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Household Cleaners: What Vegetarian Options?

Embarking on a survey of product ingredient lists in a supermarket can be disheartening and wearisome. This is true even with the most basic food items such as breads, cheese or yogurts, for example. Move on to the household cleaning products or toiletries and cosmetics sections and the task becomes even more difficult. The range of ingredients used in such products is daunting, with most companies using a significant number of animal by-products (many having completely unrecognizable names). Also, in most cases, a full list of ingredients will not be printed on the packaging.

So, in an ideal world, what characteristics would be desirable in such items? Products that are free of animal or slaughter by-products would be nice to find. These products would also need to be produced without the use of cruel animal testing procedures. Another desirable characteristic would be for the products to be produced in an environmentally sound way and for them to be fully biodegradable. Well, surprise surprise…, there are such household cleaning products available as you read this now! So what are they, and where can you buy them?

The following table has been compiled with the help of the Vegan Society UK’s handbook, ‘Animal Free Shopper’ and various websites. All products listed are suitable for vegan use. The Bio-D and Ecover companies maintain a strong environmental ethic.

Most, if not all products listed are available in Ireland. Healthfood shops tend to stock a range from either Ecover or Bio-D. Many of the Jeyes products are readily available in supermarkets. In most retail outlets where Ecover products are sold, a refill system is maintained to reduce wastage of plastic containers. The Dublin Food Co-op, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, stocks both Bio-D and Ecover products - so try them out! If they are not available in your local store, ask the manager to stock them.

There is, of course, another way! If you have a little time and foresight, and lots of spare screw-top jars, then some of the mixtures in the following list could be prepared and used as needed!

Polishes

• Brass : Mix salt and four in equal quantities with a drop of vinegar, to make a paste.
• Copper : Lemon juice and salt, mixed.
• Silver : A mixture of boiling water and salt with a piece of aluminum foil can be used to soak silver pieces.
• Chrome : Pure white vinegar.
• Stainless steel: Wipe firstly with vinegar, then with baking soda and finish off with a damp cloth.

Stain removers

for all stains, soak in COLD water as soon as possible. Then:

• Oil stains : Rub with white chalk prior to washing.
• Ink stains : Use a mix of lemon juice and cream of tartar, allow to dry and wash as normal.
• Coffee and wine stains: Blot stains with Club soda!

  Oven cleaner : Sprinkle a layer of baking soda on the bottom of the oven, with a sprinkling of water, Leave to work for about 8 hours, and then wipe clean.

• Unblocking those Drains: Pour ½ cup of baking soda and ½ cup of vinegar into the blockage
• and leave for 15 minutes. Flush it all away with boiling water.
• Fabric softener : Add a quarter cup of white vinegar to the final rinse of the washing machine. This leaves no smell on the finished wash.
• Mildew remover: Rub affected areas with a mix of lemon juice and salt, leave for 30-60 minutes and then scrub with a sponge and hot water.

(From Environmental Action Coalition)

For more websites like the one where these ideas were found, try www.ecomall.com.

So, there you go – some Safe, Simple, Vegetarian, Environmentally friendly cleaning tips for you to try!

Maria Connolly

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