Cleaning is a dreaded chore for me. Or it was when I was using toxic cleaning products to get it done. I HATED cleaning the shower because the fumes would always burn my nose. And I didn’t like deep cleaning the sink because the “clean smell” would linger for days. You’d think that would be a good thing, right? Nope!
If you’ve got a sensitive nose like I do, you can probably relate to not wanting harsh smells in your home. Even if you don’t have a sensitive nose, you may be interested to learn that those harsh smells are toxic to your body!
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit working to help protect human health and the environment:
Fumes from some cleaning products may induce asthma in otherwise healthy individuals. A large and growing body of evidence links frequent use of many ordinary cleaning supplies at home or on the job with development of asthma and other respiratory problems. It is already known that cleaning product fumes may trigger attacks in persons previously diagnosed with asthma.
Common cleaning ingredients can be laced with the carcinogenic impurity 1,4-dioxane. Independent tests have detected the presence of 1,4-dioxane in numerous name-brand cleaning supplies. Other products contain preservatives that release low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde.
Children born to women who held cleaning jobs while pregnant have an elevated risk of birth defects, according to a 2010 study by the New York State Department of Health.
Some cleaners can cause chemical burns and poisonings as well as less severe irritations and allergies. Severe physical reactions signal that consumers should take care anytime they use these products.
Despite these health concerns, cleaning product labels often do not give consumers enough information about their ingredients to allow people to make informed decisions on which ones are safer and which ones might harm their health.
Just this little bit of information alone makes me rethink what I’m using in my home. But also knowing that each of those cleaners comes in a plastic bottle that off-gases toxins into our home also helped push me into changing the way we approach our cleaning. It took time, but we eventually changed out our cleaning products! Here are some of my favorite combinations that I’ve come across so far.
Laundry soap
We do so much laundry! And because we spend all our time (outside of showering) in clothes, it is important to choose laundry soap that is not going to do us harm. Our skin is the largest organ of our body and it is able to absorb more toxins that we realize. We absorb an average of 64% of what is on our skin. That means, if you are in an outfit all day long that is covered with harmful chemicals, you are going to be absorbing those chemicals throughout the day. You can read more about the skin’s absorption here.
To make laundry soap you need:
1 cup Baking soda
1 cup castile soap (such as Dr. Bronners)
Essential oils- I use Tea Tree oil because it has a natural anti-bacterial property
Warm water
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a container. (I used to use an old laundry soap container, but since it was plastic I’ve since moved to a glass drink dispenser.) Then fill the rest of the container with warm water and mix. Give the container a gentle mix before each use and you’re set!
Super simple! I use about 1/2 cup per load in our high efficiency washer. I also add in about 1/4 cup of distilled vinegar for things I want to get extra clean. To help brighten our lighter clothes, I add about 1/4 cup of baking soda directly to the drum with the load of clothes.
I first found the laundry soap here.
Hand soap
Washing your hands should be a frequent routine of your day. Hand soaps often have fragrance added to them, which is an artificial substance that is being absorbed by your hands several times a day. They can also be incredibly drying! Since figuring out how to make it for ourselves, my hands have felt so much better!
To make hand soap you need:
3/4 cup Castile soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s)
3/4 cup distilled water (I boil water and let it cool)
1 Tbsp Vitamin E oil
1 Tbsp Almond oil
10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil sent (again, I use tea tree oil for the anti-microbial properties)
Reusable soap dispenser
Put all the ingredients in the soap dispenser and give it a shake. That’s it! You can give it a shake before you use it, but if you forget it still works great. Having those oils in there really helps to keep your hands hydrated and feeling great, even after several washes a day! I would recommend using a glass soap dispenser that you can see through, so you know when you’re getting low and need to make more. I adapted my recipe from here.
Dishwasher Detergent
This was one of the hardest to get right. First, we just moved to a place with a dishwasher last year. So I hadn’t tried to come up with anything before that. Then, all the options I had previously found left a weird film on our dishes, or just make them not seem really clean. This has been the best one and leaves our dishes shiny and bright!
To make dishwasher detergent you need:
3 Tbsp Castile soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s)
3 cups Warm water
1 cup Washing Soda (this is not the same as baking soda! I use Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and I get it at the grocery store)
Add all the ingredients to a reusable jar and shake. Shake several times throughout the day to break up the washing soda chunks. It will seem like it’s going to stay separated forever, but it won’t. Keep shaking it every time you see the jar and in a couple hours it will turn into a thick gel. Then all you need is a tablespoon per load. I also add vinegar to the “Jet Dry” or pre-wash compartment. The vinegar reacts with the washing soda during the cycle and helps really get your dishes clean. I found this recipe here.
One of my other favorite cleaning tools is Thieves. I use it sparingly as it has a lot of ingredients that I haven’t yet researched. However, it has done a wonderful job! It is tough on grease and, as a concentrate with baking soda, it works well on cleaning the sink or tub.
