Spring Cleaning: Cleaning Up Your Cleaning Supplies

Experts agree that our indoor air quality is often much worse than outdoor air and so much of it is due to what we bring into our homes. One culprit you may not have thought of? Your cleaning products.

A new study published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine shows how regular exposure to cleaning products can harm your lungs just as much as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day over the course of 10-20 years. If that’s not scary enough, this study from Berkley tested what chemicals different cleaning products emitted and breaks down exactly what you’re breathing after using them. But before you throw in the towel on cleaning your home, I have some safer options for you. There are plenty of nontoxic cleaning supplies out there!

EWG.org was one of the first to share the latest study about how harmful cleaning products are and I tend to agree with their stance that simple, gentle cleaners are often all you need.

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Here’s a break down of what I use and how I use it:

Truce All Purpose Cleaner– I first found Truce through Back To Basics. I love the way this smells and it works well on just about any surface. This is what I use to wipe down my kitchen counters, cooktop and dinner table every night. This also works well to wipe down the bathroom. I enjoy the light rosemary-mint scent and I find it cuts through sticky and grease very quickly. You can buy it on Amazon.

Bon Ami Scrub– This has been around for over 100 years and has just one ingredient: a naturally mined mineral, feldspar. This is great for scrubbing the bathroom, deep cleaning pots, cooktops, scrubbing sinks, etc. You can buy it here on Amazon, however, you may be able to find it a little cheaper at Target or the grocery store. $1.99-$3.50 (depending on where you buy it)

Baking Soda– Another great one for scrubbing anything. It also works well to deodorize. When the house starts to smell a little too much like our dog, Franklin Waffles, I sprinkle baking soda on carpets and furniture and let it sit for an hour or two (overnight works even better) and then vacuum it up. It smells so fresh and clean afterward! Here’s a pretty good list of all the ways you can use baking soda.

Better Life Toilet Bowl Cleaner– As the name suggests, this cleans your toilet bowl and it keeps the potty looking shiny and clean. Plus, the ingredients are squeaky clean! Find it on Amazon.

White vinegar– I mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle to make a cheap and effective glass cleaner (works great on its own, but even better with the cloths I mention below). The same mixture is great for cleaning the bathroom, as well. Vinegar doesn’t really work with grease or oil, but is awesome with scaling and hard water stains. Just never use vinegar on marble or stone, as it can discolor it. I also mix one part vinegar to two parts water to clean my hardwood floors. You can find a 2-gallon jug of vinegar for under $2!

Disinfecting– If you have an area you need to disinfect, I suggest using Hydrogen Peroxide. Bleach has several harmful chemical byproducts that are emitted when you use it. Just like with bleach, spot test the hydrogen peroxide to make sure it won’t damage or discolor your surface.

Stain Treatment– For carpet or fabric stains I mix this eco-friendly version of Oxyclean up with warm water and then apply it to the area liberally. Then blot it up with a clean cloth. I’ve had good luck with food and pet stains using it.

A note on wood- all of our wood furniture is sealed except one and I don’t use anything on that. If you have wood you need to oil, I would look into linseed oil or almond oil. Toss the Pledge! It only sits on top of sealed wood and there are better options for oiling unsealed wood.

Tools of the trade:

These do all the heavy lifting around here!

Microfiber Cloths– If you haven’t experienced the magic of microfiber, then you’re missing out. I use these in place of several chemical cleaners. They can get glass clean with just using water and deep clean just about every surface without scratching it. I keep a bunch on hand for dusting, cleaning windows and other glass, wiping down our stainless steel appliances and more. Just toss them in the wash when you’re done and then let them air dry. If you want to nerd out on how it works, read this. You can pick up a pack of cloths from Amazon here.

Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop– One of my favorite cleaning purchases! You can put any type of cleaner into the bottle and then spray as you mop. The large microfiber pad does a great job of getting floors really clean. If you’ve ever used a swiffer wet-jet, this is like that except none of the nasty chemicals! plus no pads to repurchase. You can use the washable microfiber pads for years. I generally use my vinegar water mixture with it or sometimes I use water with a few drops of Dr. Bronners Castile Soap. You can find it on Amazon. (Totally worth the price- I’ve had mine for years!)

Add in a hepa filter vacuum and this is everything that keeps our house in tip top shape. Safe, simple ingredients are all you need to breathe easy in a clean house!