A sprinkling of Latte Creations makes an everyday coffee break extra special
Eco clean your home
All cleaning products damage the environment to some extent, but don't lose heart. Being green and keeping your house clean needn't be mutually exclusive as long as you choose your cleaning products carefully. We take a look at low-impact ways to get rid of grime
- Eco-cleaners in your kitchen
- Lemons
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Olive oil
- Tea tree oil
- Eco-friendly brands
- What else you can do
The good news is that you've probably got some excellent natural cleaning products stashed in your kitchen and bathroom cabinet. And contrary to popular belief, they're just as effective as shop-bought products; they just take a little effort to concoct and require a smidge more elbow grease to administer. By adopting greener cleaning methods you're not only doing your bit for the environment, you're also actively safeguarding your family's health by limiting the number of questionable chemicals in your home.
Beyond contributing to the long-term build-up of chemicals in the food chain, using chemicals found in many non-environmentally friendly products can give rise to adverse reactions such as irritation of the skin and eyes or mild asthmatic symptoms. It is also interesting to note that both the European Environmental Agency and United Nations Environmental Programme recently stated that widespread exposure to low doses of chemicals may cause harm to certain sections of the population including children and pregnant women. It could be some time before there's any hard and fast scientific evidence, but do you really want to take the risk? If you have pets or young children, opting for natural, non-toxic substances will give you peace of mind as well by limiting the risk of accidental poisoning.
Lemons and lemon juice - pucker up with this weak solution of citric acid which has mild bleaching and antibacterial properties. It can be used alone or mixed with water, salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to remove stains, cut through grease and deodorise.
How to use it
- Rub a fresh cut lemon on to fabric stains and leave to absorb for half an hour to eliminate stains (always test on an unobtrusive bit of the fabric beforehand to ensure it doesn't harm it).
- Polish up copper and brass wear by mixing a little lemon juice with salt and applying it to the surface. Wipe off with a dry cloth.
- Add 1 part lemon juice to three parts water to make a surface cleaner.
- Lemons are great for eliminating bad odours. Cut one in half and put it in the fridge to absorb food stenches.
- Can be used as a mild bleach substitute and used to clean tea and coffee stains from the inside of mugs. Squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice or soak the whole mug in a dilute mixture of juice and water and leave to soak for half an hour before rinsing clean.
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