Eco Friendly Furniture Cleaning

When it comes to furniture cleaning, there is no reason to introduce harsh chemical cleaners to your home. We want your home to be clean, but we also want it to be healthy for you and for your family.

Most of the products that people purchase for cleaning furniture contain hazardous chemicals. Unfortunately, they pay good money for them. Here are some common ingredients found in various commercial furniture products, and the effects they can have on you:

• Perchloroethylene, often used in upholstery cleaners, and a known carcinogen;
• Petroleum Distillates, flammable and neurotoxic;
• Nitrobenzene, carcinogenic and toxic to both the nervous and the reproductive systems;
• Napthalene, considered toxic when inhaled, and a suspected carcinogen.

As if that isn’t frightening enough, many cleaners and polishes come in aerosol form, making them more dangerous because the small particles produced are easily inhaled and irritating to the eyes and throat.

Now here is a list of ingredients you will use to make your own green furniture cleaner:

• Baking soda
• Club soda
• Essential oils
• Linseed, almond, or olive oil
• Beeswax

Many commercial cleaners boast about containing natural ingredients, like essential oils or baking soda. Why not use those without all the added chemicals and extra cost? Cleaning product manufacturers profit from convincing people that they need the chemicals, but we’re here to tell you that you’re better off without them. The ingredients listed above will do the job just as well, and sometimes even plain old water will do the trick.

Now, let’s compare the costs of retail furniture cleaners and homemade ones. Most of the ingredients in green cleaners can be purchased for only a few dollars. Even those that are a bit more costly, like oils and beeswax, are so effective and last for such a long time, you won’t need to purchase them nearly as often. Commercial wood and upholstery cleaners can be pretty pricey, so with homemade recipes you’ll find that you get more cleanings for the same amount of money.

Here are a few tips to get you started green cleaning your furniture:

• Dusting frequently is the easiest way to keep your wood furniture looking its best. Wool is ideal for dusting furniture because the naturally contained lanolin and static electricity collect dust more readily than other fabrics do.
• To maintain the satin-like finish of wood furniture, lightly rub a chunk of beeswax into the wood, then buff with a soft, dry cloth.
• Upholstered furniture can be kept in top form with an occasional steam cleaning. Use warm water only, without adding any cleaning products, to remove dust and light stains.
• Small spots or stains on upholstery can be cleaned with a paste made from baking soda and a few drops of water.

We hope that after reading this you’re as excited about cleaning in a natural way, as we are.

Thanks for visiting!

Happy cleaning!