How to Safely Clean Hard Surfaces

All-purpose cleaners are so handy, aren’t they? Just spritz a little bit of spray, wipe with a paper towel, and your hard surfaces are disinfected.

But at what cost? Sure, 32 ounces of an antibacterial all-purpose cleaner only cost $2.98. But what is the cost to your health?

I checked out the Environmental Working Group’s rating of Fantastik Heavy Duty All-Purpose Cleaner. My husband used to use it liberally on our kitchen counters. It received a rating of F because of:

• Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chlorides (C12-16). This ingredient is an antimicrobial pesticide that affects organs and respiratory systems.
• Alkyl Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chlorides (C12-18) and Alkyl Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride (C12-14). These ingredients affect respiratory systems.

Natural choices

There are plenty of safer homemade alternatives.

You can make one all-purpose cleanser by mixing 5 drops of tea tree oil with equal parts of water and white vinegar.

You can also use plain old white vinegar to clean your countertops – or hydrogen peroxide.

In Matt and Betsy Jabs’ eBook “DIY Natural Household Cleaners,”  they suggest an all-purpose cleanser made of 1 cup baking soda, ¼ cup liquid castile soap, 4 drops of essential oil, and enough water to make a smooth paste. Shake the mixture well and spray on surfaces, then rinse with water until there’s not residue.

What I use in my own home

I’ve gone the homemade all-purpose cleaner route, and I didn’t like it. Because I’m typically crunched for time, I didn’t care for making the sprays – especially when I wasn’t sure how effective they were.

Since this summer I’ve been using a damp Norwex EnviroCloth to disinfect my hard surfaces. The EnviroCloth is made of microfiber that acts like a magnet to dirt and grime. The dirt and protein that typically feeds bacteria is trapped in the microfiber – and Norwex’s microfiber contains silver that begins to naturally disinfect the cloth right away.

Independent tests have shown that Norwex is more effective at killing E. Coli when compared to all-purpose cleaners and generic microfiber cloths.

It’s the easiest cleaning I’ve ever done. And if I can clean my surfaces in the most effective way – and only use water and a microfiber towel to do it – then I’m sold. (In fact, I’m such a huge fan of Norwex that I became an independent sales consultant.) I love having absolutely odorless cleaning – as well as the most effective cleaning.

How do you safely clean your hard surfaces without chemicals?

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Hilary Kimes Bernstein

Hilary Kimes Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, mama, and journalist. She writes about making healthy decisions that honor God and happen to help the environment at Accidentally Green. Short and sweet - like her writing - Hilary is the author of several healthy living eBooks.

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