Non-Toxic, Low Cost Household Cleaner

Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide used together
are a non-toxic, inexpensive cleaner

When it comes to household cleaners, I like to keep things green, cheap, and simple. I do not want to use dangerous chemicals that are harmful to people and other living things.

Most popular household cleaners are toxic, and persist in the environment despite waste water treatment. Not only are they expensive and unnecessary, the harsh chemical components eventually make their way into our water.

What is required is a reliable, non-toxic cleaning method. Luckily, such a method exists.

Two basic cleaning agents, vinegar (acetic acid) and hydrogen peroxide, will do for most cleaning jobs and can replace toxic cleaners in the kitchen and bathroom.

Hydrogen peroxide (also know as non-chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach) is a wonder substance. Don't try this at home, but it can be used as rocket propellant. The neat freaks at NASA use it to sterilize satellites and space probes before launch, so you know it is effective at killing germs.

The best thing is that non-chlorine bleach biodegrades completely into oxygen and water.

This is what Natural Home magazine (Jan 2002) had to say about this low cost, non-toxic cleaning method:

“By itself, vinegar is not a disinfectant, but when used with hydrogen peroxide, it kills bacteria more effectively than any commercial cleaner.

Purchase a bottle of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and a bottle of plain white or apple cider vinegar. Pour each liquid into its own spray bottle. Spritz the item to be disinfected with both the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, then rinse with water.

Using one mist right after the other is ten times more effective than each spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one spray bottle.

Tests at VPI found the two sprays used together killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces; this spray combination is more effective than chlorine bleach.

It doesn’t matter if you spray with the vinegar first, then the hydrogen peroxide, or vice versa. There is no lingering taste of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, and neither is toxic if any reside remains.

This combination works exceptionally well for sanitizing counters and other food preparation surfaces, including wood cutting boards.”

I may not have a space probe to sterilize, but my non-toxic cleaning toolbox still contains vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (as well as borax and baking soda).

Harsh, polluting chemicals not required.