Me vs. chemicals

[Cherry.Chops]

Ive been using my own mix of lemon juice, bicarb of soda and water to clean the kitchen, but it was making the surfaces dull and apparently 'not clean'.

So i come downstairs and into the kitchen, where i nearly CHOKE on a mass of chemicals that swarm into my lungs. (no kidding, i couldnt breathe)
My man has got some cheap industrial cleaner and has done the whole kitchen.:mad:
So i explain to him that i do not want to have toxic, harmful chemicals in my lungs, on my skin and on my food, besides its not even vegan.
He said 'its not toxic and doesnt contain chemicals otherwise they wouldnt be able to sell it!!!!' and he doesn want my sh!t used in the kitchen because it doesnt clean (i even have orange mate cleaner).

How do i get through to him that cleaner DOES contain toxic chemicals and that im not willing to use 'proper stuff' to clean with?
(ive thrown the industrial cleaner away)

[Risker]

Everything is toxic, it's just to what extent, even water can be toxic. That's why when diets or 'health' products claim to remove 'toxins' it makes no sense since they never state what those toxins are.

As far as the toxicity of the cleaner he was using, if it was a widely available commercial cleaner and was being used as intended then I'm sure that it would conform to government legislation with regards to it's toxicity and be safe for use.

[Cherry.Chops]

i know, but pesticides are legal to use, yet there toxic.
After using natrual cleaners, when i stepped into the kitchen it was like a wall hit me, it was so strong and horrible i had to go intot he other room to talk to my boyfriend. Surely that isnt good for you if you actually have to remove yourself from that room?

[twinkle]

I know what you mean about the smell, cherry chops, I find most of the commercial cleaning things pretty overpowering and make my throat swell a bit if I get too close. On the other hand, there are some places that are trying to do more environmentally friendly cleaners but they're still "professional" looking - Co-op do environmentally friendly stuff like loo cleaner (no animal testing or ingredients), and M&S have started doing stuff that is BUAV approved. Even sainsburys have washing up liquid marked vegan. Maybe you could try something commercial but a bit more ethical as a compromise?

[mariana]

I've been using a vinegar and water mixture to clean (1 part vinegar to 1 part water)--not because of the chemicals, but because it's cheaper! Then if something needs 'extra' cleaning, I'll add a little bicarb of soda. Seems to me like it's doing just as good a job as storebought cleaner. Maybe you could tell your guy it's cheaper? I do remember reading one thing about how vinegar and lemon juice shouldn't be used to clean certain things, and that you should test it on a small area before use...so maybe whatever kind of countertop/sink you have is not vinegar-friendly (and that's why he thinks it doesn't look clean)? I don't know. I found this page helpful: http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclean.htm.

[Cherry.Chops]

thanks Mariana.
Ive been looking for white vinegar to clean, and ive been in all the supermarkets etc around where i live and i cant find any!! Normal vinegar doesnt work the same does it?
All he is concerned about is it looking shiney and clean, not with it actually being as clean as it can be!

I use Ecover? for things like washing up liquid, loo cleaner and fabric softener. But he wont let me get the softener any more because its too expensive. :(

[snivelingchild]

Everything is toxic, it's just to what extent, even water can be toxic. That's why when diets or 'health' products claim to remove 'toxins' it makes no sense since they never state what those toxins are.

As far as the toxicity of the cleaner he was using, if it was a widely available commercial cleaner and was being used as intended then I'm sure that it would conform to government legislation with regards to it's toxicity and be safe for use.
Does it matter if it hasn't been proven to cause disease (in the short term, and with low exposure; i.e. occasional use, not considering workers who use massive amounts; tanning chemicals are 'safe' too but leather tanning workers have 3x the cancer rate) if it makes your lungs hurt!?!? I can't clean with bleach or anything like that without coughing my lungs out. That's why there are natural cleaners that don't irritate lungs and skin, do not cause skin allergies in pets, do not have dangerous fumes, are BIODEGRADABLE and better for the earth, have zero VOCs (industrial cleaners are the more likely types to have VOCs), and are pleasant to use. Also, regular cleaners require the area being open with high circulation, so if you can't air out the area too well, the fumes can get pretty dangerous.

I use vinegar for just about anything! 50:50 solution with water is the best carpet cleaner I've found, especially on pet stains. Far more effective than expensive pet stain cleaners, and believe me, I've tried them all. I also use vinegar in my rinse cycle, as a surface cleaner, and carpet flea killer. For a few special purposes, I also use a few seventh generation cleaners. :thumbsup:

[snivelingchild]

Oh, also, the home improvement stores here have a wide selection of no VOC, green, biodegradable cleaners for commercial use that are comparable to industrial cleaners if he might be more likely to accept that.

And, Ecover has recently removed the Vegan logo because they decided to start testing on some small marine life (I forget what they're called). Do you have other brand in you area such as 7th Gen. or Ecos?

[Mr Flibble]

actually I believe that the story with ecover is that they always did, not that they've started. They also do tests with rabbit blood

[snivelingchild]

:eek::(

[mariana]

I read somewhere you can also use vinegar as a fabric softener. But yeah, I think white vinegar is recommended; not sure if other vinegar works the same or not. That's strange. I found white vinegar at Sainsbury's. Unfortunately the bottle wasn't very big, but at least they had it.

[Cherry.Chops]

oooh, i should try sansburys again!
ugh, i l check when i get back if they have the vegan symbol on them.
I think asdas own are though.
Our kitchen is small with no ventilation. :(

[Cherry]

I often use bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice or vinegar to get things CLEANER! Lemon juice and bicarb makes stainless steel sinks go all shiny, and I love it smelling lemony instead of chemically.



And, Ecover has recently removed the Vegan logo because they decided to start testing on some small marine life (I forget what they're called). Do you have other brand in you area such as 7th Gen. or Ecos?

Daphnia, I believe. The way I understood it, because daphnia don't count as 'animals' :rolleyes: they were able to claim to be 'not tested on animals'. The thing that worries me, is that the same then may apply to LOADS of products that claim to be 'not tested on animals'. I still have a few ecovery things (just coming to the last of my 5l bottle of washing up liquid), though the daphnia thing means I prefer using other stuff.

[Sarah_]

I use white vinegar for everything when I clean, besides dishes which I use this eco friendly soap. I must be weird but I actually prefer that chemical smell, lol. I like stuff like bleach and gasoline smells. I'm weird. Try cleaning the place again with a straight white vinegar and water half and half mix and see if he notices.

[Cherry.Chops]

Its true! Ecover no longer has the vegan symbol!!
Ive been to the co-op, got loads of cleaning things that are natrual and vegan. Its fantastic.

I would use white vinegar, but i havnt had chance to so to sainsburys yet. I cant remember who said it, but they ise white vinegar when their cat is sick. Well i went my cat was sick, twice last night and i thought 'i need some white vinegar!'

[Sarah_]

What do they do with the vinegar for the sick cat? I'm confused.

[Ruby Rose]

I think to take the smell of cat sick out of the carpet - not to dose the poor moggy!

[Cherry.Chops]

lmao, yes to clean the carpet.