl cleaner for this price. And the homemade version works great and is free of toxic chemicals.

Tile Floors

I like to use a steam cleaner that only requires water for routine cleaning of my tile floors. The brand I have is a vacuum/steamer combo so I can do both tasks at the same time. 

When I feel my tile floors need a more heavy duty cleaning, this is what I use.

Mix the following ingredients in a one gallon plastic pitcher with a pouring spout:

2 teaspoons of Castille soap or organic liquid dish soap
½ cup of baking soda
1 gallon of warm water
½ cup of white vinegar

Put the liquid dish soap, baking soda and half the warm water into the pitcher and mix well with a large spoon. Then add the vinegar.The mixture will bubble up and foam when you add the vinegar. Wait for the foam to subside before adding the rest of the water.

Pour the mixture into a mop that has a reservoir for adding your own cleaning mixture. I like the Libman mop. It has a plastic container that is easy to fill and a washable microfiber pad that you attach to the bottom of the mop. There are several brands of this type of mop so you can chose whichever one you prefer.  

Vacuum the floors to get up any loose dirt. Mop with the homemade floor cleaner. Use your favorite clean mop to rinse the floors with plain water.This system of cleaning my tile floors is nontoxic and it works better than any commercial cleaning product I have ever used.

Getting rid of toxic household products was the first step I took to move toward feeling better. I also quit eating most processed food which is full of harmful chemicals. And I started eating real food with lots of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. You can find recipes that use antioxidant rich foods in previous posts.

I have been symptom free from fibromyalgia for over three years.


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3 Non Toxic Cleaning Products Easy to Make at Home

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is twenty-three days away. My extended family was here for five days of feasting and gratitude over the long Thanksgiving weekend. The grandchildren spent hours down at the creek catching minnows and tromping through falling leaves and mud, racing back to the house to refuel on mac and cheese and chocolate cake, and running up to the playroom to create artistic masterpieces out of paint and Play Doh. So there are a few, ahem, (well maybe a lot) of bits of dirt and crumbs, well, just about everywhere. I am in the middle of cleaning up the Thanksgiving detritus before I start dragging out the Christmas decorations.

I can take care of all the mess without using a single harmful toxic chemical cleaning product. When I started my quest to feel better from the awful symptoms of fibromyalgia, I found a lot of info on how many potentially harmful chemicals we are exposed to in the household products we use.This exposure has been linked to many chronic illnesses. I had been using the same favorite cleaning products for years. I read the labels on all of them, researched the side effects of exposure to the ingredients, and realized I needed a new routine for household chores.

I started searching online for information about chemical free cleaning options. There are some great non-toxic manufactured products that I use. Seventh Generation makes liquid dish soap and laundry detergent. Method makes dishwasher tabs and liquid hand soap. Ecos makes laundry detergent. I prefer versions of these products that are scent free since scented products may contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The containers for scent-free products usually include the phrase "free and clear." If you prefer a scented version, make sure the scent is derived from a natural source and doesn't contain any added VOCs. 

You can buy these non-toxic cleaning products at big box stores like Target and Walmart or order them online. Since they can be expensive and aren't always easy to find in my little rural corner of the world, I have discovered a simple way to go chemical free. I make a lot of the routine daily cleaners I use from simple inexpensive ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. Here are three of my favorites:

All Purpose Cleaner

All Purpose Cleaner

Mix equal parts of plain white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. That's it!

Use this mixture to clean countertops, mirrors, appliances, chrome, faucets, and anything else you would normally clean with a commercial all-purpose cleaner. Spray the solution on the surface you want to clean. Wipe it off with paper towels or a micro fiber cloth. No rinsing needed. Be sure to use a micro fiber cloth when cleaning mirrors and chrome. It will leave them clean and shiny without leaving behind paper residue. You can buy large jugs of inexpensive vinegar at any big box store or supermarket.  

Interesting factoid:  Vinegar contains 5 % acetic acid which kills bacteria and viruses. Vinegar is such an effective germ killer that it is used in many hospital high risk neonatal units to protect vulnerable newborns from exposure to both germs and harsh chemicals.

Tile Floor Cleaner

Tile Floor Cleaner

I have quarry tile floors in my kitchen, den, sunroom, and foyer. I love the natural swirly look of the tile that makes me feel like I'm walking across stones on a creek bed. I don't love that the floors need heavy duty cleaning because this area gets a lot of foot traffic. I experimented with various combinations of ingredients and the one I settled on keeps my floors cleaner than any commercial product I have ever used.

Mix a little less than one gallon of warm water with 1 Tbs of mild dish detergent, 1/2 c plain white vinegar, and 1/2 c baking soda. Fill a one gallon plastic pitcher half full with warm water. I use an old pitcher that has a lid. Add the dish detergent to the water and stir before you add the vinegar and baking soda to prevent excessive fizzing. And the vinegar and baking soda and stir. Slowly add more warm water to finish filling the pitcher. You can use your favorite mop and just pour a little of the solution on the floor and mop away. I like to use a mop that has a pump sprayer, a reservoir to add your own cleaning solution, and a micro fiber cleaning pad that can be tossed in the washing machine after each use. It is easy to fill the mop reservoir with the solution since my pitcher has a pouring spout. Put the lid on the pitcher when you are done and store any leftover solution for your next mopping task. After you mop the floor with this solution, go over the floor again with a clean damp mop using only water.Your floors will be sparkling clean and fresh. 

I like to use this cleaner in my kitchen which is a heavy traffic area. I also have an electric steamer and vacuum combo made specifically for tile floors. I use this in the foyer and den and other light traffic areas to clean the tile. It vacuums and cleans the tile in one step. And I don't have to worry about harsh chemicals since it only uses water.

Wood Cleaner

This mixture is great for cleaning and restoring scratched wooden surfaces. Use it on tabletops, furniture, doors, or any wooden object in need of a little TLC. I have used it to make 30 year old rocking chairs look brand new and to erase all the scratches on a dining table I purchased at a huge discount because it had been a floor sample. I used some on the scratched closet door pictured below. The scratches disappeared as soon as I put the solution on the door.

To make the wood cleaner: Mix 3/4 of a cup of canola oil with 1/4 of a cup of white vinegar. Apply to the marred wooden surface with a clean rag, micro fiber cloth, or a paper towel. Leave the mixture on overnight. Buff with a clean dry cloth the next morning. The wood usually soaks up most of the mixture so there may be little or no residue of the oil to wipe off as you buff. If you are unsure about using this on a specific type of wood or a treasured family antique, do a test run first. Apply some to an inconspicuous spot on the back or underside of the piece of furniture and leave overnight to see if you like the results before doing the entire piece of furniture.

Before using wood cleaner

After using wood cleaner

Looking for safer cleaning products is just one of the changes I made as I moved toward healing from fibromyalgia. I also got rid of scented products that contain harmful VOCs and looked for cosmetics and personal grooming products that contained less toxic ingredients. I made changes in what I eat. I stopped eating processed food which is full of all kinds of toxic chemicals. I started eating real foods that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. 

I have been symptom free for almost three years. I learn something new every day about how to help my body stay healthy. And every single day I am thankful for this blessing.  

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How Much Will This Cost?

Healthy Living on a Shoestring Budget

I have been sharing my fibromyalgia recovery plan:  find a support system, get the chemicals out of your environment, stop eating processed food, start eating whole foods.  I have been asked a lot of questions about different parts of this plan.  There is one thing that almost everyone wants to know: 

How much will it cost to make the changes required to get better?  

Find a Support System.  

This aspect of the plan will cost you only time and thought.  If you join a formal fibromyalgia support network there may be a small cost for yearly dues. Many of these types of groups do not require dues and joining a formal group is not your only option.  Check out previous posts for specific ideas on how you can find the support you need as you move toward recovery.

Get the Chemicals Out of Your Environment.

My expenses in this area have decreased.   Eliminating all scented products eliminated what I would have been paying to buy scented candles, air fresheners, etc.  Switching from chemically laden cleaning and grooming products to products containing fewer chemicals has cost the same as I was paying before. I was going to buy toothpaste, makeup, soap, laundry detergent, etc. anyway. Simply switching brands did not increase my costs.  

Some brands of organic, natural cleaning products are more expensive than brands that are made with a lot of chemicals. However, you do not have to buy prepackaged products.  There are a lot of things you can make yourself.  You can read about many of these ideas in previous posts on this blog.  You can go online and type  "natural cleaning products" in the search field and find many more.  I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to natural cleaning products.  (http://pinterest.com/KathyKNorman3)    My favorite natural cleaning product is extremely cheap:  vinegar.  I buy the least expensive brand at discount stores in huge containers and get a ton of cleaning power for my money.

Stop Eating Processed Food and Start Eating Whole Foods

Many people think eating natural whole food is going to cost more than the way they are presently eating. This is simply not true.  For one thing, a big chunk of your weekly food bill will disappear when you stop buying soda, cookies, candy, and prepackaged heavily processed food items. I eat out a lot less because cooking at home lets me know exactly what is in the food I eat.  You can use these savings to purchase healthy whole foods.

There are some packaged things that you will need to buy to eat a healthy diet:  rolled oats, raisins, dried fruit, Greek yogurt, etc. These items can often be found at a reduced price at discount food stores and big box stores.  They can sometimes be found on sale or purchased using coupons. 

Whole fruits and vegetables are probably the category of foods that are perceived as being the most expensive.  But even these can be found for a good price at discount stores.  Buy fresh foods when they are in season. They cost less then.  A great source of good food at good prices is local farmers' markets.  Locally raised food is often less expensive because you cut out the big food manufacturing companies and transportation costs.  Food you buy from local growers is usually the most healthy food you can buy.  It often has less chemical exposure and there is no need for preservatives.  Many farmers' markets have whole sections dedicated to truly organic food.

Overall, I spend less now than I did before I started trying to get better.  Even if it cost more, I would find something else in my monthly budget to reduce in order to buy what I need to live a healthier lifestyle.  I started this entire process simply looking for something I could do to feel better, something that would help me cope with my illness and at least be able to function on some level.  I was as surprised as anyone when I completely recovered.  And that's priceless.