Common eco-friendly, natural cleaning ingredients: what they are & where they come from

Common Eco-Friendly Cleaning Ingredients via This Original Organic Life

I have been into using chemical-free cleaners (like Seventh Generation & Dr. Bronner’s) for several years now. For me, this choice just makes sense – especially after being exposed to the dangers of toxins in the home and all this means for human and environmental health.

Lately, though, I’ve been delving more into the realm of actually making my own cleaners and body products – from salves and tinctures (in the herbal medicine realm) to aromatherapy mists to laundry detergent and natural deodorant.

Making your own products not only saves lots of money, but it is fun, educational, and simply better for you, your family, and the environment.

You can also reuse containers used to store products when making your own concoctions – which is one thing you can’t do as easily when purchasing eco-friendly products from stores. It is possible, but not as common – and let’s face it, sometimes we just forget to bring our own packaging.

In this post, I want to start with you a basic introduction to common natural ingredients that can be used to make your own cleaners and answer the foundational question that comes to us when we have a concern for what we are consuming:

What is [ingredient] and where does it come from?

1.) Baking Soda

Where does it come from?

Baking soda is a white crystalline powder called pure sodium bicarbonate. In its pure/natural form, baking soda is called nahcolite, taking its name from its chemical formula. Most of the baking soda in the US comes from the trona mines in Green River, Wyoming.

Trona is a naturally-occurring mineral that is chemically known as sodium sesquicarbonate. Trona is the raw material which is refined into soda ash. Soda ash, in turn, is used to make glass, paper products, laundry detergents, and many other products. It also is used in the manufacturing of other chemicals, such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and sodium phosphates (detergents). (source)

Cleansing Properties

Baking soda is very diverse and helps to dissolve dirt and grease in water. The coarseness of baking soda is similar to that of mainstream, more abrasive (and chemical) cleaners.

2.) Vinegar

Where does it come from?

White vinegar comes from the process of distilled alcohol undergoing acid fermentation. There are lots more steps that you could delve into in your own research, but I’ll leave it at that for now.

Cleansing Properties

Distilled white vinegar is extremely versatile in the cleaning world (and in the kitchen in general, for that matter).

Vinegar can be mixed with water (1:1 ratio) to create a fantastic all-purpose cleaner that deodorizes and disinfects al in one. Try adding our next ingredient (lemon juice!) to neutralize vinegar’s infamously strong odor.

3.) Lemon Juice

Where does it come from?

This ingredient is more easily traced to nature, I would say, as many of us know its source (lemons) and can make the connection to the “naturalness” of it.

Lemon juice comes from the fruit of the lemon tree, which is commonly grown in the citrus states of California and Florida. If you want to be sure to get the best quality lemons that are lightest on the environment, you can purchase organic lemons . . . or try growing your own!

Cleansing Properties

Lemon juice is a natural disinfectant with antibacterial properties. You know how lots of cleaners like to add a little lemon essence? Well, turns out our noses were right all along – we want our cleansers to smell like lemon because lemon is inherently cleansing! How beautiful is that?

Lemon juice has been known to brighten whites in laundry when added to the rinse cycle.

4.) Liquid Castile Soap

Where does it come from?

Castile soap is purely made from plants (rather than from animal fats as other soaps commonly are). It is named for the Castile region of Spain in which it originated. It truly is a true soap – not a chemical detergent – which makes it 100% biodegradable and eco-friendly.

You can learn more about the process of soap-making from one of my favorite organic, fair-trade soap companies, Dr. Bronner’s.

Cleansing Properties

If you are familiar with Dr. Bronner’s, a huge producer of high-quality castile soaps, you will know what truly makes this kind of soap magic, as Bronner’s likes to say. Castile soap can be used as an all-purpose cleaner, in shampoos, body soap, dishwasher detergent, even toothpaste!

5.) Essential Oils

Where does it come from?

Essential oils are pretty much what they sound like – the oil of the plant from which they are extracted. It is essential in that it carries the distinctive aroma, or “essence” of the plant. Essential oils are generally extracted using distillation.

It does take a great deal of a plant (some more and less than others) to produce essential oils. This is why it is important to use sparingly and purchase wisely.

Cleansing Properties

Most essential oils possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Oils that are best for cleaning are: Lemon, grapefruit, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, lavender, and rosemary. And remember – a little goes a long way!

6.) Club Soda

Where does it come from?

Club soda is a fancy term for carbonated water. Since purchasing bottled water (which is essentially what club soda is) can be quite wasteful and supports companies/practices that you may or may not want to support, you can try making your own!

Cleansing Properties

Club soda is known for treating difficult stains, including wine, coffee, and chocolate.

A note about Borax

I had been struggling with whether to use borax or not, as it is often a main ingredient in cleaners that claim to be natural and eco-friendly. I’ve decided to forego it in lieu of the many other options out there that I trust (listed above), a decision instigated by my research revealing that borax can cause skin and eye irritation and disrupt male hormones. Plus, one of the key ingredients I’ve suggested can act in place of borax (ahem, baking soda, ahem).

I like to take the route of “better safe than sorry” when it comes to health, so this is just my choice to err on the side of caution. . . not my professional scientific recommendation. Do some research and figure out what works best for you!

These are the basic ingredients I wanted to highlight for now; thanks for stopping by! Feel free to peruse the DIY section of my blog to learn more about using these and other natural ingredients in natural cleaning & body products.

Continue reading here: Recipe: Marinated Kale & Veggie Salad with Cashew Dressing

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