Replace some cleaning agents or do it yourself!
Some cleaning agents in the household can actually be replaced, used more sparingly or even made by yourself. Some even work better, but in any case you save money and packaging. And in any case you do something for our environment.
- 9-component rinse aid for the dishwasher can simply be replaced with white vinegar.
- You can mix 1 tablespoon of soda, 2 drops of essential oil of your choice, 1 glass of water and 1 glass of vinegar to make a surface cleaner. It is best to fill it into a spray bottle. Durability unlimited or until the bottle is empty!
- You can even make flea remedies for your pet yourself with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 glass of water. Rub 3 minutes with the mixture, let it soak for at least 15 minutes or simply brush it out as soon as it is dry.
- Pots and pans can be cleaned with a vegetable cleaning pad made of horsetail, as this plant contains silicic acid. To do this, weave a handful of horsetail-spear in such a way as to create a square that can be used to scrub metal and pots. If you don’t find any horsetail-plant yourself, simply order “fake bamboo” from a florist.
The background knowledge:
In Europe, soda is made from sodium hydrocarbonate, which in turn is made from sea salt, chalk, coal and ammonia. This fine powder is a great all-purpose product, because it is biodegradable, even in water.
Properties:
- Dissolves grease in the detergent
- can be used as baking agent
- binds odours
- kills house dust mites
- prevents the proliferation of fungi and bacteria
It is best to buy pure high quality soda in large quantities and use it for everything, e.g. imperial soda (E500ii)
ATTENTION! baking powder or baking soda usually consists of a mixture of sodium bicarbonate with citric acid and sodium phyrophosphate and phosphates are bad for the environment. So also here: it is better to use only pure baking soda.
Here you get e.g. soda in larger quantities in Germany: Plastic free shipping in paper packaging offers: www.gruene-bude.de
White vinegar, e.g. spirit vinegar is the cheapest vinegar and is made from fermented beets or corn.
Properties:
- dissolves fats and lime as cleaning agent
- antiseptic, disinfecting
- prevents the proliferation of fungi and bacteria
ATTENTION: Avoid extortionate prices just because the packaging looks nicer. Vinegar is a very inexpensive product, you can use anyone.
In one of the next blogs we will also give you DIY cosmetic tips.
So have a look again!
Sources: Hygge Extra Home & Garden, The Paradise of the Grand-Mère, ISBN 3-7750-0342-8