natural cleaning products

Your Home & the Environment - Chemical Free Home & Garden

Chemical Free Home

Many of the items and products we have or use in the home and garden emit harmful toxins which have been linked to a range of common health problems. Carpets and floor coverings, paints and finishes, furntiture and fabrics, cleaning, personal care and pest control products as well as heating and cooking appliances can all contribute to a toxic environment in our home. The following information will give you tips on how to make your home chemical free.

Improve your Indoor Air Quality

Good ventilation is the best way to combat household pollutants. Open your windows and doors to flush the pollutants out and let the fresh air in. If you live on a busy road or are concerned about the quality of the air you are letting in, an air filter might be a better option. Indoor plants can help remove pollutants from the air Choose natural products that have low chemical emissions. Here are some examples to start you off: Beeswax polish and linseed oil for wood finishing, Plant or mineral based paints instead of petrochemical paints and finishes, Sisal, coir or jute floor coverings instead of synthetic carpets. Essential oils or fresh flowers instead of artificial air freshners. Cleaning, personal care (soaps, shampoos etc) and pest control products that are made from natural ingredients. Check out our section on Smart Shopping for tips on how to find these products when you are shopping! Your Home has more information on indoor air quality.

Clean your home with Natural and Healthier Products

Using non-toxic chemicals around your home is better for your health and for the environment. Use natural products such as vinegar, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), eucalyptus oil, pure soap and lemon juice and the recipes below from the Easy Guide to Natural Cleaning PDF (358k) to clean your laundry, bathroom and kitchen. Fridge Cleaner Bicarbonate Of Soda mixed with water can remove stains, mould and aerate odours in your fridge. Non-toxic Oven Cleaner Mix 1/2 a cup of table salt, 1/4 cup of borax, 1/2 cup of baking soda and enough warm water to make a paste. Apply liberally to the interior of the oven. Leave it for at least an hour and then wipe it down with a cloth soaked in vinegar and then with a clean rinsed cloth. Bench Cleaner White Vinegar cuts through grease, disinfects, bleaches and deodorises tabletops and sinks. Fizzy Bathroom Cleaner Mix 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Apply with a scrubbing brush or a cloth and leave the solution for 30 minutes before one last scrub. Finally rinse the area in warm water. Windows, Glass and Mirrors Combine 1 cup of white vinegar and 5 drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle. Spray and then wipe down with a dry cloth. Be amazed as this recipe prevents mirrors fogging up. Specialised cleaning cloths and gloves are also a great way to clean without chemicals. These products are now readily available in supermarkets and are machine washable, so can be used over and over again. Try to avoid the disposable cleaning cloths as they just add to your household waste!

Chemical Free Garden

Herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilisers all contain chemicals that will effect your health, and the health of the living things in your backyard. There are non-toxic ways to control pests and diseases in your garden and much better ways of providing nutrients to your plants. Natural Pest Control Using herbicides and pesticides to control pests usually results in 'off target' impacts (where another plant or animal is unintentionally affected by the chemical you use), a build up of chemicals in the soil or runoff of chemicals into our natural environment. Analysis of sediment in our local creeks and rivers has highlighted the presence of chemicals that have been commonly used in gardens to control pests. Wet weather tip: Never use chemicals in your garden when it looks like rain - the chemicals will be washed from your garden into our creeks. Good pest management is based on having a good knowledge of the pest. Identify the pest you are trying to control. Assess where it lives, how it lives, what its lifecycle is and this will allow you to have a better idea of how to control it. There are many natural pest control techniques which include: Companion planting – many aromatic plants produce scents that are designed to make them unattractive to pests. For example: mint, lavender or marigolds Sacrifice plants - used as a decoy so that pests are attracted to them rather than your prized plants. Sticky traps, that use scents that lure pests to a sticky surface where they are trapped. Oils – which smother pests such as aphids on leaves Other natural products such as soap, chilli sprays etc. Hand removal of weeds or diseased plant material Using mulch or other plants to deter weeds Organic Fertilisers Traditional chemical fertilisers only add nutrients to your soil – not organic matter! This matter is essential for supporting life in your soil. Mulch - A great fertiliser and source of organic material for your soil. As your mulch decays it releases vital plant nutrients into the soil Compost - Recycle your kitchen scraps using a compost bin and produce one of the best forms of fertiliser for your plants. When your compost is consistent in colour and texture (brown to black, crumbly but moist and smelling like rich soil) it is ready to dig into your soil or use as a top dressing for your lawn. Worm Farm products - If you choose to use a worm farm instead of a compost bin, you will have both worm juice and worm castings in your garden. Worm juice should be diluted until it is the colour or weak tea before being watered into your garden. Castings when harvested, can be dug straight into your soil. Commerical products - Fish emulsion or seaweed fertilisers are also great products available from your nursery, supermarket or department store. Visit our Sustainable Gardening section for more information. There are many great books on how to avoid chemicals in your home and garden, some of which are available from Council's libraries. The Chemical Maze, Bill Statham (2003) Greeniology, Tanya Ha, (2003) Safer Cleaning and Better Living Tips, Robin Stewart (2002)