7 Healthy Alternatives To Bleach For Cleaning

With the rise in COVID-19 cases around the world, there was an increase in the use of disinfectants like bleach that could kill viruses and germs instantly. Bleach is a very powerful group of chemicals that comprises sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hypochlorite (NaOCl) that kills algae, bacteria, mould and mildew. But along with these positive effects, there are also many negative effects of using bleach, as these chemicals emit toxic fumes that can create several health hazards for you and your family. Therefore, end of lease cleaners Sydney recommend that you substitute bleach for healthy alternatives that can be found right in your pantry. But first, you should see the harmful effects of bleach and why you must avoid using it in your home.

Harmful Effects Of Bleach

1. Reacts Badly With Other Chemicals Bleach reacts with other household chemicals and substances to form powerful toxic gases that can cause severe respiratory problems. For instance, when bleach reacts with Limonene, a citrus-based chemical, it emits toxic chloramine gases. Other such toxic reactions include:

Bleach+ ammonia= Toxic chloramine gases

Bleach + vinegar= Toxic chlorine gases

Bleach + rubbing alcohol= chloroform

Therefore, combining bleach with other household chemicals is a bad cleaning habit that you must avoid. Here are some more bad cleaning habits that you must break when sprucing up your home. 2. Harms Your Skin And Health Bleach is a very corrosive chemical that can damage your lungs and organs with repeated use. If you accidentally inhale bleach, you must go to the doctor immediately, as it can lead to accidental poisoning. If the bleach cleaner touches your skin, it can burn and irritate it and cause hyperpigmentation spots on your skin. 3. Very Dangerous For Children And Pets Using bleach in your household puts your kids and pets at risk as this substance emits toxic fumes that cause severe allergies. According to studies, children who inhaled bleach fumes were more likely to develop severe asthma and breathing problems. Even pets who ingest this substance can fall sick and die of poisoning. 4. Puts The Environment At Risk Disposing of bleach can create severe environmental risks as it reacts with other toxic substances and emits Dioxins. These dioxins are very harmful to wildlife and can cause severe poisoning of many wildlife species. Bleach fumes can also linger in the air for a long time and cause severe health problems over prolonged exposure, like nasal blockage, tissue damage, eye infections, lung diseases, asthma, and respiratory disease. Thus, looking at the above adverse effects, it is better to avoid using bleach and opt for natural and healthy alternatives instead, like the ones below:

Healthy Alternatives To Bleach

1. Hydrogen Peroxide End of lease cleaning services in Sydney frequently use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach to kill harmful bacteria like salmonella in your home. Hydrogen peroxide is very effective for removing bad odours, destroying fungal growth and whitening your clothes. You should also use the 3% variety of this hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your surfaces and keep them free of germs and viruses. 2. White Vinegar White vinegar is one of the universal natural cleaners recommended by end of lease cleaners in Sydney. This green cleaner contains acetic acid that can kill 80% of mould and bacteria and shine up your surfaces. You can remove soap residue, whiten your toilets, lift stains from your clothes and remove limescale from your faucets and showerheads using white vinegar.

Important tip

You can also use vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide to make your carpets cleaner than ever. 1. Lemons Lemon juice contains citric acid, which is perfect for lifting and removing stains hygienically and naturally. The best part is that lemon juice leaves a citrusy scent that is not toxic. You can use lemon juice to brighten clothes, clean your smelly garbage disposal, clean your cutting boards and remove grime from your floors. Lemon juice can also be used with olive oil and water as homemade cleaner for hardwood floors. 2. Baking Soda Baking soda is one of the most powerful alkaline base cleaners used anywhere in your home to clean and disinfect surfaces. You can use baking soda to replace bleach to whiten your laundry or use it with vinegar to kill germs and bacteria. You can also use baking soda to remove mould and grime from your tiles, remove wall marks, and unblock garbage disposals.

Important tip

Here are some more effective ways to use baking soda as a green cleaner for your home. 1. Castille Soap Another great natural substitute for bleach is the biodegradable and vegetable-based Castille soap. You can dilute Castille soap with water and scrub your surfaces and floors to clean them. You can combine it with vinegar and baking soda to whiten your laundry. 2. Tea tree oil Tea-tree oil is a great anti-fungal cleaner that will quickly disinfect your surfaces and prevent germs and bacteria. You can also use it to add a smell to your laundry detergent or to wipe your floors, appliances and countertops. 3. Borax Lastly, end of lease cleaners in Sydney suggest replacing bleach with borax, as it is less toxic. You can dilute borax with water, scrub your shelves and surfaces, and use it to clean your toilet bowl. You can also add it to your laundry detergent to whiten stains.

Conclusion

Thus, there are many effective and healthy substitutes for bleach that you should use in your home. These natural substances are powerful and can remove germs and bacteria but make sure you do not use them in combination with bleach as they can have harmful chemical reactions.