The infamous germ is having its time in the spotlight. We’re being told that bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa should be abolished by harsh chemical products.
What if you knew how unhealthy cleaning chemicals are? Do we really want to be killing every microbe that resides on every surface of our homes?
Marketing has us believing our environment should be pristine. But, the germs in our houses are our germs. Our bodies know how to fight them. We do not need to live in a sterilised bubble.
Perhaps there needs to be a change of tactic. This elimination method is doing more harm than good. The release of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) with the use of bleach, ammonia and disinfectants cause respiratory problems, headaches and skin irritation.
Are harsh chemical products waging war on our immune systems rather than the germs they’ve been deployed to fight?
Traditional cleaning products are inherently toxic to be able to their job – break down organic matter. They will also break down the molecules you find on your skin and in your lungs. We use them in our homes absorb them in our bodies.
The Big Cleaning Question
What is the ultimate goal of cleaning?
The first goal is to remove toxins. The second is to eliminate an environment harvesting fungi, mould and bacteria.
Chemical products actually add toxins. They also encourage the spread of superbugs, which are becoming more resistant.
There are two ways we can tackle this. Either we go to the ‘au natural’ route or use technology and enzyme-based cleaning solutions.
Cleaning Solutions Safe Enough to Eat
Lemon juice is a great cleaner due to its low pH and antibacterial properties.
Simple homemade solutions can be created with ingredients found in your pantry.
Lemon juice or white distilled vinegar are naturally acidic and can clean alkaline residue such as rust or soap scum.
Baking soda, corn starch, and club soda are naturally alkaline. They break down acidic substances like body oil, food stains and dirt and grime.
Essential oils are concentrated oils of plants. Eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender are antibacterial and anti-fungal. Lemon and orange essential oils are naturally deodorising. Add a few drops of essential oil to a cleaning solution to enjoy these properties.
A quick google search provides great recipes for cleaning solutions for different areas of your home. Not only are they inexpensive but tackle grime and dirt – without killing good important micro-organisms living harmoniously with you.
Enzymes – A Green Philosophy
Enzyme-based cleaners are so much safer than contaminant and chemical cleaners
Enzyme cleaners are often a neutral pH level. This means they won’t corrode your surfaces – or your skin! But how do enzymes work in this way? Enzymes are complex protein molecules. They catalyse chemical reaction without being altered themselves. To eliminate odour, specific enzymes convert smelling sulphides into water soluble sulphates. It’s chemistry – nothing is killed but merely converted into carbon dioxide or oxygen.
After you apply the cleaning product, the enzymes continue to ‘eat’ away at dirt and grime. The solution penetrates into the porous nature of tiles and micro-abrasions made by people walking on your floors or tiny cuts on your benches. Even travelling down pipes and grout grooves, the reaction keeps going. This creates a much deeper clean. Essentially, it gets into all those hard to reach places that are impossible for you – and it keeps working!
Enzymes are natures housekeepers. Here at Service King we only use enzymatic based cleaners. This is because we’re serious about our environment!