Non-Toxic Cleaning

Early February ushers in the energy of planning and the slow emergence of our energy from its Winter's rest. The days are slowly becoming longer, and we are half way from Winter Solstice to Spring Equinox. I find this time of the year inspires me to slowly and deliberately clean my space... one room at a time until the clutter on the outside helps soothe the clutter that can form during those dormant winter months in our minds. 

Without allowing the chaos of overwhelm to overcome me. I can carefully curate each room at my leisure. I often pour a fun drink, put on my favorite music and make a party out of something that would otherwise be monotonous. Why not create a "sacred ceremony" where none would usually be? 

One of my favorite ways to feel like my home is especially my "temple" is to de-clutter and curate my cleaning products. As I run out of things, I replace them with non-toxic alternatives. EWG.org is an excellent resource to learn about the safety and toxicity of common household products. Over time I have eliminated most items from under my cabinet and do the majority of my cleaning with just a handful of products. I also keep the air clean and fresh with high-quality air filters and humidifiers.

A few of my favorite EWG Verified non-toxic cleaners:

Force of Nature : This uses a basic chemical process with salt and vinegar to create a non-toxic all-purpose cleaner. I use it for EVERYTHING. It does a gorgeous job on glass and disinfects surfaces, fabrics and toys. 

CLR: Made in collaboration with the EPA, this stuff removes stubborn mineral deposits like a dream. I use it to clean my showers, faucets, distiller and humidifiers. 

O3 Pure Laundry System: This gadget is a STEAL. For the cost of 1 year of toxic detergent pods, this system washes your clothes for 3 years (guaranteed) with ZERO detergent. My clothes come out fresh and clean and with zero chemicals. 

Ecos Dish Detergent: EWG Verified and super affordable, this dishwasher detergent leaves my dishes sparkling clean with no scent or residue left behind on my dishes. 

Ecos Dish Soap: EWG Verified and available widely at standard grocery stores, I have never found another dish soap that works better!

Ecos Toilet Cleaner: EWG Verified and available widely at standard grocery stores (but not on Amazon), this toilet cleaner is great because it removes stains without leaving a film, AND it smells like the forest. 

Aunt Fannies Vinegar Wash: This cleaner is THE BEST. It smells really good, and it gets my floors squeaky clean. 

Aunt Fannies Hardwood Floor Cleaner: Because the standard wash makes my hardwood floors look a little bit dull, I opt for the hardwood cleaner for most of my floors. It works great in the Crosswave mop, so I can do the floors in half the time! 

Bissel Crosswave: I hate having to vacuum and then mop. I love the Bissel Crosswave because it does both at the same time. I use it to clean all of our hard floors, and the Aunt Fannies cleaner works like a dream in lieu of the Bissel brand cleaning solutions.

MERV 11 Air Filters: Air filters make such a huge difference in the amount of dust that ends up on everything in my house. I save myself so much cleaning by using higher quality filters. These filters are a great price without sacrificing effectiveness. 

Canopy Humidifiers: My skin and sinuses have been thanking me this winter for including a humidifier in each of our bedrooms. My favorite thing about Canopy is that they have a disposable filter that removes impurities from the water, AND the parts are easy to clean and dishwasher safe. 

For more information about non-toxic lifestyle tools, check out my post on clean beauty products