Are you a perennial clean freak? Unfortunately, I’m not…but every once in a while I get the urge to do a pretty thorough cleaning and lately I’m trying to simplify my routine. I figure that if I can shorten my list of products, I might clean more often. I also grew tired of having to lug my heavy tote with all those darned bottles up and down the stairs.
More importantly, I’m trying to eliminate heavy chemicals from my household. I’ve been reading about the toxic ingredients that are contained in many cleaning products. As a cancer conqueror, I want to practice self-care by eliminating anything that includes those ingredients, even if they are in minuscule amounts. Now that I have a grandchild, one of the ways to love her is to provide a safe and non-toxic household. So here are three products that I am using now. I'm sure there are many "cleaner" alternatives out there, but a grandma has to start somewhere!
Truce All Purpose Cleaner-no phthalates, phosphates, parabens, dyes or fragrance
This peppermint scented spray is great for windows, mirrors, stainless steel, and especially your granite countertops. A little goes a long way and it's antiseptic. It is made of water, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and castile soap with essential oils and produced in my home state of Arizona. I discovered it in the "local" section at my Fry's Food Store when Covid first hit and cleaning supplies were in short supply, but it's also available at Sprouts or Thrive Online market.
Doterra On Guard Cleaner Concentrate-plant based and no preservatives
If you have been living under a rock and haven't heard of all the benefits of essential oils, you can read about them here. This essential oil based cleaning concentrate has may purposes. I use it to clean my bathroom sinks and tub. I also use vinegar but who likes that smell? I find that if I clean my shower and toilet with vinegar and then clean the rest of the bathroom with this, it leaves the bathroom with a wonderful, clean scent of cinnamon, orange and eucalyptus. It's non-toxic and biodegradable. Since this is a concentrate, it can be used many different ways. You can order from your local Doterra sales rep or on their website.
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Dish Soap-biodegradable, dye-free, color additive free, phthalate-free
This great smelling dish liquid will make doing the dishes almost pleasant. It comes in several different scents, but my favorite is lavender. It is available just about everywhere, but I pick mine up at Target.
If cleaning up your household products seems like a daunting task, just start with replacing the basic ones. Once you get used to using one product to clean many things, you’ll be throwing out all those chemicals in no time. If you want to dive deeper and apply clean products to your skincare and diet, I suggest you check out the “Just Ingredients” blog for tons of good advice. (Mimi Jackie told me about this.) Looking for homemade healthy products? Check out Dr Josh Axe. He has so many articles on general health, and even a recipe for homemade shampoo and sunscreen tips.
Using healthy products is a good way to teach lessons to your grandchildren while keeping them safe from chemicals, so clean up your act, Grandma!
Be well,
Nana Alison