Chemical Free Alternatives

Chemical-free living is the embracing of a lifestyle that omits chemicals from as many aspects of life as possible, pretty much everything you buy from supermarkets these days is chemical based.
The more you make an effort to remove chemicals from your life though, the less work your sensitive organs have to do to pump the chemicals back out of your body. The more efficient your body is at getting rid of harmful toxins, the less likely you will have a toxic buildup in your body, and therefore the less susceptible you are to disease, cancer, a whole host of ailments!
Bathroom: Face cleanser: A mix of milk and oatmeal may sound like a hearty breakfast, but it's also a natural face cleanser for dry skin types. The milk moisturizes and nourishes the skin, and oatmeal acts as an exfoliating agent.
Hair dyes and highlights: Combine, Cup lemon juice with cup water and rinse your hair for a natural alternative to chemically-laden hair dyes and highlights. A little time in the sun will activate the lemon juice's bleaching properties.
Henna hair dyes (henna is a plant powder you mix with hot water to form a paste, and then apply to your hair as per normal.
Lemon Hair Bleach: Mix ½ cup lemon juice with 1 cup flour to form a paste. How to Use: Apply to damp hair, cover with shower cap and leave minimum 15 minutes up to 1 hour (for best results). Wash out. (Lemon accentuates the natural fairness in hair. The result is gentle golden highlights for dark hair and for lighter hair a gentle golden blonde affect. Lemon is mild bleach. It may be necessary to repeat the procedure a few times to achieve the necessary affect).
Talc in Recycled Jar: Pour rice flour into a clean small to medium sized jar with metal lid. For plain ‘talc’ leave as is. For scented ‘talc’ add essential oils, dried herbs or flowers. Pierce holes in lid to allow for easy sprinkling.
Toothpaste: A few drops of hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda makes a super cleansing toothpaste. Use this formula about once every 2 weeks as a natural tooth cleaner and whitener.
Soap: Leaves of the Soap wort or similar plant that will lather and clean similar to soap.
Sunscreens: Many natural skin care lines are creating chemical-free sunscreens that use zinc oxide and natural minerals, to shield UVA and UVB rays. These minerals reflect, rather than absorb, UV rays. Also look for sunscreens and sunblocks that contain inactive ingredients that will soothe skin and counteract free radical damage. Natural additives like shea butter, hemp, aloe, lavender, and green tea provides an amount of shielding from sun rays and provides cooling comfort for your skin.
For extra dirty pots squeeze half a lemon onto a few tablespoons of salt and get scrubbing.
Spray Deodorant Lavender Vinegar-based: Pour 10 ml cider vinegar into a suitably sized spray bottle. Add 80 ml water. Add 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil. Apply lid – shake well. Use 1-3 times daily as an underarm deodorant. This is a mild anti-bacterial deodorant that inhibits odor but does not reduce perspiration.
Homemade Rosemary Shampoo: To 2 cups of the soap jelly mix add 1 cup boiling water (or rosemary & lavender herbal infusion). Stir until the soap jelly has dissolved. Add two tablespoons of almond oil and a 5 drops each rosemary & lavender essential oils. Pour into a jar ready for use. No need to use a conditioner simply gives your hair a final rinse with spring or rain water!
Essential Oils are great for scenting rooms and toilet bowls. You can wipe with a damp cloth using a drop or two with any scent you like.
Raw Honey applied directly to wounds and nappy rash and fungal infections. It is also very soothing, can also be used on a horse that may have a large open leg wound. It has anti fungal and antibacterial properties. Plain untreated honey is just as good as the expensive honey. It soaks into the skin well and excess when changing dressings, plus can be washed off with water easily.
Household cleansers: Cornstarch is great for thickening up a stir-fry, but can also be used to clean windows, polish furniture, and starch clothes.
Lemon juice does more than jazz up ice-water! The citric acid it contains can deodorize, clean glass and disinfect cutting boards. Combine with 2 parts olive oil for a safe furniture polish.
Vinegar is a smelly, but handy cleaning tool. It can dissolve grease, remove soap and wax buildup or clean out the metallic taste in coffeepots. Be sure to dilute your vinegar solution with about 1/2 cup vinegar per quart of warm water.
Brass Polish: Worcestershire Sauce.
Mold and mildew: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that may inhibit mold and mildew growth, boost the cleaning power of detergent and remove stains. Note: Boron compounds like those in Borax are also known to eliminate household critters, including dust mites!
Static Eliminator Re-Usable Dryer Sheets keep you and your dryer safe, giving you the benefits of dryer sheets without the buildup and harmful chemicals.
Oven Cleaner: Make a paste of baking soda and water and spread on oven interior. Leave overnight with oven door closed. Remove with sponge or nylon scrub pad. SOS pad can be used to remove stubborn bits.
Scouring Powder: 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of regular salt. Combine ingredients and keep in tightly closed container.
Silver Cleaner: Boiling water, baking soda, a piece of aluminum.
Stainless Steel Polish: 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 quart of hot water.
Copper Cleaner: Rub with lemon juice; rinse and dry, Lemon juice and salt.
Clogged sinks; pour about ½ a cup of baking soda down a drain, followed by 1 cup vinegar. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then flush with hot water.
Scouring powder: Baking soda is a wonderful tool for neutralizing acid, deodorizing, cleaning and polishing, as well as removing stains. Combine it with some dry table salt for a great scouring powder.
Stain remover: Sodium chloride, otherwise known as salt, can be combined with lemon juice to make a chemical-free stain remover for clothes and carpets. (Salt is famous for helping with red wine stains).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the helpful hints.