Even though toxins surround us in our daily lives, we live in a wonderful time where there are many alternatives and options to make simple swaps to keep your homes safe and your families healthy.
There are the obvious ones that are common knowledge such as black mold, lead paint, and animal droppings. But did you know that the majority of toxins around us are either silent or surprising?
To start, our families can easily ingest, inhale, and absorb the cleaning supplies used at home. For example, do your eyes burn when using bleach? For me, it always takes forever to wash the smell and slimy feeling out of my hands. Or do you get headaches when mopping with scented cleaner? These are signs our bodies are rejecting ingredients. Our skin, our largest organ, can absorb laundry detergent.
To detox your home – it starts with reading labels and a little research. What cleaning supplies and alternatives exist for your needs? For starters you can make your own multi-purpose cleaner:
- 1 16-ounce glass spray bottle
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar or 1 tablespoon liquid castile soap
- 1 cup distilled water
- Optional: 15-30 drops of your favorite essential oil
If you do not want to make your own cleaner, there are wonderful alternatives you can purchase online and in stores.
- Look for soap-based cleaners, which contain plant oils. Another trick is to look for ingredients with “glucoside” in their names. They are gentle, plant-based cleansers.
- Avoid all colors, dyes, and fragrances. They are mostly non-natural and unnecessary.
- Choose safer disinfecting active ingredients. They must be listed as the active ingredient. Use those like hydrogen peroxide (at least 3 percent), ethanol (at least 70 percent), or citric acid (at least 0.5 percent).
P.S. Making your own cleaner only needs a few ingredients, takes less than a minute to assemble, saves money, and works better than store bought stuff.
