Eco 101: 25 Recipes for Chemical-Free Cleaning

Review:

“This book is great -- it uses ingredients you probably already have laying around the house to create pretty potent cleaners. Made me feel a bit like a chemist. I definitely recommend picking this up.”


Product Description:

Whether you’re nervous about the number of chemicals in your home and around your kids and pets or simply tired of spending too much money on Pledge, Fantastick, Windex, and their ilk, making your own household products is the answer. You can green your home while saving the green in your wallet with these recipes for everything from oven cleaner to shampoo. 


Have a clogged drain? Messy stovetop? Or just a home that gathers dirt from your family’s active lifestyle? Learn natural solutions that will save you money while saving the environment. Before long, you’ll have spotless stainless steel, shiny floors, and stain-free clothing—not to mention healthy skin and hair—the natural way.


Excerpt from the Book:

“Many of these recipes rely on slight variations of the same ingredients. If you’re using any of these cleaners on a delicate surface for the first time, it’s wise to test a small area to make sure it doesn’t damage the surface. Be careful with granite and marble, as you shouldn’t use vinegar on these counters or floors.


Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Toxic Free, was a pioneer when she started raising concerns about toxic chemicals in our homes. Today, she says many common household cleaners provide more cleaning and disinfecting powers than we need. For instance, just because you spill some sauce on the counter while cooking, you do not have to decimate the spill with bleach cleaner. The trend toward these harsh ingredients started post-World War II, when commercials urged homemakers to move away from simple items like regular soap, vinegar and lemon juice to use newly formulated chemical products for cleaning. After 30 years of advocating for toxic-free homes, she still relies on some key rules. “I keep it as simple as I can,” said Dadd, who is also known as the “queen of green.” She mostly uses a mixture of vinegar and water, or plain soap and water, to clean.”


Includes: 

Tips on chemical hazards

Recipes on cleaners, fresheners, and more

Personal care tips

How to create your own cleaning kit

And more! 


About the Author:

Crystal Yednak has been a writer and reporter since 1995, covering a variety of topics for major newspapers and publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. In her free time, Crystal searches for ways to make her home more environmentally friendly, whether that be using cloth diapers or making her own cleaners.