Detoxing my Body and Home in Dry July

Last year I interviewed Casey Burgess on her journey with Dry July. At the time I really admired her and wished I could do that, however with this blogging lifestyle of mine I didn’t think I ever would. A lot can change in a year, and here I am actually fundraising for Dry July and abstaining myself for a month. It’s early days but I already feel better for it. I actually feel myself detoxing!

I thought whilst I’m at it, I may as well discover how to detox my home as well and find some alternatives on how to ditch the chemicals. I’ve found some great ways to keep the home toxic free, clean and a way to save money using only a few products.

Cleaning Silver Jewellery

I really don’t like the smell of cleaners for silver jewellery so here is a much better alternative - use toothpaste! Yep, rub the jewellery with the toothpaste then dip in glass of water and wipe dry. Now I’m guilty of being very slack with my silver jewellery and haven’t cleaned some of my pieces for a long time. So here is a before photo. Please don’t judge me for jewellery neglect :)

And after a little bit of toothpaste look at this! Incredible! I can wear all of these forgotten treasures again. I was very pleased with the result.

Cleaning Make Up Brushes and Sponges

Ever wondered how many germs get captured on your make up brushes? It’s a bit of a gross thought really. The most natural remedy is to put two tsp of white vinegar into a jar of warm water and wash the brushes in that solution. Then dry with paper towel and mould back into shape.

Cleaning Smartphones and Tablets

Never spray cleaner directly on the screens, it’s best to wipe with alcohol or a solution of vinegar and water and best to clean daily. This is how my iPhone came up with a dab of vinegar and a shine with a microfibre cloth.

All Purpose Cleaner

The most versatile is……yes here she goes again…. vinegar and water. I’m not really keen on the smell of vinegar so I add a squeeze of lemon juice or some essential oils i.e. lavender. You can put this solution in a spray bottle for everyday cleaning. This is my stovetop; I’m forever cleaning it and it never looks perfect so I have just tried my new solution.

Before (it is clean but streaky)

and, now…ta da…. I used my vinegar and water solution and I have made it smell nice with a few drops of essential oil.

Toilet and Bathroom Cleaner

A cup of baking soda mixed with a cup of vinegar makes a great toilet bowl cleaner. Pour the mixture into the toilet bowl and let it sit for a while, scrub with a brush and flush. For cleaning basins make a paste of baking soda and vinegar and scrub the surface, then rinse with water and finish with a wet cloth soaked in vinegar. The vinegar and water mixture is also great to clean mirrors.

Floors

A drop of olive oil with warm water will clean floors or use Castile soap in warm water. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and according to David Suzuki using vinegar on the surface first followed by spraying 3% hydrogen peroxide is a natural way to disinfect.

Laundry

Grate 1 cup of your favourite natural soap with a cheese grater, add ½ cup of washing soda as well as ½ cup of baking soda then mix together and store in a glass container. Use one tablespoon per load.

I have actually just cleaned my apartment using the above methods and the results were great. I haven’t tried the laundry detergent as yet but I’ll certainly be giving it a go next washing day.

#EcoFriendly