WHY YOU SHOULD STOP CLEANING YOUR HOUSE!
Why should you stop cleaning your house? Well, the title of this post can be a bit misleading...you see, I absolutely don’t think you should stop cleaning you house! I mean, cleanliness is next to Godliness, right? So why say this? Well, it is because I absolutely do think you should stop cleaning your house with toxic chemicals that are unknowingly harming you and your family! So, I am sharing with you why you should consider and how to clean your house safely and cost effectively!
Look, there have been some studies that have come out lately shedding light to the masses on the levels of chemicals that are harbored in our everyday cleaning products. Everything from clean your kitchen cleaner to what you scrub your floors and toilets with, and even to those amazing candles you love to burn so much are laced with toxins that could be truly affecting our health! I don’t want to lose you here. Let me tell you, opening my eyes to these truths were difficult, I mean, I flippin’ love the certain smell of a certain housecleaner that’s name originates from a tree in the forest and is claimed to be the sol-ution for exactly what we need to rid of the germs that surround us! I could not imagine giving away that smell...the smell of “clean,” for anything! But it wasn’t until I ran across someone who was teaching the benefits of what a toxic-free home could do for your health that I came to the realization that indeed, “clean,” does not have a smell. Clean is clean and practically free...the smell you pay for, well, it’s called marketing!!!
I get it, we have spent years, some of us several decades watching our parents and grandparents clean a certain way and taking on their traditions in consumer purchasing and doing the same in our home. The thing that what we don’t realize is that we are passive consumers not taking an active interest in truly knowing what is in our products. Let me tell you. There is a lot of shit in them that mean us no good! I just don’t know any other way to put it.
This is something that I have grown passionate about over the past year and I have sat down with green-cleaning “gurus,” read articles, and scoured a many website to find products that were not harmful to me, my pup or my bank account. The thing is, a lot of company do what is called “green washing” with their products. This is basically like whitewashing, which is the attempt to hide unpleasant fact about a certain subject; with “greenwashing,” the subject is environmental. (Don’t worry, I plan to write a series around toxic free living and this is one of the topics I will breakdown for you in detail!) Point is, don’t let the “green” companies fool you into believing that their products are more safe than the next. Do your research and find out what ingredients are you really washing your dishes with and cleaning your baby’s clothing in each day!
I am going to give you a few things to look out for when trying to decipher if you truly want to use a product in your home and I am going to share with you what I now use to clean my home with!
Okay, so the why… Well, did you know that the average home actually harbors 500 to 1,000 chemicals. (1) Now, the things is that many of us don’t realize this and it doesn’t register as an issue because we can actually handle certain toxins in small amounts. Of course everyone is different but think about when you have several combinations and larger amounts of chemicals. This could for sure cause issue.
We also have an issue with indoor air pollution. The U.S. General Accounting Office stated that indoor air pollution is, “one of the most serious environmental risks to human health.” (2) They go on the call out the fact that no agency has yet put parameters in place to control indoor air pollution. And here is a kicker for you-- labels on products don’t help an tremendous amount because if there is a chemical in household product, or even in your cosmetics ladies, they actually do not have to be placed on the label! Yikes!
The What: What should you be looking out for is your question, I am sure of it! Look, you can steer clear of the following chemicals below and also to see how “dirty” a product really is you can download an application on your phone called, Think Dirty. Here is what you should absolutely stay away from:
Ammonia
2-butoxyethanol
Chlorine bleach
Ethanolamines
ADBAC
Benzalkonium chloride
Triclosan
Ingredients with names that include, monium chloride
The Solution:
I keep all of the he following products on hand and you should have them in your home as cleaning alternatives as well.
> White vinegar: vinegar is an extremely versatile cleaner and is environmentally safe. Don’t swear it off due to it’s unflattering smell. Diluting it and adding 100% pure therapeutic essential oils will make you rethink your vinegar prejudices!
> Baking soda: baking soda is actually salt! Baking soda absorbs odors to rid of them, unlike your household air fresheners that simply mask those stinky smells we don't want lingering
> Thieves household cleaner: this is a non-toxic, yet effective all-in-one natural cleaner. The reason I love this cleaner and use it constantly is because it is completely plant and mineral based! It is also cost efficient because it is a concentrate, so you dilute it with water. One entire bottle of this cleaner equals 128 bottles of the all-purpose cleaner I used to buy in 30 oz bottles!
> Lemon essential oil: lemon essential oil is great for purification and cleansing! The best part is that it smells amazing. You will want to make sure that you use an oil that is 100% pure, side note, you won't find this at the health food store or Walmart no matter what the label says, which is why I have provided you to the link to the company I source all of my oils from.
>Thieves essential oil : the benefit of this essential oil is that it is highly anti-viral and anti-bacterial. It has been called the ultimate germ-killer! I use this with a dilution of water and sometimes witch hazel or vodka to create room sprays, clean my glasses, disinfect surfaces like counters and my cell phone and I even use it as a hand cleaner! I even use it as a replacement for my candle obessession by diffusing it with lemon essential oil into the air!
> Fragrance-free liquid soap- do not select an antibacterial
> Microfiber towels: by trial and error I have learned that cleaning with microfiber towels is where it is at! No streaks, no lent and no waste---as you pop these babies right into the washing machine and reuse them! This will totally save you money down the road on paper towels!
> Squeegee: these are great tools to have around the house when cleaning as it helps with keeping windows and glass showers streak free
> Mason jars: I store my DIY carpet cleaner and other concoctions in these jars! They are incredibly useful around the house!
> Amber glass jars: when cleaning with pure essential oils you want to store them in dark, glass containers. Amber jars are perfect for this and they come with a squirt cap to make using your Thieves concentrate super simple!
Okay, so I use all of these products when cleaning my home and I would say they are the basic stepping stones to creating a toxic-free environment. Look, don’t be overwhelmed, it is truly one step at a time!
Let me leave you with one DIY cleaning recipe using some of the the ingredients from the list! Don’t worry, I will be doing an entire series on toxic-free living so you will get all the goods when it comes to information, recipes and the absolute best products that you can use in order to keep your home and family healthy!
SOFT SCRUB CLEANER FOR BATHROOM
3 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons filtered water
4-5 drops of lemon essential oil
In a small bowl, mix baking soda with the filtered water and continue mixing
You should form a paste and adjust ingredients as needed
Add the lemon essential oil and apply your cleaner to the area you are cleaning.
Scrub until clean
The research:
(1)https://blogs.webmd.com/health-ehome/2009/07/3-shocking-facts-about-the-air-in-your-home.html
** It is important to note I am an independent distributor of Young Living and suggestions made in regard to essential oils are specific to Young Living essential oils and suggestions of use should not be utilized with oils from any other source. Statements made on this site in regard to Young Living have not been evaluated by the FDA, and these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent and disease. Please keep oils out of the reach of children and if you are suffering from disease, injury or discomfort you should consult a physician. For more information you should read the disclaimer located on the curatedhealthcoach.com site.
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