What Cleaners are Safe for Babies?
Of course you want a clean home for your baby, but you might wonder which cleaning products are safe to use around a little one. A clean home should not risk your baby's health, so it's prudent to use safe and environmentally-friendly cleaners to make your home sparkle.
Of course you want a clean home for your baby, but you might wonder which cleaning products are safe to use around a little one. A clean home should not risk your baby's health, so it's prudent to use safe and environmentally-friendly cleaners to make your home sparkle. You probably have many health-conscious cleaning products already in your kitchen.
All-Purpose Cleaners
According to the Children's Mercy Hospital Environmental Health Program, plain baking soda dissolved in water or sprinkled directly on surfaces and wiped with a damp sponge is a safe all-purpose cleaner. For greasy or tough stains, you can mix vinegar and salt for a scrubbing paste. The vinegar cuts the grease and the salt acts as a mild abrasive.
Castile soap, which is a gentle, plant-based liquid soap, can also be used for most of your cleaning needs, according to "Real Simple." 1 tbsp. of castile soap mixed with 1 quart of warm water can be used to clean your counters, sink, stove or oven. A final wipe with clean water and drying with a soft rag will prevent streaks or film from developing when using any of these cleaners.
Floor Cleaners
Castile soap is an effective cleaner for tile, linoleum and even wood floors. Mix 1/4 cup castile soap with 2 gallons of warm water for basic cleaning. For greasier messes, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the solution. If you don't have castile soap on hand, you can use plain vinegar and water to safely clean your floors.
To add shine to your floors after cleaning, use a one-to-one ratio of vegetable oil and vinegar and rub onto your floors with a soft rag. For linoleum floors, add skim milk to water and damp mop for a clean shine, advises Children's Mercy Hospital Environmental Health Program.
If you have carpets in your house, baking soda is a safe deodorizer to keep them smelling and looking fresh. Sprinkle baking soda on your rug or carpet and let it sit for 15 minutes or more, then vacuum. For stains on carpets, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality suggests using club soda to lift the stain. Pour a small amount of club soda on the stain and blot immediately with a dry, clean cloth. Repeat until the stain has faded.
Tub and Tile Cleaners
Commercial bathroom cleaners are notoriously harsh, so finding safer solutions when you have a baby in the house makes sense. For the toilet bowl, the Georgia Division of Public Health suggests using a toilet scrub brush with either plain baking soda or castile soap. For soap scum in the shower or tub, a mixture of vinegar and baking soda will make a mild abrasive that will cut through the scum and leave your shower sparkling clean.
Vinegar is also effective against mold and mildew in the bathroom. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality recommends washing with equal parts vinegar and salt to scrub off mildew stains and deter further growth.