Clean beauty personal care products and clean eating all make perfect sense. Fewer chemicals and toxins make you look and feel more vibrant and healthier. But what about our homes? Cleaning supplies, detergents, paints, contaminants, and products that we use every day that can harm our health and the environment.

Scientific studies have shown that many harmful chemicals found in home cleaning products can be the underlying factor in autoimmune disorders, chronic dry or watery eyes, allergies, asthma, headaches, pain, and inflammation, and even contribute to fertility and hormone issues. Keeping your home free of harmful toxins can greatly impact your health. 

Many generic cleaning products contain harmful toxic chemicals. You can begin a healthy home detox by switching to natural alternatives. Avoid products with warnings, hazard, or poison labels as well as ingredients like ammonia, DEA, APEs, TEA, and Sulfates. Instead, opt for plant-based ingredients and solvent and phosphate-free labels. You can also make your own cleaning supplies using baking soda, lemon, and vinegar combined with hot water, put in a glass spray bottle, and label. 

Here are some ways to ensure your home is healthy and environmentally friendly:

• Leave your shoes at the door and not wearing footwear in the house
• Add indoor plants
• Open windows to allow for fresh outside air to circulate 
• Let in the sunshine
• Use energy-saving light bulbs
• Use appliances efficiently and don’t leave lights turned on while not in use
• Compost food scraps
• Conserve water by not leaving it running (for example, while washing dishes or brushing your teeth)
• Recycle your trash
• Use reusable and recyclable goods
• Eliminate plastics
• Be mindful of VOCs in paint, adhesive materials, and even candles or poor-quality essential oil.

DIY Recipes for Home Cleaning

There are a number of cleaning products that can be made easily at home with clean, green ingredients. To get started, we also recommend investing in a few reusable, environmentally-friendly cleaning tools:

• Glass spray bottle
• Environmentally-friendly sponges
• Natural scrub brushes
• Natural, lint-free microfiber cloths
• Wool dryer balls (to use instead of dryer sheets)

All-purpose Natural Cleaner

• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 20-30 drops of essential oil such as lemon (optional)

Put the mixture in a glass spray bottle and label contents.  Heating contents until warm in the microwave will increase cleaning performance.

Clean Laundry Detergent

• 1 cup soap flakes (these can be made by grating your favorite pure vegetable soap with a cheese grater) 
• 1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate)
• 1 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

Mix ingredients together and store in a glass container.  Use 1 tablespoon per load (2 tablespoons for heavily soiled laundry) wash in warm or cold water.

Green Bathroom Cleaner

• Baking soda

• Vinegar

Use baking soda instead of scouring powder. Sprinkle it on porcelain fixtures and rub with a wet sponge. Drizzle with vinegar and let soak and scrub with a toilet brush to remove any stains.

Clean Window Cleaner

• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 quart warm water

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and use on glass surfaces. Rub with a lint-free cloth and polish with wadded up newspaper. For dirty outdoor windows, wash with soapy water, rinse well, and squeegee dry.