All it takes is a little intervention and willingness to change. There are non toxic options available and I will share some of them with you.
Each day I will publish a new post that will focus on a different room in your home. Take the challenge and stop buying into the idea that these toxic products are necessary for cleaning your home.
Challenge #1-The Living room
Instead of using aerosol wood cleaners, use a microfiber cloth. For a completely natural shine use 1/2 cup of olive oil mixed with 1/4 cup lemon juice (can use bottled lemon juice). My favorite store bought product for wood polishing is Method wood spray. This no-wax formula contains a gentle, cleansing conditioner that brings your wood back to life without leaving residue or buildup. And, it leaves a fresh almond scent in its wake. You can buy this product at Canadian Tire.
Please feel free to let me know how these products worked for you.
Challenge # 2-The Kitchen
If you enjoy swirling dirty water around your floor with a nasty bacteria containing mop, have fun! Every time you mop, out comes the bucket to fill up and a mop to wring and wring again let alone changing the water and carrying the bucket up stairs and down stairs and from room to room without spilling it. When the mop water gets dirty, the cleaner loses its power to kill bacteria.
A great solution would be to use a washable microfiber mop and a cleaning solution that doesn’t have to be mixed with water. Not only does microfiber lift and scoop dirt particles into the material but microfiber mops can be washed so you are starting out with a fresh clean mop every time.
For a homemade solution for your wood floors, go to the pantry and mix ½ cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. This natural solution will make your wood floors shine like new. The vinegar acts to remove stains, kill bacteria and the oil helps to maintain the luster of the wood.
To clean a linoleum or tile floor, mix one tablespoon of liquid soap (I like Dr. Bronners soap), a quarter cup of baking soda to two gallons of hot water. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar to the mix.
My favorite store bought products for mopping floors is the Method wood floor cleaner. It's non-toxic and biodegradable, made with simple ingredients including baking soda and purified water plus the bottle is recycled plastic.
Method floor cleaner is a no-wax, non-toxic, biodegradable number that works as well as it smells, leaving your wood floor looking better than it has in ages.
Challenge # 3- Bedroom
Instead of using a broom or duster to rid your house of dust, use a HEPA-filtered vacuum and try some of these tips recommended at Goodhousekeeping.com to remove hard to reach dust. Brooms and dusters just move dust around or send it flying into the air and up our noses. The problem with this is that dust bunnies are a cocktail of phthalates, Flame Retardants, and various pesticides.
My favorite HEPA vacuum is the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Upright Vacuum Cleaner. Having 3 animals I know what it is like to try and get those stubborn hairs out of carpet, especially on stairs. This vacuum removes 99.97 percent of allergens down to 0.3 microns and has a Pet Turbo Brush attachment that can lift and capture stubborn hair from upholstery.
Challenge # 4- Bathroom
My favorite store bought hand soap is Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Classic Soaps. It's completely biodegradable and vegetable-Based, made with certified fair trade and organic oils and no synthetic foaming gents, thickeners or preservatives. It's also made with 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) cylinder bottles and paper labels.
Challenge # 5- Laudry Room
Fabric softeners may contain alpha-terpineol, benzyl acetate, camphor, benzyl alcohol, limonene, ethyl acetate, pentane, and chloroform. Children's developing bodies are especially susceptible to the negative effects of chemical exposure. When these chemicals are used on clothing, some of it stays there, then our children wear these clothes and the chemicals enter their blood stream through the skin.
A natural alternative to dryer sheets would be to saturate a small rag with 1 teaspoon of a natural hair conditioner, and put that into the dryer as a homemade dryer sheet. (Hair conditioners are designed to return the hair and scalp to an acidic pH). Another suggestion would be to use 1/2 cup of vinegar in the wash cycle. (But don't use bleach at the same time—mixing vinegar and bleach may create toxic fumes.)
I am not going to list my favorite store bought product today. I don't use dryer sheets and frankly I don't mind it at all.
Here is an article I just came across on Marketplace about chemicals found in certain products. http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2011/lousylabels/ingredients.html
Challenge # 6- Children's room
The AAAI - Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology states that "since some airborne substances may trigger allergy or asthma symptoms, reducing contact with these substances early in life may delay or prevent allergy or asthma symptoms. Research for this is clearest with dust mites.”
Cleaning your baby or childs room is very important. I’ve already discussed using a HEPA filter vacuum, natural floor cleaners and natural wood polishes. Here are more tips for keeping your Childs room dust and chemical free.
*Some items like teddy bears may not survive the washing machine so place stuffed animals in a bag and put them in the deep freeze for 3-5 hours, the cold kills germs and dust mites.
*Encase box springs and mattress in a zippered dust-proof or allergen-proof cover. (Organic if possible)
*Sheets, blankets, and other bedclothes should be washed frequently in water that is at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit (lower temperatures will not kill dust mites).
*Wash toys in non toxic dish detergent or multipurpose solution.
You can make your own wash by mixing vinegar half and half with water and wiping toys down.
My favorite store bought product by far is Nature clean all purpose cleaning lotion. It can be used for everything from household cleaning, laundry detergent, hand dishwashing and even cleaning Fruits & Vegetables. You know it's safe when you can wash your food with it!! This product is free from Phosphates, Sodium Lauryl, Ether Sulphate, Petroleum ingredients, Formaldehyde Preservatives, Chlorine, Ammonia, Dyes and Perfumes. It is rated safe for infant clothing and not tested on animals.
See my post on Flame retardants in infants pajamas.
Challenge # 7- Pets
Pet products can be some of the worse products to bring into your home. Not only do they contain harsh chemicals but there is less information published on the matter. Chemicals such as lead which goes to the brain and causes learning disorders in children, and chromium which is a cancer producing agent have been found in several Wal-Mart pet toys. The risk here is not only our animals but ourselves and our children handling these toys.
The major danger that I want to let everyone know about is coming from pet flea and tick collars. They contain an insecticide called propoxur, a known human carcinogen and it is toxic to the nervous system. The NRDC-Natural Resources Defense Council states "Some recent research indicates that exposure to this type of pesticide can impair children's neurological development, resulting in pervasive disorders that may include delays in motor development and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder." That is not something I would want to mess around with.
On November 26, 2007, NRDC submitted a petition to the EPA (Environmental protection Agency) to cancel the pet collar uses of propoxur and supplemented that petition on April 29, 2009. The registration review process is estimated to take up to six years to finish. What does this mean? That these pet collars will still be on the market until at least 2015. So, please go to http://www.nrdc.org/living/pets/control-fleas-without-chemicals.asp to learn how to control fleas without chemicals.
My favorite store bought pet shampoo is The Soap Works Pet Shampoo. It is mild and non-irritating; leaves pet’s coat clean and shining, contains NO pesticides, insecticides or detergents, is an all vegetable product that is fully and quickly biodegradable and contains chlorophyll and cedar leaf essential oil which is as a mild deodorant and repellent.
Challenge # 2-The Kitchen
If you enjoy swirling dirty water around your floor with a nasty bacteria containing mop, have fun! Every time you mop, out comes the bucket to fill up and a mop to wring and wring again let alone changing the water and carrying the bucket up stairs and down stairs and from room to room without spilling it. When the mop water gets dirty, the cleaner loses its power to kill bacteria.
A great solution would be to use a washable microfiber mop and a cleaning solution that doesn’t have to be mixed with water. Not only does microfiber lift and scoop dirt particles into the material but microfiber mops can be washed so you are starting out with a fresh clean mop every time.
For a homemade solution for your wood floors, go to the pantry and mix ½ cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. This natural solution will make your wood floors shine like new. The vinegar acts to remove stains, kill bacteria and the oil helps to maintain the luster of the wood.
To clean a linoleum or tile floor, mix one tablespoon of liquid soap (I like Dr. Bronners soap), a quarter cup of baking soda to two gallons of hot water. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar to the mix.
My favorite store bought products for mopping floors is the Method wood floor cleaner. It's non-toxic and biodegradable, made with simple ingredients including baking soda and purified water plus the bottle is recycled plastic.
Method floor cleaner is a no-wax, non-toxic, biodegradable number that works as well as it smells, leaving your wood floor looking better than it has in ages.
Challenge # 3- Bedroom
Instead of using a broom or duster to rid your house of dust, use a HEPA-filtered vacuum and try some of these tips recommended at Goodhousekeeping.com to remove hard to reach dust. Brooms and dusters just move dust around or send it flying into the air and up our noses. The problem with this is that dust bunnies are a cocktail of phthalates, Flame Retardants, and various pesticides.
My favorite HEPA vacuum is the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Upright Vacuum Cleaner. Having 3 animals I know what it is like to try and get those stubborn hairs out of carpet, especially on stairs. This vacuum removes 99.97 percent of allergens down to 0.3 microns and has a Pet Turbo Brush attachment that can lift and capture stubborn hair from upholstery.
Challenge # 4- Bathroom
Antibacterial soap makes big promises but is no more effective at killing viruses than any other kind of soap or detergent, and they also kill nonpathogenic bacteria. Antibacterial products contain a chemical triclosan. In 2010 the FDA wrote "Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation. However, data showing effects in animals don’t always predict effects in humans. Other studies in bacteria have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics."
You can make your own non toxic liquid hand soap and save tons of money at the same time. Go to http://heavenlyhomemakers.com to find out how.
My favorite store bought hand soap is Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Classic Soaps. It's completely biodegradable and vegetable-Based, made with certified fair trade and organic oils and no synthetic foaming gents, thickeners or preservatives. It's also made with 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) cylinder bottles and paper labels.
If you want to know more about what's in your soap go to http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. It's a site where you can search 69,000 products such as makeup, skin care, baby care products and more. For every product and ingredient in Skin Deep, there’s a two-part score – a hazard score and a data availability score.
The ingredient hazard score, from 1-10 reflects known and suspected hazards of ingredients
Challenge # 5- Laudry Room
Fabric softeners may contain alpha-terpineol, benzyl acetate, camphor, benzyl alcohol, limonene, ethyl acetate, pentane, and chloroform. Children's developing bodies are especially susceptible to the negative effects of chemical exposure. When these chemicals are used on clothing, some of it stays there, then our children wear these clothes and the chemicals enter their blood stream through the skin.
A natural alternative to dryer sheets would be to saturate a small rag with 1 teaspoon of a natural hair conditioner, and put that into the dryer as a homemade dryer sheet. (Hair conditioners are designed to return the hair and scalp to an acidic pH). Another suggestion would be to use 1/2 cup of vinegar in the wash cycle. (But don't use bleach at the same time—mixing vinegar and bleach may create toxic fumes.)
I am not going to list my favorite store bought product today. I don't use dryer sheets and frankly I don't mind it at all.
Here is an article I just came across on Marketplace about chemicals found in certain products. http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2011/lousylabels/ingredients.html
Challenge # 6- Children's room
The AAAI - Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology states that "since some airborne substances may trigger allergy or asthma symptoms, reducing contact with these substances early in life may delay or prevent allergy or asthma symptoms. Research for this is clearest with dust mites.”
Cleaning your baby or childs room is very important. I’ve already discussed using a HEPA filter vacuum, natural floor cleaners and natural wood polishes. Here are more tips for keeping your Childs room dust and chemical free.
*Some items like teddy bears may not survive the washing machine so place stuffed animals in a bag and put them in the deep freeze for 3-5 hours, the cold kills germs and dust mites.
*Encase box springs and mattress in a zippered dust-proof or allergen-proof cover. (Organic if possible)
*Sheets, blankets, and other bedclothes should be washed frequently in water that is at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit (lower temperatures will not kill dust mites).
*Wash toys in non toxic dish detergent or multipurpose solution.
You can make your own wash by mixing vinegar half and half with water and wiping toys down.
My favorite store bought product by far is Nature clean all purpose cleaning lotion. It can be used for everything from household cleaning, laundry detergent, hand dishwashing and even cleaning Fruits & Vegetables. You know it's safe when you can wash your food with it!! This product is free from Phosphates, Sodium Lauryl, Ether Sulphate, Petroleum ingredients, Formaldehyde Preservatives, Chlorine, Ammonia, Dyes and Perfumes. It is rated safe for infant clothing and not tested on animals.
See my post on Flame retardants in infants pajamas.
Challenge # 7- Pets
Pet products can be some of the worse products to bring into your home. Not only do they contain harsh chemicals but there is less information published on the matter. Chemicals such as lead which goes to the brain and causes learning disorders in children, and chromium which is a cancer producing agent have been found in several Wal-Mart pet toys. The risk here is not only our animals but ourselves and our children handling these toys.
The major danger that I want to let everyone know about is coming from pet flea and tick collars. They contain an insecticide called propoxur, a known human carcinogen and it is toxic to the nervous system. The NRDC-Natural Resources Defense Council states "Some recent research indicates that exposure to this type of pesticide can impair children's neurological development, resulting in pervasive disorders that may include delays in motor development and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder." That is not something I would want to mess around with.
On November 26, 2007, NRDC submitted a petition to the EPA (Environmental protection Agency) to cancel the pet collar uses of propoxur and supplemented that petition on April 29, 2009. The registration review process is estimated to take up to six years to finish. What does this mean? That these pet collars will still be on the market until at least 2015. So, please go to http://www.nrdc.org/living/pets/control-fleas-without-chemicals.asp to learn how to control fleas without chemicals.
My favorite store bought pet shampoo is The Soap Works Pet Shampoo. It is mild and non-irritating; leaves pet’s coat clean and shining, contains NO pesticides, insecticides or detergents, is an all vegetable product that is fully and quickly biodegradable and contains chlorophyll and cedar leaf essential oil which is as a mild deodorant and repellent.
I buy this product at the Bulk Barn
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