Non-toxic alternative to bleach?

[P.J.]

I have come across a few situations lately that one might normally use bleach for- like disinfecting surfaces and cleaning chores. I have never bought or kept bleach just because it is so toxic, and now that I have a baby I definitely do not want it anywhere in our house.

So what can I use instead that has similar properties? I thought maybe mix tea tree oil with water, but somehow that just doesn't seem as strong / effective as bleach would be, idk.

Any ideas?

[mama_y_sol]

How about vinegar?

[FillingMyQuiver]

Actually, full strength vinegar followed by hydrogen peroxide is just as effective at disinfecting as bleach.  Spray one, then the other (but don't mix them before), let sit for a few minutes, then wipe clean.

[P.J.]

That sounds good, but I am in Germany and unfortunately hydrogen peroxide can only be bought at pharmacies...and is not cheap at all! To use it for cleaning would be too expensive.

Sadly it's the same story with rubbing alcohol....only at pharmacies and not cheap! I keep a bottle on hand but do not use it for cleaning, only for medical situations.

Also baking soda is not a household object here and it's sold only is some supermarkets as a baking item, and again about 3x the price as in the US.

Oh, and nobody but maybe a chemist would know what Borax is.

For now I guess I'll use vinegar....and maybe make a query in the Germany forum.

...unless anyone has any other ideas? Or do you guys just use bleach and keep it well away from your kids?

[beebalmmama]

I use a cleaning solution I make for most wipe down type situations. It contains glycerin soap, lemon juice, tea tree oil and water. I also use vinegar/water solution a lot. Although for daily wipe down I just use a wet rag. The solutions are for my weekly cleaning. But I do keep bleach for occasionally deep cleaning the toilet bowls and for deep clean in the kitchen sinks. We used to be all veg but now that we eat chicken and are dealing with surfaces where raw meat touches, I'm a little fanatical about keeping those things disinfected. Otherwise I think our bodies are better off dealing with a few germs in our own homes on a regular basis so I don't worry too much about disinfecting (except during illness).