Why switch to natural cleaning in 2024?
Sara Idenfors
Every day, we are exposed to harmful chemicals, which may include pollutants, preservatives, or various additives.
For example, studies indicate that an average person applies between 85 and 168 different chemicals to their skin every day. Research also shows links between diseases and toxins. Chemicals and environmental pollutants can disrupt hormone balance and fertility as well as the immune system.
There are, however, many experts and studies, just as there are many different theories about what is harmful and what is not. It is clear, however, that there is every reason to be chemical-aware and read up on the subject.
A study to download can be found here:
https://www.researchgate.net/signup.SignUpInstitution.html
Chemicals are complicated, and even researchers do not agree on every point. In addition, “everything” is chemical. Simple things such as ordinary water and table salt are also chemicals. Dihydrogen oxide sounds very chemical, but it is ordinary water; sodium chloride NaCl is ordinary table salt; if we are not informed, even this can sound frightening. And remember that anything can be overdosed—even water can be too much for the human body if consumed too quickly in too large an amount.
Natural is good, but remember that too much and too strong can also be “dangerous.” It is, for example, very common to have an allergic reaction even to natural things. A horse or a peanut can make an allergy sufferer very ill, even though a horse is very natural.
Eessential oils contain terpenes, hydrocarbon compounds that are a major component of essential oils, which for example, oils from orange peels or pine. When terpenes react with the oxygen in the air, antimicrobial substances are formed, and this form is highly allergenic to humans.
That is why it is important to read up and think carefully. A good rule of thumb is to choose the simplest option possible. If there is one alternative with a long and complicated list of ingredients and another with fewer and simpler ingredients, it is usually better to choose the simpler one. Do not overdose on anything, and read up on it.
We cannot possibly avoid all unnecessary chemicals, but with simple measures and in stages, we can reduce the number of unnecessary chemicals by reading up and changing how we, for example, clean at home. Cleaning is a good and fairly easy area to change.
Here are some simple tips on how to reduce the use of chemicals when cleaning at home.
Soft soap is a type of soap containing simple, readily biodegradable surfactants. Surfactants are needed to break up and remove dirt and grease. Imagine that you have a plate on which you have eaten sausage and macaroni. You know how the surface of the plate feels then! Greasy and dirty. If you only rinse or wipe the plate, it will still feel greasy and dirty. If, on the other hand, you add a little dish soap and warm water, the plate quickly becomes clean again and the grease disappears—that is what a surfactant does!
The same effect is achieved when you have a little soft soap in the cleaning bucket or on a scrubbing sponge; the grease and dirt dissolve. All greasy dirt and all dirt originating from humans, animals, or nature can be removed with soft soap, warm water, and a brush/cloth/sponge.
When you think about it, a great deal of dirt falls into this category—most of it, in fact.
Exceptions are limescale and rust oxidation, and deposits from metals; to remove these, you instead need something acidic, such as vinegar, distilled vinegar, or citric acid, but it doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.
What you don’t need is, for example, air freshener—think about it for a moment! Does it really purify the air when you add perfume?
- No, of course it doesn’t!
Instead of spraying “air freshener” in the rooms, think about it: what makes you feel that you need such a product?
Something is causing the bad odor you want to get rid of. Instead, choose to find the source and clean it away. Clean does not smell and covering up bad odors with perfumes is not a solution.
Fabric softener, stain remover, drain cleaner, oven cleaner are other examples of products that can be replaced with simple natural products.
None of this is a comprehensive solution for eliminating unnecessary chemicals from everyday life, BUT it is part of reducing the number of unnecessary chemicals in everyday life and a very good start toward significantly cutting down on chemicals.
To ensure that your kitchen surfaces are truly clean and free of any remaining bacteria, our kitchen soap is completely fragrance-free, so it does not mask any potentially unpleasant odors. It is therefore particularly suitable for cleaning kitchen counters, refrigerators, cutting boards, and sinks. Cleaning with unscented products without strong chemicals is especially important in the kitchen, where you prepare, handle, and store food.
You can find Västerbottenssåpa's kitchen cleaning kit here.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it important to avoid strong chemicals in the home?
Strong chemicals can negatively affect our health by disrupting hormone balance, fertility, and the immune system. Using natural and simple products reduces the risk of these health effects.
How can soap be used as a natural cleaning agent?
Soap contains readily biodegradable surfactants that effectively break down dirt and grease. It can be used in a bucket of cleaning water or with a scrubbing sponge to clean surfaces and objects in the home in an environmentally friendly way.
What alternatives are there to common chemical-based cleaning products?
Instead of chemical-based products such as air fresheners, fabric softeners, stain removers, and drain cleaners, you can use natural products such as vinegar, acetic acid, citric acid, and unscented soap. These are effective and safe alternatives for reducing chemicals in your cleaning routine.
Explore Västerbottenssåpa products and clean naturally and without toxins!