Newbie with a ? re: Where to Purchase Cleaning Supplies

MrsHabious

I am FINALLY transitioning to green cleaning.  I am recovering from chemo and radiation therapy and want to minimize exposure to chemicals.  Having said that, I need to balance that with ensuring I am disinfecting things.

I read several of your cleaning recipes, thank you by the way.  Where does one purchase things like Borax, washing soap (not even sure what that is), essential oils, etc.?  I have a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods near me, but have not looked there yet (am going later this week). 

Are these things you buys online (Amazon?) or locally? 

Also, recommendations on what to add as a disinfectant?

Thank you again ladies!

DreadLoc

I found Borax and washing soda at Walmart.  Dr. Bronners and essential oils were found at a local health food store.  

Whole Foods probably has everything you need, but in my experience their items are very overpriced.  

Straight vinegar has worked as a suitable disinfectant in our home.  

juno

I get Borax and washing soda at Ace hardware.  I buy Dr. Bronner's and Tea Tree oil, which is a disinfectant, at Trader Joe's.  I buy my vinegar at Costco.  I've read conflicting things about how much vinegar actually disinfects (for example, here), but we both have healthy immune systems and a mostly vegetarian kitchen, so I don't worry about it too much.  If one of us were ill and needed to be completely sure about a disinfectant, I'd want to find out the real story on that before I relied on it completely.

sunshine_day_dreams

I buy borax and Dr. B's at Target. It took me a while to figure out that the Dr. B's isn't with regular soap there; it's with the cosmetics in the EF section with Burt's Bees, etc.

EOs I buy at Whole Foods (though they are a bit expensive there).  The only place I've been able to find washing soda is Ace Hardware, and you can buy it through their website if you don't have one near you.

CDMay2006

Target sells borax and dr. bronner's.  It may also sell washing soda; not sure.  WF carries EOs; you may also want to look into buying them online if cost is a factor.  We use vinegar and a steam mop for disinfecting (also dish soap, dr. b's, baking soda and tap water for cleaning) .  If necessary (i.e., to clean up someone else's blood) you can also use hydrogen peroxide; this is one case where we use paper towels (we usually use cloth rags).  (For reference, my husband is on a medication that suppresses his immune system and our approach to cleaning has not been a problem, even though i have worked in elementary schools and attended college -- both germ factories ; we also have a dog and a cat.)

I hope your treatment continues to go well.