*This is a guest post by Lynn Fang

You may have heard that conventional cleaning products are bad for your health. If you haven’t heard about this, just take a quick search on Google to see what’s been said about your cleaning product.

Like most people, I was familiar with doing laundry with Tide and cleaning my bathroom with Lysol. If these are stocked at most stores around the country, that seems trustworthy enough. Why would these products be allowed if they weren’t safe for me?

It turns out that most of these products are made of incredibly harsh detergents, chemicals that foam and clean. While they do a great job of cleaning tile and tub surfaces, they aren’t so friendly to our bodies.

Research has shown that household cleaning products contribute to indoor air pollution by releasing compounds called VOC’s, Volatile Organic Compounds, which can be carcinogenic and toxic to our bodies. VOC’s contribute to breathing disorders like asthma.

Children are incredibly vulnerable to chemical compounds, so it’s especially important to keep chemicals away from children.

To avoid these chemicals altogether, we can use a few natural and simple ingredients to do pretty much all of our household cleaning. A little baking soda, vinegar, salt, borax, and lemon goes a long way. Not to mention, they are cheap so you will save money on buying new cleaners!

Here are some great recipes to get you started:

Natural Drain Cleaner:

1 cup baking soda

1 cup white vinegar

2 cups hot water

Pour baking soda into clogged drain. Follow with vinegar. Let sit for 30 minutes, then flush with 2 cups boiling hot water. Another flush can be done after 10 minutes.

Dishwashing Powder for a Dishwasher:

Vinegar in the rinse box

1 part water (I like to use soapnuts liquid)

1 part baking soda

1 part borax (I used salt)

1 part lemon juice

Mix all ingredients and pour into detergent cup. That’s it! Don’t forget vinegar in the rinse.

Bathroom Cleaning:

Sprinkle baking soda where you would like to clean, and wipe with a damp towel or rag. Spray vinegar to add a nice shine.

Soapnuts: Plastic-Free, Hypoallergenic Laundry

I love to use soapnuts for laundry and general cleaning. They are actually nuts from a tree originally found growing in Nepal. They produce a soapy substance called saponins, and are a great mild soap that’s helps reduce inflammation and skin conditions like eczema and rosacea. The best part is, they can be composted and don’t come in plastic containers! So you can save waste and return the shells to the earth.

To do laundry, just throw 4-5 soapnuts in a muslin bag and toss it in the drum of your washing machine.

You can also boil 15 soapnuts in a pot of 6 cups of water, and make soapnuts liquid to use as dishwasher, soap, shampoo, or anything else!

For more ideas on healthy, earth-friendly living, check out my ebook, Living the Transformation.

Lynn Fang is an eco-conscious writer, dreamer, thinker, and Conscious Business Coach. She is the author of Living the Transformation, a unique ebook embracing a holistic approach to sustainable living. She loves empowering people with the knowledge and confidence to act on their dreams. She writes about her adventures in sustainable living, social change, and personal growth at Upcycled Love. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.