Am I the only one who thinks this to myself 87 times a day as I clean up messes, spills, and rewash that load of laundry that sat in the washing machine too long?
Keeping a clean house is just part of the mom gig. I hope it's part of any homeowner's gig, BUT I hear mostly from moms just how much time the spend cleaning their house. This is also one of the first areas that people start to dive into when switching to more non-toxic products. THIS CAN BE OVERWHELMING! Just think of house many aisles Target has devoted to detergent, and dryer sheets, and floor cleaner, and bathroom disinfectant. It's really easy to stick to what you know and love and feel frazzled when looking into "cleaner" brands. It's ALSO very easy to be FOOLED by marketing techniques and buzz words companies like to slap on their labels to make you think their products are safer than they actually are. How many times have you seen words like PURE, CLEAN, NATURAL, CRUELTY FREE, etc. and thought "Yes! This one is good...I'm making the right choice!" Sadly, companies really can put whatever the heck they want on a bottle to mislead you and make you think ingredients they are using are kosher. My BIGGEST piece of advice when looking at cleaning products (just like food or beauty products) is to read the labels. I know this is super annoying and might not be practical while you're trying to settle a screaming toddler or two in the shopping cart, so I also want to share a third party resource I use and love when it comes to fishing through the good, the bad and the ugly (more on that later!)
SO - to make your life a little easier I wanted to give you a roundup of what we use and love that actually work, won't break the bank, and will keep your family safe from little nasties hiding out under sneaky marketing.
Molly's Suds -
I had this brand reccomended to me by SO many women I work with so I had to give it a try. The real, real is it WORKS. Probably better than any safe laundry detergant I've come across. They have liquid and powder detergent, oxy booster, wool dryer balls, you name it! They are completely safe, and even include some organic ingredients, such as peppermint oil.
Branch Basics -
So I just started using this brand about a month ago, and I'm IN LOVE! When you order you get a multi-purpose Concentrate that is HUGE and makes cleaning simple, affordable and sustainable. All the products are refillable, so they're significantly less expensive than similar single-use products. They send you a bottle for each thing you need (bathroom cleaner, laundry soap, all purpose, etc.) and let you know how much concentrate to dilute with water and you're good to go. The scent is SUPER faint, so people that don't do strong smells will love this. The cleaners actually DO work with very minimal ingredients which is obviously the best part! I also have a code that will get you $10 off your first order if you want to give it a try - http://branchbasics.refr.cc/ashleyflores
Dr. Bronner's -
Dr. Bronner's is a brand that is just SO tried and true for us I would recommend anything to anyone. Their main product is a castile soap (kind of like the Branch Basics concentrate!) that you can dilute and use for literally anything. They have so many scents (Lavender and Citrus are the two I tend to pick up most) that you will never get bored. Plus they offer already made products like toothpaste, lotion, shaving cream, and lip balm - most that are even organic! Plus they're Fair Trade, Non-GMO certified, Leaping Bunny Verified, and Vegan. All around....good, good stuff.
Norwex -
Norwex has a really cool concept. Their best seller is definitely their microfiber kitchen cloth. It has an antibacterial agent to create a multipurpose cloth that can be used wet or dry to clean everything. It's a perfect replacement to all-purpose cleaners, and eliminates the need for wasteful paper towels, so it’s also better for the environment. They are really a one-stop-shop for more sustainable living and cleaning. I'm a huge fan of the wool dryer balls, mopping system, and laundry stain remover.
The last thing I want to tell you guys about is my favorite third party resource for all things clean products - EWG and the Healthy Living app. The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. They are a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. They work for the CONSUMER! More than twenty years ago the EWG set out to empower people to protect their health. Through their online databases, mobile app and shopping guides, EWG is educating and empowering more people daily to make safer and more informed decisions about the products they buy and the companies they support. So take out your phone RIGHT NOW - go ahead and download their free Healthy Living App. It's a fantastic database that will rate products on a sliding scale to help you decide which ones are best for your family. I like to say "More than 4, out the door!" as the higher the number the more unsafe ingredients in each product.
Whew - I hope that gave ya'll a good starting point for making a few simple swaps when it comes to cleaning products. It's an area that is SO important to our health I truly believe it should be one of the first things to clean up. Every single day we are exposed to so much garbage outside our homes that we can't always prevent, but this is one thing we actually CAN and the small changes add up!
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