Take Control of Your Health

You Don’t Need Chemical Disinfectants in Your Home

by Joseph Mercola, D.O.
Joseph Mercola

Dr. Joseph Mercola
of Mercola.com

About 40 percent of disinfectants on the commercial market are alcohol- or ammonium-based, and new research has found that these cleaners are virtually ineffective at eliminating noroviruses—a group of viruses that sicken over 21 million people in the United States each year with "stomach flu" or food poisoning. If you’ve been spritzing these disinfectants around your home, you’ve been exposing yourself and your family to these noxious chemicals for essentially nothing!

Simple and Effective Natural Cleaning Alternatives

I strongly encourage you to think about ditching all of your chemical disinfectants, including your antibacterial soaps, laundry detergents and bath and kitchen cleansers, in favor of more natural alternatives.

For those times when you need to do a bit of cleansing, one of the best non-toxic disinfectants is simple soap and water. You can use this for washing your hands, your body and for other household cleansing. Another all-purpose cleanser that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Simply put each liquid into a separate spray bottle, then spray the surface with one, followed by the other.

You can actually keep your home very fresh and clean by making your own natural cleaning products using items you probably already have around your home. Some more tips for making simple and effective all-natural cleansers:

  • Use baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar to clean drains and bathtubs, or sprinkle baking soda along with a few drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil (which have antibacterial qualities) as a simple scrub for your bathroom or kitchen.

  • Vinegar can be used to clean almost anything in your home. Try it mixed with liquid castile soap, essential oils and water to clean floors, windows, bathrooms and kitchens. It can even be used as a natural fabric softener.

  • Hydrogen peroxide is another natural disinfectant that is safer to use than chlorine bleach for disinfecting and whitening.

  • Vodka is a disinfectant that can remove red wine stains, kill wasps and bees and refresh upholstery (put it into a mister and simply spray on the fabric).

The benefits to using these natural ingredients are many; your home will be clean and fresh smelling without exposing your family to toxins… plus, making your own cleansers is much less expensive than purchasing most toxic commercial varieties.

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