The say cleanliness is next to dogliness.
Or something like that. I could have that quote wrong. Here at Casa de Kolchak, we really love to have a fresh clean house that doesn’t look like a pack of wild canines live inside. Just because we want the house clean, doesn’t mean we’re willing to compromise on safety though. A few years ago, I never would have thought something as important as dish washing could be bad?!
Felix changed all that.
I swear, if that boy was a car, he’d be a lemon. I love his fluffy butt to death, but he’s allergic to everything. The slightest interference from household chemicals left him itchy and covered in hot spots. Sure, he’s an extreme example, but in my quest to find products that would work for him, I happened to learn a thing or two about dish soap that left me wanting a more natural approach for our whole family.
Turns out, for a product designed to make things cleaner, there’s a whole lot of junk is dish soap.
Forget the nasty dyes they use to make it pretty, there are additives in dish soap that are linked to heart disease and heart failure. Others are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Other ingredients can irritate the skin and eyes and aren’t meant for consumption. One particularly worrisome chemical in antibacterial dish soap can mix with chlorinated water to make chloroform. What the woof is all that doing in soap? Still, dishes need to get clean.
Here’s what we do to make sure our dishes are sparkling clean without all the chemicals:
- Wash dishes with liquid Castile Soap and vinegar. Castile soap is a natural product made with vegetable oils. When used with regular white vinegar, it can leave your dishes sparkling and naturally clean. Wash dishes in a sink full of hot water with the liquid castile soap, then rinse in a vinegar & water bath. (Want that lemon fresh smell? Add a few drops of lemon oil into the wash water.)
- Disinfect gross surfaces with 3% Hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. We’re raw feeders, so making sure our dog dishes are clean and disinfected is very important to us. Hydrogen Peroxide and vinegar gets the job done. Simply fill two spray bottles, one with each liquid, then spray surfaces with one, then the other. In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.
- Scrub stubborn food mess with baking soda. Sure, you can buy all sorts of natural scrub sponges made from corn husk or coconut fiber, but to be honest? Sponges gross me out. I imagine them like crack dens of gross bacteria. That’s why I use plain baking soda to scrub stubborn food mess off my pots and pans. For stubborn roast on foods, I’ll liberally sprinkle the pan with baking soda, then cover with vinegar and water. Works like a charm.
- Dishwasher obsessed? We use ours mostly to heat treat our dishes on the “disinfect” cycle, but if you’re a dishwasher fiend, try this dishwasher soap recipe. A friend swear by it.
At the end of the day, I want clean dishes that are safe for me and more importantly, safe for the dogs. It might be a little more work, but I think they’re worth it.
Interesting post. My beagle boys will be grateful that you’ve educated me! Have a lovely day.
Thanks for coming by! We’re huge beagle lovers here! What are their names?
I refer to them as Little Weirdo and Mr. Cool. The Little Weirdo has boundless energy and is so…weird. We’re thrilled that Mr. Cool recently was able to ditch his doggie wheelchair. He has disc problems in his back. Thanks for such great info on your website. Really enjoying it!!
Neighbors About Town Blog
I use the vinegar/peroxide blend on my cutting boards and thought i was the only one…keeps them sanitary and doesn’t harm the wood
It’s my kitchen cleaning secret weapon! (Well, my everywhere cleaning secret weapon. I use it all over.) I don’t use wood cutting boards though. I used to work in a food manufacturing facility and so I’ve seen actual bacterial swabs of wood and… *shudder*
Yes, I do still use wooden cutting boards…I’ve owned commercial ones, but always go back to wood…I know I know, but I just like them better
LOL, no judgement here! Just because it doesn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it can’t work for you. Just please, please no! Tell me you don’t use it for meat??
So i saw this on my FB timeline this morning and thought of you:
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE MAGIC!
Ever since I started using Hydrogen Peroxide to get rid of armpit stains, to clean cookie sheets, as a miracle cleaner in my kitchen and bathroom, and to make my own “oxi clean”…I ALWAYS have at least one bottle of the stuff under my kitchen sink, under my bathroom sink, AND in the laundry room. This stuff is amazingly versatile!
But it wasn’t until recently, after doing some IN DEPTH research on the subject, that I came to realize what a “miracle substance” hydrogen peroxide really is! It’s safe, it’s readily available, it’s cheap, and best of all, it WORKS! It works for a LOT of stuff!
Hydrogen peroxide should really be called oxygen water, since it is basically the same chemical make up as water but with an extra oxygen atom (H2O2). Because of this it breaks down quickly and harmlessly into oxygen and water.
Some other interesting facts about hydrogen peroxide:
It is found in all living material.
Your white blood cells naturally produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to fight bacteria and infections.
Fruit and vegetables naturally produce hydrogen peroxide. This is one of the reasons why it is so healthy to eat fresh fruit and vegetables.
It is found in massive dosages in the mother’s first milk, called colostrum, and is transferred to the baby to boost their immune system.
It is found in rain water because some of the H20 in the atmosphere receives an additional oxygen atom from the ozone (O3) and this H2O2 makes plants grow faster.
Next to Apple Cider Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide ranks up there as one of the best household remedies.
Besides the obvious (cleansing wounds), did you know that it is probably the best remedy to dissolve ear wax? Brighten dingy floors? Add natural highlights to your hair? Improve your plants root systems? The list goes on and on!
There are SO many uses for this stuff that I’ve started replacing the cap on the hydrogen peroxide bottle with a sprayer because it’s easier and faster to use that way.
I have compiled a rather impressive list of uses for 3% hydrogen peroxide that I hope will have you as thrilled and bewildered as I was!
Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.
In the dishwasher, add 2 oz. to your regular detergent for a sanitizing boost. Also, beef up your regular dish soap by adding roughly 2 ounces of 3% H2O2 to the bottle.
Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis. Use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.
Use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste for brushing teeth. Helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria. Mixed with salt and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide works as a whitening toothpaste.
Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu.
Clean your cutting board and countertop. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean. (I’ve been using it for this a LOT lately!)
Wipe out your refrigerator and dishwasher. Because it’s non-toxic, it’s great for cleaning places that store food and dishes.
Clean your sponges. Soak them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.
Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off.
Whiten bathtub grout. First dry the tub thoroughly, then spray it liberally with hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit — it may bubble slightly — for a little while, then come back and scrub the grout with an old toothbrush. You may have to repeat the process a few times.
Clean the toilet bowl. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.
Remove stains from clothing, curtains, and tablecloths. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pre-treater for stains — just soak the stain for a little while in 3% hydrogen peroxide before tossing into the laundry. You can also add a cup of peroxide to a regular load of whites to boost brightness. It’s a green alternative to bleach, and works just as well.
Brighten dingy floors. Combine half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with one gallon of hot water, then go to town on your flooring. Because it’s so mild, it’s safe for any floor type, and there’s no need to rinse.
Clean kids’ toys and play areas. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaner to use around kids, or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Spray toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis.
Help out your plants. To ward off fungus, add a little hydrogen peroxide to your spray bottle the next time you’re spritzing plants.
Add natural highlights to your hair. Dilute the hydrogen peroxide so the solution is 50% peroxide and 50% water. Spray the solution on wet hair to create subtle, natural highlights.
According to alternative therapy practitioners, adding half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to a warm bath can help detoxify the body. Some are skeptical of this claim, but a bath is always a nice way to relax and the addition of hydrogen peroxide will leave you – and the tub – squeaky clean!
Spray a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide on leftover salad, drain, cover and refrigerate. This will prevent wilting and better preserve your salad.
Sanitize your kids’ lunch boxes/bags.
Dab hydrogen peroxide on pimples or acne to help clear skin.
Hydrogen peroxide helps to sprout seeds for new plantings. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution once a day and spritz the seed every time you re-moisten. You can also use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants’ root system.
Remove yellowing from lace curtains or tablecloths. Fill a sink with cold water and a 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Soak for at least an hour, rinse in cold water and air dry.
Use it to remove ear wax. Use a solution of 3% with olive or almond oil. Add a couple drops of oil first then H2O2. After a few minutes, tilt head to remove solution and wax.
Helps with foot fungus. Spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry. Or try soaking your feet in a peroxide solution to help soften calluses and corns, and disinfect minor cuts.
Spray down the shower with hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria and viruses.
Use 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water to clean humidifiers and steamers.
Wash shower curtains with hydrogen peroxide to remove mildew and soap scum. Place curtains in machine with a bath towel and your regular detergent. Add 1 cup full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide to the rinse cycle.
Use for towels that have become musty smelling. 1/2 cup Peroxide and 1/2 cup vinegar let stand for 15 minutes wash as normal. Gets rid of the smell.
Use hydrogen peroxide to control fungi present in aquariums. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt your fish. Use sparingly for this purpose.
De-skunking solution. Combine 1 quart 3% H2O2, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon Dawn dish detergent, 2 quarts warm water.
A: I love that you saw this and thought of me – THANK YOU!
and B: Hear hear! I use Hydrogen Peroxide, white vinegar, baking soda and oil of oregano to clean 99% of my house. This stuff works!
I kept seeing “use dawn” in all kinds of products for ‘natural’ remedies so I thought it was okay. I’m glad you shared this. I have switched to ACV to clean things but I’ll be adding a couple different ingredients to my next shopping list!
I think Dawn got that reputation from all the commercials of volunteers using it to clean oil off ducks and birds from the oil spill. Just because it works, doesn’t mean it’s safe (and don’t even get me started on the “green washing” marketing tactics! I’ll rant for hours!)
Shacklee makes a GREAT diswasher detergent. It’s environmentalist approved by me AND actually gets your dishes sparkling clean. I like your approach too – stick to the very basics. People forget that our grandparents used that stuff for years…because it worked! My great aunt used to insist that we washed her windows with vinegar and newspaper.
Shacklee, eh? I wonder if I can find that here…or if I can grab it next time I shop in Bellingham. Thanks for the tip.
You’ve really hit the nail on the head – I try to get back to what people did years ago. No chemicals. No scary stuff. Just naturally clean. What can I say? I’m a bit of a West Coast dirty hippie :0)
Shacklee is not sold in stores. It’s sold kind of like Avon. You have to find your local representative and order through them. I think you can find dealers through their website or just to a Google search.
AHA~ good to know. Off to ask the Google…
I heard a long, long time ago that mice provided with dilute dishwashing liquid in their water bottles developed a lot of cancers.
Now, I know they breed mice to be susceptible to cancers so they can study them (can we say ‘lowlifes’?) and we can’t necessarily extrapolate results from mice into human models, but at that point, despite the ‘waste’ of hot water, I began washing my dishes as usual, but then rinsing them thoroughly under a running tap before drying them or leaving them to drain.
I do the same with the dog dishes, except that for them I buy unscented dishwashing liquid because I imagine that for an animal with a very sensitive sense of smell the residue of the perfumed ones must be quite gross.
Even with the mice predisposed to cancer, we tend to look at these things as the “canary in the mine”, so to speak. If there’s even a chance…it’s not worth it for me – especially when the natural alternatives are cheaper and just as (or more effective). I bet your pets appreciate the unscented though! I’ve always been very conscious of the fact that if I find something too strong, it must be very bad for the dogs!
And I do feel for those poor dogs living with women who abuse perfume. What the heck must THAT be like for them??
::GAG:: That. I’m allergic to most perfumes, so the woman how douse themselves kill me. I can’t even imagine what it does to my poor Beagle cross.
Thanks for these tips!
Mom is dishwasher obsessed because washing by hand ruins her nail polish…please! Our bowls are stainless the rubber died ages ago so they go in the dishwasher. We might just try that soap recipe, why not? Thanks for sharing!
LOL, Mama feels the same way. She repaints CONSTANTLY. It seems so…pointless?