How to replace the use of bleach in a house?
To clean toilets or to whiten your clothes, bleach is often the product of choice. However, do you know the dangers of bleach?
Not only is bleach corrosive, but its fumes can be toxic, especially in enclosed spaces. It also poses a general health hazard and is not recommended for use near children and pets. And that’s without taking into account the dangers it represents for the environment!
Luckily, there are alternatives: a range of homemade natural products that you can use instead of this bleaching agent that will get you the cleaning results you want. Here are our suggestions for natural products to replace bleach in the home.
1. Lemon juice to replace bleach
Citric acid is an excellent natural cleaner, which is why lemon juice is a perfect substitute for bleach. Lemon juice is non-toxic and it smells great! All you have to do is cut a lemon in half and rub it over the area to be cleaned. You can use lemon to clean:
- Toilet
- cutting boards
- Kitchen and bathroom counters
- Sinks and washbasins
You can also squeeze lemon juice and mix it with water in a spray bottle. Spray it on hard-to-clean areas or areas you want to sanitize, such as sinks and counters.
2. Replace bleach with vinegar
It may not have the best scent, but vinegar is a safe alternative to bleach. With its acidic properties, vinegar is an effective and convenient cleaning product. You can put it in a spray bottle and spray it in your toilet or bathroom, or just dab it on a rag or rag and use it to wipe down your surfaces.
Vinegar is also a great alternative to bleach in your laundry. This will whiten your clothes and remove any soap residue.
Pour it into your washing machine, or soak your clothes in a mixture of vinegar and water.
3. Disinfect toilets without bleach
Are you looking for a trick to stop using bleach for toilet cleaning? So to clean and disinfect the toilet bowl without bleach, here’s how:
- Pour baking soda into the bowl and add vinegar
- Wait for the mixture to stop foaming, then rub the entire surface
- Flush to finish cleaning the toilet.
For other tips and advice on disinfecting toilets, it’s here: Tip for disinfecting the toilet.
4. Tea tree essential oil to replace bleach
Tea tree essential oil is another natural alternative to bleach. Known for its natural and fresh scent, you can use this oil as a disinfectant instead of bleach.
All you need to do is mix a few drops of the oil with warm water in a spray bottle and spray it on your floors, counters, all over your bathroom and any surfaces that need sanitizing. 10 Tips offers you below an essential oil of Tea Tree very appreciated by users:
Tea tree essential oil
- Essential oil with disinfectant property
- Oil also used to purify and soothe the skin
- Also used in aromatherapy and for hair care
- 100% pure and natural tea tree oil
Versatile and safe, baking soda is a great alternative to bleach. You can use it as an all-purpose cleaner by adding it to water or vinegar. By creating a paste, this cleaner removes stubborn stains in the bathroom, kitchen or toilet.
Baking soda can also be used in your laundry detergent. This is because it helps break down grease, stains and residue.
All you have to do is add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry detergent and your clothes will come out fresh, clean and deodorized.
For those who want homemade laundry recipes, it’s over here: How to do homemade laundry ?
6. Castile soap instead of bleach
Made with olive oil, Castile soap is another handy alternative to bleach. Although many soaps contain chemicals, castile soap is biodegradable and safe to use around your pets and children.
Dilute Castile soap with water and use it to clean:
- The bathroom
- the dishes
- the floors
You can also use it in your washing machine as a detergent by combining it with vinegar, baking soda and borax.
Have you decided to opt for a natural alternative to bleach, but you don’t know what product to use instead? Here is a recipe for natural disinfectant to replace bleach:
- 50 cl of white vinegar
- 50 cl of water
- 15 drops of lemon essential oil
Mix the ingredients well and pour into a spray bottle. This product is ideal for disinfecting toilets without bleach.
Not only can lemon replace bleach as a disinfectant, it can also do so to whiten clothes. To do this, cut a lemon into thin slices and place them in an underwear net. Put the net in the washing machine and do your laundry as usual.
For white clothes that have yellowed or are very dull, it may be best to soak them for a few hours in a basin filled with hot water and the juice of two lemons.
9. Whiten clothes with hydrogen peroxide
Did you know that it was possible to use other products much less harmful than bleach to whiten clothes? Indeed, to both disinfect and whiten clothes,
- Fill a basin with hot water
- Add half a bottle of 30% hydrogen peroxide
- Soak clothes in the basin
- Then wash the clothes in the washing machine as usual.
10. Homemade recipe to replace bleach
Here is a homemade recipe for a natural disinfectant product that can also be used to whiten laundry:
- 3 liters of water
- 6 cl of lemon juice
- 25 cl of hydrogen peroxide
Mix the ingredients well and store this solution in an airtight container. To use it as a whitener in the laundry, add 50 cl to the washing water. If you want to use it to disinfect surfaces instead, pour it into a spray bottle and use as a cleaner/disinfectant.