In My Kitchen: Non-toxic Kitchen Cleaners

Changing our food quality isn’t the only way that we ensure a healthy kitchen. It’s time we look at the cleaners in our kitchen as well. I think it pretty much goes without saying that many of our kitchen cleaners are less than ideal. I was recently at a house where no food was allowed to touch the counters because they were cleaned with a typical kitchen cleaner that they considered toxic.

It need not be!

What I have been using in my kitchen have worked just as well, or better, than most store bought cleaners. They are non-toxic, and I save a lot of money by using them instead. Although, in my recent posts about buying quality butter, I encouraged you to consider your family’s health and not entirely focus on price, high prices and good health don’t always go hand in hand. In fact, the way I make room in my budget for good butter and such is by choosing to make my own cleaning products and making other small choices like that.

And, of course, the biggest advantage is that these cleaners are so much more safer to use in your kitchen.

This is what I use in my kitchen

Homemade Dishwasher detergent -I have loved how this works. It has been getting my dished quite clean, and is so simple to use.

Combine equal amounts of baking soda and borax. Use two tablespoons per load. You can also use a tablespoon of vinegar in the closed apartment in the dishwasher, for the rinsing cycle.

Homemade Disinfectant Kitchen Spray-an easy and effective disinfectant

In one spray bottle, put straight white vinegar. In another bottle (I use red, colored bottle, to maintain it’s effectiveness by keeping sunlight out), put 3 % hydrogen peroxide. Spray one after the other on desired surface. Leave several minutes and wipe clean. This is an extremely effective disinfectant, read below for more info.

This quote was found here.

“By itself, vinegar is not a disinfectant, but when used with hydrogen peroxide, it kills bacteria more effectively than any commercial cleaner. Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI) in Blacksburg, Virginia, published the following formula in Science News. Purchase a bottle of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and a bottle of plain white or apple cider vinegar. Pour each liquid into its own spray bottle. Spritz the item to be disinfected with both the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, then rinse with water. Using one mist right after the other is ten times more effective than usually spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one spray bottle. Tests at VPI found the two sprays used together killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces; this spray combination is more effective than chlorine bleach. It doesn’t matter if you spray with the vinegar first, then the hydrogen peroxide, or vice versa. There is no lingering taste of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, and neither is toxic if any reside remains. This combination works exceptionally well for sanitizing counters and other food preparation surfaces, including wood cutting boards.” Natural Home magazine, Jan 2002

Simple Sink Cleaner

I put baking soda in a little glass Parmesan shaker, and keep it by my sink. When I need to use it, it’s easy to sprinkle some in and scrub away. This has worked really well for me.

Other products I use:

For my hand washing detergent, I use biokleen’s dishwash liquid. It is very concentrated so it goes a long way. It’s easy on the hands, non-toxic and biodegradable.

I also keep a bottle of their all purpose cleaner . in my kitchen and bathrooms. It has lasted me a very long time! You only use a few tablespoon to make a whole gallon of cleaner! A very concentrated, non-toxic cleaner that I love!

And that’s all I use. Simple, frugal, non-toxic, and effective! What more can you ask for?

Anyone else want to share their favorite, non-toxic kitchen cleaners?

This post if part of Frugal Friday.