Clean Cleaning

(What we use AROUND our bodies)

Phthalates - These are endocrine disruptors, meaning they can increase or decrease your body’s natural hormone levels.

Perchloroethylene, or “PERC” - This is a neurotoxin, or carcinogen.

2-Butoxyethanol - A “glycol ethers” family member, these are solvents that aren’t to be challenged. It can cause sore throats when inhaled. In excess, it can contribute to narcosis, pulmonary edema and severe liver and kidney damage. Sadly, the law doesn’t require it to be listed on a product’s label.

Ammonia - It’s a power irritant that you’ll immediately feel the affects of if exposed, and aids in chronic bronchitis and asthma.

Chlorine - It’s a respiratory irritant and can be a serious thyroid disruptor. If your city water isn’t filtered, you’re being exposed to it while cooking with it, showering or bathing.

Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) - Extremely corrosive, if it touches your skin or gets into your eyes, you can be severely burned. Exposure routes include skin contact and inhalation, which causes a severe sore throat, lasting days.

Go Green

It’s important what we use around our families — their bodies are affected by our choices. Going green in your cleaning products can be another step in making healthy choices for your family. Natural, “green” cleaning products do not contain hazardous chemicals, posing fewer risks to your health. Those individuals with weakened immune systems or health conditions can more safely use green cleaning products. Not only are they a safer, more suitable choice for our families, they are a cleaner choice for the environment. And an added bonus: choosing natural cleaning methods may also save you money in the long run.

You’ll find many of these products in your local grocery store. The below 10 ingredients are staple, natural cleaning options you’ll want to be sure you keep in your cleaning arsenal. 



Distilled White Vinegar - In its natural state, it’s a disinfectant. While also used in baking, white vinegar shines as a home cleaning product. It’s acidic (having a pH of around 2.5), it’s a superior solution for removing rust, hard water stains and gummy build-up (think the residue from price stickers or slime on the carpet). 

Baking Soda - You can easily find baking soda, whether organic or not, in your local grocery store’s baking aisle. In baking, it’s a leavening agent. In the realm of cleaning, it’s a great absorbent, both in the air and on  a surface. It has uses in the litter box, garbage cans and diaper pails. Pair baking soda with vinegar for unclogging a slow drain.

Borax - Similar to baking soda in physical aspects, borax is a bit stronger. It’s a natural bleach and is a great choice for removing dirt and stains from laundry and surfaces. You’ll find borax in many laundry rooms, boosting loads of dirty clothes. It’s also a successful insect killer, particularly for roaches and preventing moths. Because of its strong make up, it can be irritating to your skin, so use with caution and keep away from children and pets.

Club Soda - Like water, but with a little extra bubble action and acid, helping to break down any tough stains.

Hydrogen Peroxide - It’s a natural antiseptic, effective at removing microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses and spores. It’s a great solution for bathroom and kitchen cleaning.

Isopropyl, or Rubbing, Alcohol - It naturally kills germs such as E. coli and staph and makes for a squeaky clean surface. Concentrates from 70% to 99% can be found at your local grocery store.

Cornstarch - Very fine in texture, it makes for a great, yet gentle, abrasive agent. Similar to baking soda, it also absorbs odors well.

Castile Soap - Derived from olive oil, this plant-based cleaning agent is known as the “only soap you’ll ever need.”

Fresh Lemons - Lemons are great additions to your cleaning toolkit, adding a fresh scent.

Essential Oils - You can add fragrance to your natural cleaning solutions without the harsh chemicals. Many essential oils such as lemon, orange, tea tree, lavender and peppermint have cleansing properties as well.

You’ll also want to have on hand some empty spray bottles (both BPA-free plastic and glass bottles) and some microfiber cloths or old cotton tee shirts. When using essential oils in your natural cleaning solutions, you’ll want to be sure to use glass spray bottles, as plastic bottles can absorb the scent and be damaged from the oil.