Archived Newsletter #3:   Safe Effective Cleaning Products

Does anybody really enjoy cleaning? It's a job that must be done. But, this job is made especially difficult if you suffer from chemical sensitivities and need to find nontoxic, yet effective cleaners. I've learned from nine years' experience in trying to find nontoxic cleaners that although they are available, they are usually at a higher-than-normal cost when purchased from a health food store or other specialty store. That's bad enough. But when you pay your hard-earned dollars for these safe products and take them home, you at least expect them to work properly. Often they do not. They may be safe, but they aren't always effective.

The good news is that you can make many of your own safe, effective cleaners. They will save you money and improve the air quality of your home and protect your health in the process. Here are a few tips for using some simple, easy-to-obtain items.

We've found that Tea Tree Essential Oil is a must for your home. Tea Tree Oil is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-viral. Try this next time you need to clean a not-so-fresh-smelling bathroom. You can safely use an old-fashioned scouring powder called "Bon Ami." It is available at most grocery stores and has been around for many decades. It has no fragrance and is reputed never to scratch surfaces. So you can safely scour your sinks, toilets and bathtubs with "Bon Ami." Just add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to the toilet bowl, prior to scrubbing, and you'll be amazed at how well it eliminates odors. From time to time, you might want to add a few drops and swish it around the toilet bowl and leave it. It smells fresh and clean.

Prior to scouring the sink and bathtub, wet the surfaces with water, sprinkle on the "Bon Ami" and add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil. Scour away and rinse thoroughly. Again, the smell is clean and fresh. And you can be sure the surfaces are really clean.

You may want to check our website for our Tea Tree Cream Soap. It is especially useful for occasional skin problems. It also has a lovely, fresh smell.

Another invaluable aid in cleaning your home is Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE.) You can buy GSE in health food stores or other specialty stores. Don't let the cost fool you. A 2 oz. Bottle may cost about $10, but it will last a long, long time.

GSE is very safe and a highly effective anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Unlike Tea Tree Oil, GSE is soluble in water and so it can be mixed with water for a wonderful all-purpose cleaning spray. Below are some guidelines for this invaluable product's use.

Fill an 8 oz. spray bottle with distilled water and 15-25 drops of GSE to make a long-lasting, fragrance-free disinfectant. You can use it to spray counter tops, sinks, toilets, door handles, light switch plates, litter boxes and so on. We keep a bottle in our bathrooms and on the kitchen counter. Whenever I prepare meat at the sink, I thoroughly wash the area with hot water and soap, then I spray the area with the GSE disinfectant and wipe dry with a paper towel. I spray this on my garbage pails to eliminate germs and odors. We spray our toothbrushes with this mixture to help disinfect them. In addition, we even carry it in the car, so that if we need to wash our hands where there is no soap or water available, we just spray it on and wipe it off. This eliminates the need for those pre-moistened towelettes that are highly fragranced and contain petrochemicals. You'll find a multitude of uses for this wonderful spray.

You can add a few drops of GSE to the water you use to wash your floors. Likewise, you can add a few drops to the water in an indoor humidifier.

Every bar of Homespun Naturals soap contains GSE. It prevents rancidity and is a wonderful, natural presevative. It is one of the main reasons why we do not have to resort to using synthetic petrochemical fragrances in our soap. We don't need them and never use them. Our products are made of fresh, natural ingredients preserved by expensive, but wonderfully effective Grapefruit Seed Extract.

It is reported that as many as 35% of Americans describe themselves as "sensitive to chemicals." Most of these are women. Since women are generally the ones who do the cleaning chores around the home, (no offense to you fine men who share in the cleaning tasks) women really must find safe alternatives to chemically-laden cleaning products readily available in the grocery stores. You can help protect your health and that of your family by eliminating the use of many of these petrochemical products and making good use of Grapefruit Seed Extract and Tea Tree Oil.

May your health and families prosper!

Warmest regards,
Corinne & Terry Simpson
Homespun Naturals Soapmaking, Inc.