Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash
By: Amy Fletcher
The typical U.S. homeowner spends almost 6 hours per week cleaning their home, according to Business Wire. However, a surprising number of consumers are cleaning their homes with non-vegan cleaners which have either been tested on animals or contain animal byproducts. But rather than splashing out on a cupboard full of new vegan cleaning products, you can make your own for a fraction of the price at home.
The importance of vegan cleaning
PETA reports that many well-known cleaning brands test their products on animals. Whereas, other brands add ingredients which derive from animals, such as caprylic acid, tallow, and animal glycerol. But it’s not just animal-friendly cleaning products you need to look out for as some contain harmful ingredients known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are bad for the environment and human health. The EPA links VOCs to liver, kidney, and central nervous damage. Meanwhile, the environmental risks include smog formation which is known to prevent plant growth and cause damage to crops and forests. With such great risks associated with man-made non-vegan cleaning chemicals, it makes sense to make your own so you can be 100% sure of the ingredients they contain.
Cleaning up your kitchen
23% of Americans say they dread cleaning their kitchen. It’s easy to see why they feel this way when there’s so many areas of the kitchen to clean, including countertops, the stove, kitchen cupboards, the sink, and the floor. Thankfully, most kitchen cleaning jobs can be tackled with an all-purpose cleaner. To make this, you’ll need:
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tbsp of borax
- 2-3 drops of a fragrant essential oil of your choice
- Water
Simply mix the vinegar, borax, and essential oil in a spray bottle and fill up with water for an effective cleaner that will leave your kitchen shining.
When it comes to the tough task of cleaning your oven, you’ll be amazed that all it takes is a paste made from 2 simple ingredients:
- ½ cup of baking powder
- 3-4 tbsp of water
All you need to do is spread the paste over your dirty oven, leave overnight, and wipe away with a damp cloth the following morning.
A hygienic bathroom
Research reveals that the typical bathroom countertop carries 452 bacteria per square inch. For this reason, you need to make and use an effective vegan cleaner regularly in your bathroom. The good news is you can step away from the bleach when your toilet needs a scrub. Just throwing a cup full of baking soda down the pan and leaving for an hour before pouring in a cup of white vinegar and flushing is all you need for a clean and hygienic toilet.
Your all-purpose kitchen cleaner can be used to bring up your bathroom sink a treat, but your shower will require an additional cleaning product. This is easily made though as all you need is to combine one-part vinegar with one-part dish soap (make sure it’s cruelty-free and carries the leaping bunny logo). If you’ve got hard water stains on your glass shower screen, spray it with white vinegar and wipe with a clean damp cloth to get it looking like new in no time.
A healthy home workspace
43% of Americans work from home from time to time, according to a Gallup study. However, the recent pandemic has forced millions of workers to work in their own homes and it’s expected that many will continue to do so over the coming months either full-time or part-time. If this has resulted in you creating your very own home workspace, then it’s essential that you clean it frequently to stop the spread of the virus. This is especially the case if you’re bringing office equipment from your business premises into your home, as the covid-19 virus can live on some surfaces for days. It’s recommended that business premises clean frequently used areas as often as every 2-4 hours using alcohol-based disinfectants and disposable cloths. Alkaline detergents will often be used on commonly-touched surfaces in the workplace too. A similar cleaning protocol should be followed in your home office and you can make your own alcohol-based disinfectant using a mix made from 50% rubbing alcohol and 50% water in a spray bottle.
Sparkling hard floors
It’s recommended that hard floors in your home are mopped on a weekly basis. An effective vegan floor cleaner can be made by mixing a gallon of hot water with ½ a cup of distilled white vinegar. You can even add in a teaspoon of your favorite essential oil, such as lemon, to create a fresh scent throughout your home.
Keeping your living room fresh
The living room is another room where you can utilize the multi-purpose cleaner that you’ve made. But your furniture will require a little extra love in the form of a DIY vegan furniture polish. To make this, you’ll need:
- 2 parts distilled white vinegar
- 2 parts olive oil
- 1 part lemon juice
Mix all 3 ingredients together and apply to your furniture using a microfiber cloth in the direction of the grain of the wood for beautiful-looking furniture.
A spotless bedroom
Your bedroom can also benefit from an all over clean using the multi-purpose cleaner made for your kitchen. In addition, you’ll also need to make up a mattress cleaner to keep your bed as healthy as possible. A 7-year old mattress can contain as much as 16 million bacteria, but you can clean it up with the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide
- 2 tbsp of baking soda
- A few drops of essential oil
Spray onto your mattress and leave for several hours, then wipe over with a clean cloth. If you’re worried about dust mites lurking in your mattress, you can get rid of them by scrubbing with a solution made from hot water and eucalyptus oil.
Keeping on top of your home’s cleaning is crucial for aesthetic and health reasons. But you don’t need to use harmful, non-vegan cleaning products from the store to keep your home fresh as these DIY vegan options are easy to make and are great at getting the job done.
About the Author
Amy Fletcher is a freelance writer and researcher with a keen interest in business management. In recent years she has written for various online magazines, journals, and blogs. When she’s not writing she enjoys long walks with her daughter and two dogs.
