04/11/2023
Walk the cleaning aisle of any major grocery store and you’ll find a chemical cocktail to remedy every conceivable household mess.
Got a clog? Dump a bottle of solvent down the drain. Baked-on oven scum? There’s an aerosol for that. Funky smelling sports gear? “Freshen” it up with a misty veil of fresh linen fragrance.
It all begs the question: what’s in this stuff, anyway? Which chemicals are we flushing into our water systems? And what fumes are we ingesting into our bodies while doing so?
According to a study by the Environmental Working Group that examined 2,000 popular household cleaning products, just seven per cent adequately disclosed their contents. What’s more, 53 per cent contained ingredients known to be harmful to the lungs.
Not so long ago, before multi-national personal care corporations colonized grocery stores, a very simple list of simple, even food-grade, ingredients did the trick for most household messes – safely and effectively.
Here are 35 eco-friendly home cleaning hacks you wish you knew sooner.
Walk the cleaning aisle of any major grocery store and you’ll find a chemical cocktail to remedy every conceivable household mess. Got a clog? Dump a bottle of solvent down the drain. Baked-on oven scum? There’s an aerosol for that. Funky smelling sports gear? “Freshen” it up...