Eco-Friendly & Non-Toxic Cleaning Supplies for Your Home
Personal health is a rising concern in America as we watch the dramatic increase in chronic health disease diagnoses. The choices we make in cleaning supplies and personal care products in our homes play a significant role and should be a great concern. Conventional cleaning products often contain harmful chemicals that pose risks to our health and contribute to environmental degradation. That’s why today’s post is so important. I’m sharing the importance of using non-toxic cleaning supplies and providing recommendations for safe, effective, and gentle products for your family and the planet.
Every week, I share a new post on non-toxic alternatives you can make in your home to protect your family from toxic chemicals, find alternatives for all your favorite products, and stick to a modest budget.
Here are some of my most recent posts in the series:
As a mom of six, I understand the need to find eco-friendly cleaning products and non-toxic alternatives that fit a tight budget. Many top-name brands that offer natural ingredients are too expensive for us, leaving us frustrated as we search for natural cleaning products that work with our budget.
Instead of giving up, I started making many of my non-toxic cleaning supplies myself with a handful of affordable supplies that we already had in our home. Products like white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda are excellent for cleaning your home without exposing your family to any harsh chemicals.
After our son was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, we knew it was time to make some serious changes in our home. We worked hard to research alternatives, make changes, and move away from traditional cleaning products riddled with harmful chemicals. While I would never wish what we’ve gone through on anyone, his diagnosis opened our eyes to the harmful ingredients we are constantly exposed to and forced us to make incredibly important changes. Let this be your motivation if you’re on the fence about making changes. If nothing else, at least you’re creating a healthier home for your family.
Why using non-toxic cleaners is important for our health
When we talk about non-toxic cleaning supplies, we are referring to products that are formulated with natural, safe ingredients and are free from harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances, and artificial dyes. These products are designed to clean effectively without compromising indoor air quality or leaving behind harmful residues. By choosing safer cleaning supplies, we can reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals and minimize our impact on the environment.
Many household cleaners contain toxic chemicals, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia, bleach, and endocrine disruptors like phthalates and triclosan. The good news is that with a handful of ingredients you may already have on hand, you can make your own cleaning products for a fraction of the cost.
As I mentioned previously, our son was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia when he was just 4 years old. After providers told us they didn’t know what caused his cancer, I started researching everything I could and learned some shocking facts:
- 50% of all adults in the US today will be diagnosed with cancer.
- Women are exposed to over 150 chemicals every single day.
- There are over 100 well-known carcinogenic chemicals that are allowed in personal care products and cleaning supplies.
- There are only 11 banned chemicals in the US compared to Europe’s 2,000.
Criteria for choosing the best non-toxic cleaning products
When selecting non-toxic cleaning supplies for your home, it’s essential to consider these important factors.
- Ingredient Transparency and Purity: Look for products with transparent ingredient lists that prioritize natural, plant-based ingredients with as few ingredients as possible.
- Certification by Reputable Eco-Labels: Don’t be fooled by greenwashing. Even the Environmental Protection Agency has created a list of certified brands that contain toxic chemicals. It can be difficult to know who to trust, but it’s important to do your own research. The Environmental Working Group is an excellent resource, but no matter what, you should be researching individual ingredients yourself to learn what you’re comfortable using in your home.
- Effectiveness in Cleaning and Disinfecting: Choose products that are effective in removing dirt, grease, and germs without the need for harsh chemicals or synthetic additives.
- Packaging and Waste Reduction Efforts: To reduce plastic waste and environmental impact, avoid single-use plastic and opt for products with minimal packaging or refillable containers. Even better, ditch any plastic bottle options and use glass bottles instead.
Best non-toxic cleaning supplies
I’m sharing my recipes for the best non-toxic cleaners, but if making your own cleaning supplies isn’t something you’re interested in, these are my top picks for all cleaning routines.
Multipurpose cleaner
the concentrated formula of Branch Basics can replace multiple cleaning products, and their starter kit includes one 33.8 oz bottle of concentrate, plus a 3-pack of spray bottles labeled for each area of your home. Each spray bottle shows you how much concentrate and water to add and how to use.
Here are some of the cleaning supplies you can replace with the concentrate:
Window cleaner- leaves windows, glass surfaces, and mirrors sparkling
Bathroom cleaner- tile, toilet, sink, and shower
Kitchen cleaner- clean dishes, countertops, and even floors
In addition to their concentrate, Branch Basics offers hand soap and eco-friendly laundry detergents as well.
We like Branch Basics but did not find their products to work well enough to justify the price point.
Stain remover
Miss Mouth’s Messy Eater stain removal spray
Miss Mouth’s stain spray is a great non-toxic option for removing stains from laundry. It’s affordable, has decent ingredients, and ranks well on EWG’s SkinDeep Database. While I make my own stain remover now, this is an excellent option. Additionally, this spray has received an EPA Safer Choice certification. While I don’t personally care much about this certification because I expect higher standards, it’s a good place to start when finding natural cleaners.
Laundry soap
One of the cleanest laundry detergent brands I’ve found is Molly Suds. With around five natural ingredients, it is a safe and effective product to keep in your laundry room. Plus, the detergent is affordable! I’ve tried multiple products from the brand and enjoyed all of them.
Dish soap
We switched from Dawn dish soap over to Better Life mild dish soap and couldn’t be happier. I use it for my stain remover recipe and cleaning dishes. It works well without the unnecessary synthetic fragrances or dyes found in many conventional dish soaps. Additionally, it contains no sodium lauryl sulfate, which is great because many of my children struggle with dry skin, and SLS is known for drying out the skin and causing irritation.
Making your own non-toxic cleaning products
As much as I enjoy the brands I previously shared, I now make cleaning products myself. From laundry detergent, stain remover, window cleaner, and all-purpose spray, I have saved so much money by making my own cleaning supplies instead of purchasing them. We’ve also been able to reduce the number of toxic chemicals we’re exposed to in our home, which is a huge motivator to make these changes.
Window cleaner
Making non-toxic glass cleaner is super simple. You can clean your home’s windows, mirrors, and glass surfaces with two ingredients.
Ingredients:
Warm water
1 cup rubbing alcohol
Directions:
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. When ready to use, spray surfaces and wipe with a cloth until shiny!
Floor cleaner
In a busy home like ours, sometimes I feel like I mop every night! Here’s my favorite floor cleaner.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon castile soap
1-gallon hot water
Directions:
Fill a mop bucket with hot water, as hot as possible. While the bucket is filling, add 1 tablespoon of soap. Mop your floors, replacing the mop water for every 1-2 rooms or until the water is visibly dirty.
All-purpose spray
We use this recipe for all areas of our home—dusting, bathrooms, countertops, you name it! It’s simple and customizable, and you can add lemon juice or a few drops of organic essential oils to freshen your home! I know the smell of vinegar is not the most pleasant, but the essential oils help mask it.
Ingredients:
1 cup vinegar
2-3 cups warm water.
Directions:
Add ingredients to a spray bottle and shake well. If adding essential oils, add 5-10 drops. Spray surfaces and wipe with a wet cloth.
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few posts I’ve shared with my best recipes for non-toxic cleaning supplies:
4 Ingredient Laundry Detergent
Stain Remover Spray That Works
Be aware of greenwashing when choosing non-toxic cleaners
Some brands claim to carry non-toxic products when in reality they are using greenwashing as a way to gain consumer’s trust. If you’ve never heard of greenwashing, it’s the act of making claims or misleading statements about the safety or environmental benefit of a product. Learning to identify brands that claim to provide green cleaning products is frustrating and time-consuming because most of them are actually filled with harmful chemicals. Some wording to look out for are ‘green,’ ‘clean,’ and ‘safe’ on labels. The only way to know if you can trust a product is to read the ingredients list and become familiar with chemicals you are no longer comfortable using in your home.
Here are a few big-name brands that use greenwashing:
Seventh Generation
One of the biggest culprits of greenwashing is Seventh Generation. Their products are filled with harmful ingredients and irritants linked to allergic reactions, skin irritation, and cancer. They claim their products are safe for the environment and your family, but this just isn’t true.
Meyer’s
While Meyer’s offers dozens of cleaning supplies, none of them are considered safe or environmentally friendly. Riddled with synthetic fragrances and questionable ingredients, they should not be claiming to be safer than conventional products found on grocery store shelves today.
Final Thoughts
By choosing non-toxic cleaning supplies, we can create a healthier and cleaner home environment for ourselves and future generations. With a wide range of effective and sustainable cleaning products available, making the switch to eco-friendly cleaning has never been easier. Remember to take your time researching alternatives and make changes you’re comfortable with. There’s no timeline you have to follow. You should just be proud of the changes you’ve been able to make in your home!
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May 21, 2024 @ 3:39 pm
I have always wanted to try and make my own cleaning products! Saving this post for later!