Natural Cleaning for Your Home: 95 Pure and Simple Recipes (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Casey Kella (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Surprisingly, this is not simply a useful "how-to" book about natural cleaning. It is also a beautiful book--a pleasure to read and look at, with its lovely photographs and illustrations, accompanied by Kellar's accessible, conversational writing style.

Everyone enjoys the look, feel, and smell of a freshly cleaned home, but many people in recent years have become alarmed at the number of potentially harmful chemicals and solvents in commercial cleaning products and yearn for a safer, healthier way. Here it is! Fresh cut lemons, glycerin, table salt, vanilla beans, canola oil, peat moss, vinegar, and fragrant herbs are combined by the author to create cleaning solutions for just about every kind of soiled surface or household item. More than 90 individual recipes for cleaning and deodorizing your home are described in detail, including polishes and cleaners for wood floors and furniture and dozens of inventive ways to remove stains and freshen clothing, upholstery, and carpeting.

Beyond the health and safety issues of using harsh chemical cleaners, there is also the cost issue. The natural materials used by Kellar are commonly available and inexpensive. Moreover, they work as well as more expensive and more unhealthy products. People with allergies and chemical sensitivities will love this book, as will anyone who longs for a clean, fresh-smelling, sparkling home without risking poisoning themselves or the environment. To put these strategies and recipes together in such a gorgeous and enjoyable book is an additional and unexpected bonus for the reader. This is a useful, practical, and elegant little book that would make a charming gift for any friend. --Mark A. Hetts

Product Description

This book shows readers how to let natural materials clean their home. Some ingredients include fresh-cut lemons, glycerine, table salt, vanilla beans, canola oil, peat moss, vinegar and herbs. Used alone or in the right combinations, these natural cleaners can replace harsh, commercial cleansers. Using natural ingredients not only works, but saves money, helps avoid allergic reactions, and demonstrates how to custom-clean problem areas. Every aspect of every room is covered.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (NC) (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579900542
• ISBN-13: 978-1579900540
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #470,444 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so "Natural", January 4, 1999

By	E. Murphy "hockeychica" (San Jose) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It turns out that several recipes call for some rather unnatural ingredients including ammonia, turpentine, gasoline, and chlorine bleach. I'm returning my copy because when I label something as 'natural', that means it doesn't mess with the environment after it goes down my drain. A major disappointment.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Hoped, January 8, 2000

By A Customer

This book is beautifully put together with warm coloring and photographs, which was part of the reason I purchased it via mail order. The contents, however, were generally a disappointment. Yes, there were good alternatives to using the more harmful chemicals, and it is a good feeling to be creating your own cleaners, but there were fewer recipes than hoped and not enough description and/or instruction for usage. In short, this has been the only book I have ever returned.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Be careful of the "natural" recipes, October 11, 1999

By	Nancy Cozadd (Excelsior Springs, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews

Excellent ideas for some economical alternatives for common household cleaning. The ingredients are readily available in most parts of the country. I would have liked to see an index of on-line and mail order resources though, for those who can't find some of the necessary items. Also, some recipes called for bleach and other not-so-enviromentally-friendly ingredients. Steer clear of those!