Simple Cleaning

When I was pregnant with Will, I became aware of what my body was being exposed to. I started looking at all of the chemicals I was using to clean my home and thinking "this just can't be good for me or for him". As I thought about it further, I realized that if I didn't want Will exposed to those things in utero, why would I want my other little children to be exposed to them day in and day out in our home? So what's good for the goose is good for the gander!

I started exploring more natural ways of cleaning my home and now I can't even stand the smell of all of those toxic cleaners and can't believe how addicted I was to them! I thought that the chemical scent equaled "clean" and had to retrain my nose!

The simplest way to clean is to simply buy an empty spray bottle and fill it with half water and half white vinegar. This is SO inexpensive, safe, and makes everything sparkle! I never allowed my kids to clean the bathroom before because I didn't want them exposed to chemicals. Now I can give Sam or Katie the vinegar/water bottle and they clean their bathroom top to bottom!! The vinegar smell dissipates in just a few minutes. Vinegar is also great to use as a liquid fabric softener when washing clothes. It softens so well, strips detergent out, and there is no smell at all when they come out of the wash.

As I mentioned yesterday, microfiber towels are amazing and you can buy a big batch of them at Sam's club for about $10. You can clean glass by getting them a bit damp and all the spots disappear. They are also great for dusting and swiffering.

Baking soda is wonderful to scour with. Sprinkle in your sink or tubs and then scrub away!
I have also bought "Method" brand cleaners which are all natural, smell delicious, and can be found at Target. You will never go back to those awful chemical smelling cleaners after you have tried Method! Their laundry detergent is a concentrate which works wonderfully and reduces environmental waste (and uses up less space in your laundry room as well!).

I have heard that the most toxic place in the home is under the kitchen sink because of all the toxic smells that are leaking into your home environment daily. Evaluate just how much of this stuff that you really need and begin decluttering it! Life gets more simple, your bodies are more healthy, and now your children get help get cleaning! :)

Here is a link for great naturally clean alternatives.