On the subject of homemade and natural cleaners and their effectivity - I know I shared an idea I'd put together a while ago (a vinegar and borax solution) - I've delved deeper and with quite some research and found some really good, simple, safe solutions regarding disinfecting.
The spay I shared will suffice for relatively clean cleaning.
You know, the stuff that only needs minor cleaning and /scrubbing and not so much disinfecting. Which is necessary, so it won't go to waste.
There's some internet discussion on how acids and bases may cancel one another out,
but in my world I actually don't care about my cleaner's pH,
rather how it cleans my house, and it does.
Although we often use these terms interchangeably, it's interesting to be reminded of their definitions.
Soap: "a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids" (Merriam-Webster)
or more simply put, "...oils react with lye to create a solid mass... the result of saponification is soap and a small amount of glycerin mixed in." (the Soap Queen)
Detergent: "a powder or liquid that is used to clean clothes,
dishes, etc.:a chemical substance that is like soap" (Merriam-Webster)
Cleaner/Cleanser: "a substance used for cleaning things" (Merriam-Webster)
Disinfectant: "a chemical substance that is used to kill harmful germs and bacteria"
(Merriam-Webster)
What I found out, in a nutshell, is that there will never be a disinfectant more effective than bleach, and yes we are talking chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach is 100% effective, when used properly.
We also have a 99% effective option which happens to be not only safe for the environment,
the water table, you, your family and pets, but also easy to use and make,
plus it's likely you already have everything you need.
So, if you're willing to sacrifice a 1% possibility of parasitic infection,
for other awesome benefits, please read on.
Firstly, I must say, I noted in a number of the articles I read, a valid point worth mentioning
(based on how I've seen some people over the years 'clean' something,
and the article PhD authors' respective repetition): "when used properly".
That does mean, regardless of what you want to use as a disinfecting agent,
you must first prepare the area by cleaning it up. Mop up the mess (discard if necessary)
and then clean thoroughly with hot soapy water.
I thought that was obvious, but maybe not...
Then disinfect as per the instructions on the Chlorine bleach bottle,
if that's your choice (and I will still be using this for anything really nasty, just to be sure)
or follow this simple solution, which is again, only 99% effective (like birth control, when used properly!): vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
Vinegar (5% acetic acid, which is standard, or stronger, but stick to white vinegar for the least amount of lingering scent)
Hydrogen Peroxide (3% is the dilution required, and luckily just how it's most often sold in Canada, however I happened to have a food grade 30% strength bottle on hand, which I diluted myself {I'm sure this is the cheapest solution in the long run})
Two spray bottles, empty and clean (it's best if they 'mist' well)
Add the vinegar to one bottle, the hydrogen peroxide to the other, and you are ready, assuming you've already cleaned up the area to be disinfected. Now spray either on the surface and wait a minimum of 5 minutes, wipe it dry (or perhaps it already has dried), then spray the other and wait a minimum of 5 minutes, wipe it dry. That's it.
*Don't combine the two because together they form another chemical compound
which will not disinfect.
*I noticed that to end up with the most neutral smell, it helps to start with the vinegar.
*The vinegar/hydrogen peroxide does not make your skin feel all weird the way bleach does if you aren't wearing gloves. Which I never want to do. Another win!
The great thing is a person only really needs dish soap, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, borax, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide - possibly chlorine bleach standing by for those truly drastic incidents (non-chlorine bleach's active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, so it isn't sold as a disinfectant, btw, but colourfast for your clothes and also not as bleaching as the original), to clean their home.
My previously blogged water, vinegar, borax and tea-tree spray is a useful and handy combination.
It seems to remove soap scum as well as any other cleaner when used in conjunction with baking soda for a scrub. (I love the fizz).
The frugal cat also gives a mighty PURRR for such a cost effective solution!
I guess I have to ask, if chlorine bleach is the active ingredient in most cleaners on the market, what the heck else is in there, and what side effects do they have? (Maybe I don't want to know).
As if that isn't reason enough to go Au-Naturel when it comes to your home.
Not that I suggest or condone ingesting or bathing in any of the items I listed.
Anyway, next up on the investigation list of cleaning arsenal is dish soap, as they are not all made equally, and because most of the information on the internet is geared toward the US, not Canada, where I buy cleaning products.
I see that Dawn is the favoured brand of the US, but that's more likely because the lucky animals during the terrible Gulf of Mexico oil spill got washed with Dawn, than the actual wonderfulness of Dawn as a cleaner and its biodegradable-environmental impacts.
Heck, even plastic biodegrades after thousands of years.
A grand publicity scheme if ever there was one. But also for a good cause.
I'm all for washing petroleum-ed wildlife.
I have an inkling this is going to take me down the road of saponification, which is right along the lines of chemistry I love (home made and from scratch!) though more expensive to start out than the above, so we may have to add lye and oil to our shopping list!
I just have to quantify it all for myself. Knowledge is a powerful tool.
