Natural cleaning agents like vinegar, lemons, and baking soda are non-toxic deodorizers that can be used in combination with each other and several other green cleaners to sanitize, disinfect, and control odor in the household.
Homemade cleaning solutions are safer than store-bought products and clean the home effectively without leaving toxic residues or wasting plastic.
The scoop
TikToker Kasha (@kasha_home) uses her platform to educate viewers on ways to keep toxins out of the home. Her page is filled with information on natural cleaners, natural skincare, natural clothing, and more.
@kasha_home Tell me you're a sweaty sleeper w/out telling me you're a sweaty sleeper 🫣 Instructions Add 1/2 cup baking soda directly to washer drum, and 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar to fabric softener dispenser. Add your normal non-toxic detergent, then wash on the hottest, highest setting. Dry with dryer balls (or tennis balls) so they retain their shape. #nontoxiccleaning #cleanwithme #diycleaninghacks #pillowcleaning #sustainability #sweatysleeper ♬ sally when the wine runs out - tucker
She shared an instructional video on doing laundry using only natural cleaners, which proved to be an entirely worthwhile hack.
A self-titled "sweaty sleeper," Kasha showed her sweat-stained bedroom pillow to her audience before tossing it in the washing machine with her own cleaning solution.
"POV you're still shocked by how well this non-toxic pillow cleaning hack works," she said.
She instructed green-cleaners to put a half cup of baking soda in the washer drum, a quarter cup of distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser, and add in some store-bought non-toxic dishwashing detergent.
Next, wash the laundry on high using hot water. Dry using dryer or tennis balls, and bask in the results. Kasha's once-yellowish pillow was white as snow by the end of the TikTok.
How it's helping
Natural cleaning solutions avoid harmful chemicals and reduce the waste of plastics from store-bought products. Such containers often contain phthalates, which are used to make plastics more flexible. However, a study shared by the National Library of Medicine detailed that they can cause skin irritation, developmental issues, hormone imbalances, and a handful of chronic conditions like type II diabetes and asthma.
Meanwhile, surfactants used in cleaning products biodegrade slowly into more toxic and persistent chemicals, which can lead to unintentional poisonings and poor air quality in the home.
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Majorly 😥 National Geographic published comments from the National Center for Biotechnology that said, "Environmental chemical exposure is a major concern for consumers of packaged goods, [but] consumer product claims use language in ways that can be misleading to the average consumer."
Even products labeled "non-toxic" or "natural" in the grocery store can be risky, as there are no regulations on the use of these words on packaging. Because of this, it is much safer to make cleaning products at home, following careful instructions and using natural ingredients.
DIY cleaning products are not only good for the environment and human health, but they can also save consumers up to $90 in cleaning products per year.
What everyone's saying
Commenters on Kasha's TikTok were excited to try her hack at home.
"Saving," one commenter said, "I need to do this immediately."
Another enthusiastically commented, "Trying this next time I do bedding!"
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