by Gayatri Joshi: Nature has provided us with everything that we need for a clean and healthy living. However, in the name of elite and convenient living, we started moving towards aesthetically appealing products which were also very convenient to use. Our home and body cleaners is one such product line.
Did you know that natural cleaners are available for every type of usage?
Soapnut Detergents for clothes, bioenzyme based solutions as floor cleaners and toilet cleaners, soapnut/shikakai powders for dishwashing and so on…
So what are natural cleaners?
Natural cleaners are cleaners made only from ingredients found in nature. Sounds impossible right? But its true, simple yet effective ingredients like shikakai, soapnuts, citrus peels and essential oils like peppermint and neem essential oils take care of cleaning and disinfection of a regular home. Shikakai and soapnuts have natural saponins that are hypoallergenic and are naturally antibacterial and antifungal. The discharge water after washing with soapnuts is also environment friendly and does not cause any harm to the waterways. The effectiveness of these natural saponins is to be experienced to actually believe in!
How to make natural cleaners at home?
Soapnut and shikakai washing liquids are made by soaking them overnight in lukewarm water and then squeezing out the pulp. Bioenzymes made from citrus peels can be added to this solution to enhance effectiveness and to also elongate shelf life of these products. Bioenzyme is a fermented solution of jaggery, citrus peels and water mixed in the proportion of 1:3:10. Bioenzymes are very easy to make. Just mix the ingredients in the proportion as mentioned in an air tight container. Open the container a couple of times a day for the first 10 days to let out the gas buildup. Leave it as it is for 3 months thereafter and you will get a fragrant effective cleaning agent. A few drops of essential oils like neem oil and peppermint oils in it will additionally help repel insects and mosquitoes.
Are they as effective as chemical cleaners?
The chemical cleaners do leave your space spotless white in no time, while a natural cleaner might take a little longer to bring in a similar effect. What we need to consider here is not just the cleaning but also the after effects of it. Cleaning your living area by contaminating your environment does not really fit in as wholesome cleaning. The toxic by products let out in the waterways and air find their way back to us again somehow. A balanced cleaning regime is where natural cleaners do a fair job in your home most of the time and keep your environment safe too. Chemical cleaners can be used only when absolutely necessary.
About the author : Gayatri Joshi is the founder of ecoSansar. a Zerowaste online store for the conscious urban consumer.Moved by the Mumbai floods when the ocean literally threw all the garbage back into the city, that’s when the magnitude of the disposable plastic problem really hit her. Gayatri, an engineer working in the IT industry left her cushy job to start ecoSansar , based out of Bangalore.
–This is a CC Partner post