Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.
Are you cleaning your home in a way that’s safe for your family and the environment? As you dig into this year’s spring cleaning, take some time to evaluate your cleaning products. While they might be products you’ve depended on for years, they could also be filled with chemicals that are harsh on you, your kids and Mother Nature.
These are my quick tips for identifying harmful products, replacing harsh ingredients and reducing your overall impact on the environment as you clean.
Laundry
Detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets — laundry products are a central source of dangerous chemicals in the home. These might be products you’ve used year in and year out, but they can also be the culprit of serious health problems. Ingredients such as petroleum, phosphate, phthalates, dye and fragrances are often the source of skin irritation, headaches and a host of other problems.
When shopping for laundry products, choose something with ingredients that are gentle, plant-based and non-toxic. After all, these products wash the clothes that sit directly on your skin!
Bathroom
To combat a smelly, dirty bathroom, it’s easy to turn to the harshest products you can find. That being said, eco-friendly products can be just as effective as their chemical-laden counterparts.
In the bathroom, always choose a bleach alternative that’s free of chlorine. Bathrooms often don’t have good ventilation, and that combined with the steam from a shower or bath will make the negative effects of bleach residue on your bathroom surfaces that much stronger.
Kitchen
The cleaning products you use in the kitchen come in direct contact with the food you eat, so it’s imperative to use products that are safe, gentle and chemical-free! From dish soap to surface cleaners, always select kitchen cleaning products for the kitchen that are simple, gentle and organic.
DIY
From the bathroom to the kitchen and everywhere in between, if you want a cleaning product you can truly trust, make it yourself. While it might seem easier to simply pick up a product at the store, you can save a significant amount of money by making your own cleaning products using safe ingredients you already have in your home.
Whether you need to clean the carpet or the fridge, click the link to find some of my favorite recipes to get your house clean without the chemicals.
Refuse, Reuse, Recycle
Last but not least, think about packaging and waste when you overhaul your spring cleaning routine. Between disposable wipes, plastic bottles and cleaning tools, a single household can generate a significant amount of non-recycled cleaning waste without even trying.
Take small steps to start cutting down on your waste as it pertains to cleaning. Instead of a disposable surface or floor wipe, choose a compostable wipe, or better yet, choose a reusable cloth. As for packaging, always select bottles that can be 100 percent recycled after use. If you make your own cleaning products, preserve them in glass containers for an even smaller environmental impact.
What are your favorite green cleaning tips?
Bree
