How to have a sparkling clean home without using harmful cleaning products?

I bought the Purdy and Figg set, bottle, cloths and oil.
Wasn’t at all happy ,everything was smeared and didn’t look sparkling at all.
I cancelled the subscription easily but it was a costly mistake and still 3 concentrates in the cupboard.

I use dishwashing detergent for most cleaning, an anti-bac spray for areas I've worked with raw meat ,and Cif in the bathrooms. I do use an eco loo cleaner but occasionally I do have to put bleach down the loo( at a different day) as I don't find the eco cleaner cleans the loo enough at times. I use things from Ethical Superstore on occasion. I do not like Ecozone dish detergent either, I found Tesco 's the best or M&S.

Luckygirl3

I have gone for the option of abandoning the idea of a sparklingly clean home - works for me!

Me too!
And I do sometimes wonder whether the obsession in so many people with ‘hygiene’ and germ-free everything, could account for so many allergies and cases of autism in children. However much of these ‘disinfecting’ sprays must some pregnant women inhale?

I use a cup of white vinegar, a cup of water, with a dash of bleach and a dash of washing up liquid. That works for me for most things.

White vinegar and bicarb is my go to, also fresh lemons. My favourite is Fairy liquid. Just Domestios for toilets.

Fairy liquid is good for myriad jobs around the house.

loopyloo

Makes me feel good for not doing much cleaning.

😂

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Valdavi I buy a newspaper on a Saturday. I still see plenty for sale every day. I find it useful not only to light my wood burner stove but also to clean the glass door. You damp the paper, dip it into woodash so you get a sort of paste, then rub the glass with it. Any black comes off a treat.

Another fan of microfibres clothes and a bit of dishwasher But I might add we live in a very soft water area so it does help tremendously
Just a bit of vinegar for the windows when and off I get round to them

25Avalon

I find a steam cleaner very good for lots of cleaning tasks, my hob for one as it soon whips any grease off. Otherwise Astonishing white vinegar with lemon can be bought at most supermarkets. Magic erasers have many uses - good at cleaning tea stains off cups, and those nasty stains under toilet seats ( don’t use the same eraser for both). Pure beeswax is expensive but makes a good polish. Clean glass with warm water and buff with newspaper.

Newspaper - so useful for protecting the worktop while sorting DIY stuff, painting, etc - so good to polish glass.
But no-one I know buys printed papers any more - is newspaper going to be the new "carrier bag"? that everyone had excess of & now misses?

Kandinsky

Thanks everyone.

And if all else fails I’ll take this advice

I suggest you go out everyday and don't cook anything, or use any appliances or do any laundry

I had a quote "housework is a waste of time, you do it and six months later you have to do it again" <lol>

I must admit, I am a fan of the newer microfibre cloths. Hot water and a cloth cleans a lot without anything else.

Susie 50 I am asthmatic DH hoovered throughout the house with shake and vac many years ago, I arrived home from shopping and within the hour I was being blue lighted to hospital.

It really is my nemesis.

I have had asthma all my life and if any aerosol is used in the house I am wheezing for days. The spray bottles of some strong smelling cleaning products do the same. Eco zone products don’t affect me so I use those or washing up liquid with a little bit of bleach for kitchen surfaces and bathroom I use soda bicarbonate and vinegar. The original Cif doesn’t affect me if I need an abrasive cleaner. No spray polish just damp dusting and a tin of polish. I had an awful experience years ago when I came home from having had an emergency appendix op ( two small children and a very stressed husband) my dear sister in law had come in and used “Shake and Vac” all over the house and spray polished everything. I walked in and had the most dreadful Asthma attack I had ever had. SiL was mortified poor thing !

If you're in a hard water area this might come in handy for badly scaled up kettles.
Cut a lemon in parts, add to kettle with enough water to cover, boil and leave overnight. Comes up sparkling, but if not all the limescale has gone you might need to repeat

Hot soapy water and cloths. Always does the trick. I do use bicarbonate of today and white vinegar mixed together to put on taps etc for limescale

Nancy Birtwhistle makes all her own green cleaning products and is a great cook to boot

Florence2

Try Nancy Birtwhistle’s books. Some great ideas without any nasty chemicals. She is also on Instagram.

Oops, apologies, I missed that you has mentioned her

This is her book:

amzn.eu/d/hcFag2q

"For an eco-friendly home".

Nancy Birstwhistle (won TGBBO once upon a time) has a Clean and Green book, can't remember the name exactly. I often do a search and use her hints, some of them too much of a faff but mostly good e.g. citric soda in the loo for limescale etc. All her cleaning is chemical free...

Try Nancy Birtwhistle’s books. Some great ideas without any nasty chemicals. She is also on Instagram.

Purdy & Figg is lovely and the natural oil scent leaves a gorgeous smell.

Lahlah65 Bunny Free is PETA approved.

I doubt they would be willing to be associated with a label where the ingredients were tested on aniyeven if the end products were not.

Luckygirl3

I have gone for the option of abandoning the idea of a sparklingly clean home - works for me!

Me too! Grubby but happy!