cleaning spray, just to try, and found it
worked better than the chemical-based
cleaners – and it was much more gentle
on my nose and skin when cleaning
the house. When cleaning my house
now, I mostly use microfibre static
cloths with a bit of water if needed.
Our family definitely benefits in many
ways. Most importantly, there is less
exposure to chemicals by using natural
cleaning products.” Laura set up a
Facebook group, Healthy Living in
HK, to discuss all things health-related
–
natural cleaning products is one topic
that has been covered on the site. From
the information she has gleaned, Laura
adds, “I am hoping to stop buying
‘
eco-friendly’ products all together and
just start using natural ingredients like
vinegar and baking soda.”
Store cupboard solutions
One Hong Kong mum who is fully
versed in the use of vinegar and
baking soda – plus a few other
staples in the natural cleaning store
cupboard – is mum-of-two Barbara
Ashbrook. You name the household
cleaning challenge and, chances are,
she will have an effective, natural
solution (see
Greening your cleaning
on
page 49).
Barbara explains, “I suppose I
have always used eco-friendly products
on my home since my parents made
it part of their (and our) day-to-day
life. When I moved to Hong Kong, I
could not find certain products that
I was used to from home, and I was
not familiar with brands from Asia,
so I went back to my grandmother’s
recommendations. I now use things
like white vinegar, baking soda,
hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice
to tackle most jobs. Fanda pharmacy
April 2013
47