Homemade Eco Friendly Cleaning Products that are Safe for Newborns

This is a guest post from Brenda Stevens.
lemons soaking in a jar of white vinegar, with more lemons in a bowl in the backgroundWith an estimate of 12,000 children aged 5 and below suffering from household cleaning product induced injuries in the United States alone, the call for safe, organic products is becoming louder than ever.
As a parent, I am truly concerned with the kind of household products I use at home especially now that I have a new baby to care for.
A simple surf on the internet reveals horrific facts on common cleansers that are enough to tie my stomach in knots. Disinfectant sprays, for instance, contain a chemical known as triethanolamine which has been linked to genetic disorders. Commercial window cleaners are made with 2-butoxyethanol which has proven to cause tumors in lab mice. No thank you!
While stores are starting to offer more varieties of eco-friendly and organic products, I still feel a nagging worry. They may be safe to use, but their colorful bottles and labels might prove to be too attractive or even appetizing for my little one.
In search for safer yet effective cleaning products for my home, I started researching homemade cleaning aids that are made from purely natural and organic materials. Here a a few of my favorite formulations:

1. Window Cleansers

Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 tbsp vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Quarter ts of liquid soap
Instructions:
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture in a spray bottle and squirt a few spritz onto the glass. Scrub clean using an old newspaper until the window glass is shining like new again. I also recommend using lemon juice instead of vinegar to have that fresh citrusy smell. (Note from Kirsten: Or you can steep your lemon peel in the vinegar for a few weeks for an extra blast!)

2. Disinfectant

Ingredients:
2 cups water
10 drops Tea Tree Oil
10 drops Lavender Oil
Instructions:
After several misses, I’ve found that combining tea tree and lavender oil with water works well in disinfecting counter tops, tables, sinks, tubs and any other home furnishing except glass. Given its all natural ingredients, this eco-friendly organic disinfectant is safe for everyday use and more than that, I also find the aromatic scent of the lavender oil to be very soothing.

3. Floor Cleaner

Ingredients:
half cup liquid soap
2 gallons of water
Instructions:
Simply combine the 2 ingredients in a pail and go on washing the floor. For thorough cleaning, I also add a few drops of vinegar with water to rinse off the soap.

4. Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Ingredients:
2 cups baking soda
cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
Turn off the water supply and flush, so there is as little water as possible. Scatter the baking soda around the inside of the bowl. Next, mix the vinegar and water in a spray bottle and start spraying the bowl. The mixture will begin to effervesce. It’s safe, so don’t freak out. Finally, you are ready to scrub the toilet bowl with a brush.

5. Carpet Stains

Ingredients:
White Vinegar
Water
Instructions:
Mix a few drops of vinegar with water and pour in a squirt bottle. Spray on the stain and allow it to stand for a few minutes before scrubbing the stain off.
With a little bit of ingenuity and patience, you too can clean your home from top to bottom using homemade ingredients that are tough on germs but gentle on your baby. What’s more, these cleansers are not only effective but they smell great and won’t cost you as much.
Brenda Stevens is a mother of 2 who writes about all things family. When not sharing tips around the web, she writes about creating a calendar of conception and using ancient Chinese calculators to make a gender prediction by due date at DueDateCalculator.org.