3 "Recipes" for Spring Cleaning WITHOUT Chemicals

Springtime is here!! Time to throw open the windows, air out the house, and maybe even declutter and clean a bit!

Ok, I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t love cleaning. But I do love a clean house, and I have 4 kids and a German shepherd. So it’s a non-negotiable around here.

And there are actually quite a few health benefits associated with a good spring cleaning, which is an added perk. Here are just a few:

1. Reduces stress

2. Boosts your immune system

3. Good exercise

4. Improves sleep quality

5. Better focus and productivity

The down side of cleaning is that many commercial cleaning products are loaded with nasty chemicals we don't want around our children and pets.
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Some of the ingredients are linked to skin irritation, allergies, breathing problems, hormone disrupters (sooooo many hormone disrupters), cancer, and the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

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Here are just a few of the ingredients to look out for and avoid in your home when possible:

• ​2-Butoxyethanol: Toxin that breaks down very slowly, especially in soil and can seep into groundwater
• ​P-phenylenediamine: A known carcinogen, also known as coal tar dye.
• ​Ethanolamines: Sometimes listed as DEA, MEA, TEA. Skin, eye, and lung irritants.
• ​Nonylphenol ethoxylates: An endocrine disrupter linked to breast cancer.
• ​Fragrance: A blanket term for over 3000 chemicals. Many are hormone disrupters.
• ​Ammonia: Occurs naturally, but in much lower concentrations than are found in cleaning products. Linked to kidney and liver issues. 
• ​Sodium hydroxide: extremely corrosive, can mess with pH balance.
• ​Sodium Laureth Sulfate/Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Skin & eye irritants. HORRIBLE for our water supply. Often contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which are both known carcinogens.
• ​Sodium dichloro-isocyanurate dihydrate: Can cause kidney damage
• ​Triclosan: hormone disrupter and antimicrobial that has been linked to creating antibiotic- resistant bacteria

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It is not possible to eliminate all toxins and nasty chemicals from our lives. And it’s a waste of time to stress over something we can’t control. What does help is to control the controllables and eliminate toxins where we can. Cleaning products are a great start.

‍GOOD

If you aren’t quite ready to give up your commercial cleaning products, try using a “cleaner” cleaning product like Branch Basics or The Honest Company.

‍BETTER

Switch to a brand that has an A+ rating from the EWG. They have an app and a website loaded with great info: https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified/

‍BEST

Use a homemade product with ingredients you can easily recognize and pronounce.

Homemade cleaning products eliminate unwanted chemicals AND they are a money saver! Bonus: you probably have most of the ingredients.

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These are 3 of my favorite “recipes” for homemade cleaning products. 

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‍Homemade Multipurpose Cleaner

I use this primarily in my bathrooms, kitchen, and to clean my floors. Combine in a spray bottle & shake to mix. 

• ​2 cups water (distilled or filtered, if possible)
• ​1 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
• ​2 teaspoons dish soap
• ​8-10 drops essential oils (optional - I love lemon!)
• Spray bottle (dark glass bottles are ideal, but not 100% necessary)

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‍Homemade Dusting Spray

This one is great for bookshelves, windowsills, tv stands, and other surfaces that collect a lot of dust. Add all the ingredients to the spray bottle. Shake well to combine and shake well before each spray. This is very important because the oils will naturally separate and you want to make sure you’re getting the right portions of oil and water/vinegar on each spray. (If using on wood furniture, make sure the wood is sealed.)

• 1 cup distilled water  (distilled or filtered, if possible)
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup almond oil, olive oil, or fractionated coconut oil.
• 30 drops of citrus essential oils 
• Spray bottle (dark glass bottles are ideal, but not 100% necessary)

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‍Homemade Febreze

I love spraying a room with this after I finish cleaning it. It has such a lovely, light and refreshing smell! 

• 1 ½ cups hot water (distilled or filtered, if possible)
• 1 tbsp baking soda 
• ½ cup unscented witch hazel
• 20-30 drops of essential oils
• Spray bottle (dark glass bottles are ideal, but not 100% necessary)

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