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Top 8 Natural Bleach Alternatives

July 28, 2014   Food & Nutrition

  
Some people use bleach to eliminate mildew and mold. Others sterilize objects, shine dishware, mix disinfectants and kill weeds. Bleach has become such a convenient part of our daily lives that many people tend to overlook the dangers of it.

The chemical makeup of bleach is a corrosive mixture that can cause more harm than good. When mixed in certain environments it creates deadly poisonous gas. Pets are susceptible to its vapors. Direct contact with the skin can cause intense irritation and burning. Even with vast knowledge of the complicated chemistry behind bleach’s dangers, it’s never an entirely safe option.

Bleach becomes an even less attractive option when you consider the wealth of safe alternatives with parallel effectiveness. The bleach alternatives listed below let you bid farewell to the dangers and noxious smell of bleach with effective and safe results.

Eight Great Alternatives to Bleach

1. Vinegar

When you overlook the potent smell, this cure-all liquid is a home maintenance tool with a ton of useful properties. Not to mention it’s completely safe, many people even use different forms of it for cooking and condiments. You can use it to replace bleach when doing your laundry at home.

For laundry, the acetic properties of vinegar will help brighten your clothes and remove leftover soap residue. Simply add 1 cup of distilled vinegar to a pot of boiling water and let it sit a few minutes. A few minutes after removing from heat, add the clothes and let them sit overnight. On the following day remove the clothes and wash them like you normally would.

Further reading: read my previous post about 10 surprising household uses for vinegar.

2. Baking Soda

Baking Soda is yet another safely consumable alternative that people have used in a variety of settings. It’s been used to make toothpaste, treat bug bites, wash dishware, clean ovens, deodorize your home, the list goes on…

The greatest way to replace bleach with baking soda is during laundry. The alkali properties help when it comes to breaking down greasy stains and residue. By adding ½ cup of baking soda to your regular powdered laundry detergent your clothes will come out cleaner and with less odor than usual.

Further reading: find here 6 uses for baking soda as a kitchen medicine.

3. Hydrogen Peroxide

Plenty of people shy away from this product because there is slight intimidation associated with the chemical name. In actuality this non-toxic disinfectant is far more safe and just as effective as bleach in several residential applications. Hydrogen peroxide can be used in the kitchen, laundry room and even the bathroom as a hygienic aid.

To brighten laundry, add ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide with laundry detergent before a routine wash. Mix in a spray bottle with a bit of water and use it in the kitchen to clean cutting boards, sponges, and even vegetables of bacteria. In the bathroom you can use it for whiter nails and even as a mouthwash to kill bacteria when diluted with water (and rinsed thoroughly without swallowing).

Further reading: discover 11 amazing uses for hydrogen peroxide in my previous article.

4. Lemon Juice

Another great alternative to bleach might be a lemon sitting in your fridge or atop a fruit basket. The acidic properties of lemon make them a non-toxic way to clean and disinfect kitchen materials such as cutting boards and trays. Not to mention they also leave behind a much more pleasant scent than bleach.

  

  
To use Lemon juice as an alternative to bleach, cut the lemon in half and rub it on to the affected area. You can also drain the juice and mix it with water in a spray bottle. Some people toss the finished rinds down a garbage disposal to clean them out.

Further reading: find here how to use lemon as a medicine and what to do with the peels.

5. Castile Soap

Castile styled soap is made from olive oil with techniques that dates back over several centuries of Spanish history. It’s effectiveness combined with natural ingredients makes it an appealing alternative to bleach. Many soaps are made of chemical detergents, but Castile soap is entirely biodegradable and safe to use around pets and family.

Most people dilute the Castile soap with water and use it to clean bathrooms, dishes and cookware. It makes a great laundry detergent when combined with white vinegar, baking soda, washing soda and borax. Some have also used Castile soap as shampoo for both people and pets, floor cleaning solution, toothpaste and carpet cleaner. You can also combine a tablespoon of Castile soap with several cups of water in a spray bottle and safely clean your produce of bacteria.

Further reading: find here how to make nourishing coconut milk shampoo with Castile soap, and how to easily make natural antiseptic soap and lavender soap.

6. Borax

Borax is a mixture of a mineral and salt and has become a useful component in several applications. It’s commonly used as a detergent, in cosmetics, a fire retardant and even as an antifungal agent.

It’s commonly mixed in with laundry detergent to give it a cleaning power boost, but it can also serve as a disinfectant. It’s gritty properties makes it an ideal ingredient for scrubbing and cleaning dirty and grimy surfaces. When mixed with Castile soap and water it becomes a great way to scrub sinks and toilets clean.

Further reading: find here how to make sanitizing natural household cleaner using borax and essential oils.

7. Tea Tree Oil

This bleach alternative, otherwise known as melaleuca oil, is a natural essential oil with a wide variety of uses. It has been used in cosmetics to treat acne, infection and dandruff. As a bleach alternative, tea tree oil is a great-smelling way to disinfect and clean virtually any area of your home. By mixing a few drops with warm water in a spray bottle you’ll wield great tool for cleaning floors, counter-tops and appliances with a scent similar to pine.

Further reading: read my previous article about the top 5 medicinal uses for tea tree oil. If you are interested to learn more about essential oils you can find useful information in my e-book Magical Aromatherapy which will help you to discover the power of essential oils and the most effective ways to use them.

8. Solar Power




No, this doesn’t mean buying solar panels to use in any way, just harnessing the power of the sun’s rays. If you want to whiten your laundry you can easily hang it up outside to dry where the sun’s rays can hit it. Ultra-violet light gives a subtle bleaching effect to white clothing. It’s worth keeping in mind that it might cause colorful clothes to fade however. You can also place an object outside on a sunny day and the sun’s rays will help to disinfect it.


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