We use different household cleaners available in the market. Three questions:
- What are these cleaners made of and how safe are those?
- Is there a better and safer alternative?
- Is the alternative easy and convenient?
What’s in the Cleaners we use: Have you ever checked the contents in the home cleaners you use? It is interesting to note that most of the branded chemical cleaners, used in our houses, do not specify the quantity of each of the contents on the label. So we really don’t know how much of which chemicals we are directly/ indirectly exposed to? For instance, these cleaners have sodium hypochlorite and Sodium lauryl ether sulfate which may not be safe, especially for those with asthma. In addition it also causes skin and eye irritation. Another common mention is “fragrances” but ingredients are not disclosed as not needed as per law. This is where 100 of the ingredients get masked.
It’s not just about these cleaners but almost everything we consume.
Cleaners also affect waste, but how ?: Cleaners are specifically mentioned here in the context of waste reduction which can be done by the individual. You can convert certain items which end up in your dustbin into Natural Cleaners i.e. BIO-ENZYME. This lets you be in control of what is in the cleaner and contributes to reducing waste.
What are Bio-Enzymes?: These are natural cleaners made from fermented kitchen vegetable and fruit peels.
How much waste are we talking about? : A Sizable portion of the residential dustbin includes discards in form of peels of fruits/vegetables (anywhere between 15% -70%). Some peels are not edible and rest we are mostly not used to consuming.
Reuse before Composting: Instead of composting, you can put the uncooked kitchen scraps – remains of fruits and vegetables, into one another level of reuse as bio-enzymes before we compost it.
2 Minute makes a huge impact: Save those peels going in a dustbin as food waste. Put them in any plastic container (Smart Tip – Reuse plastic soft drink or water bottles) with water and jaggery in a ratio of 3: 10 :1. All this, just takes 2 minutes to get started. Write the date on the bottle and just Wait for 90 days. Don’t forget to open the bottle cap once daily to release the gases, don’t worry they don’t stink.
So where all can Bio-Enzymes be used ?: It has multiple uses. To give an overview it is a replacement for any cleaner you use like the floor cleaner for mopping, cleaning the washbasins, bathrooms & toilets, wiping kitchen slabs etc. If you have a kitchen garden bio enzymes made with vegetable peels can be used as nutrients. When mixed with soapnut it can be used as a hand wash, laundry cleaner and dish cleaner.
How do we use it ?: Start simple by first using it as a floor cleaner diluting it in same proportion like your normal floor cleaners.
Okay last thing, how big is the impact in long run: Use of bio-enzymes can help reduce your overall household waste by at least 15% along with reducing chemical exposure by at least 30%.
So are you ready to try this 2-minute magic and reduce your food waste & also exposure to chemicals?
