Green cleaning

This post is not directly related to skincare. However it is relevant to health.
What do you use to clean? Countertops, sinks, the fridge and the like? Chances are something out of a spray bottle that smells good and strong or Chlorox wipes etc. These contain harsh chemicals that zap 99.9% bacteria etc. A common chemical family found in these cleaners are quarternary ammonium compounds. These are not exactly healthy. Read this. And this. Basically, these are suspicious compounds - linked to contact dermatitis, reproductive toxicity in rats, asthma etc.

So what can you do? Make a simple and effective cleaner with plants of course. Citrus peels contain some good stuff like limonene which is a good solvent for cleaning. To extract this stuff, simply steep the fresh peels in vodka. Buy the cheapest vodka you can find! This is called a tincture - get a clean jar, cut up fresh orange or lemon peels and throw them in, and then cover with vodka. Trick is to ensure the peels are fully covered to prevent mold from growing on the peels. Let it steep for a week and you will be rewarded with a highly fragrant tincture. To make the cleaner, dilute the tincture with distilled water in a 50:50 tincture:water ratio. The resulting cleaner will be a bit acidic and is excellent for the following:
- Disinfecting countertops (alcohol is disinfecting)
- Removes mineral deposits - superb at this
- cleans faucets and stainless steel sinks beautifully without leaving any residue or stain (alcohol evaporated fast)
- excellent shower curtain/door spray - keeps the icky stuff at bay
- great for ceramic sinks
- glass/mirror cleaner - again the alcohol helps

You can also replace the alcohol in the above recipe with white vinegar and add a dash of dish soap to make a stronger cleaner for stovetops and such. Use the same dilution with distilled water as described above. The only condor this cleaner is it still smells of vinegar and leaves a bit of a stain if used on countertops and such.

Next time you eat an orange or cut a lemon, save the peels and buy some vodka!