Spring Cleaning Toxins from Your Home
Maylin Rodriguez-Paez, RN
Spring is a time for, renewal, life, hope, and, well … deep cleaning, for some of us. But rather than focusing on getting rid of that old sweater or TV set, perhaps you should consider approaching Spring cleaning in a different way this time around.
This year, why not make an effort to remove dangerous toxins from your home? We’re sure you’ll find plenty, since we’re living in an increasingly toxic world.
Below, we’ll go over a few ideas that may help you detox your living space this spring. Your body and home will thank you for it, so please give it a shot!
Be Picky When Choosing Cleaning Products
You know something’s not right when the average household cleaning product will kill you if it’s swallowed. Now, ask yourself, do things like this really belong in your home?Here’s a list of some "popular offenders" that is pretty shocking. And, by the way, this list only scratches the surface:
Common Toxins in Everyday Cleaning Products:
- Butoxydiglycol is linked to cancer and reproductive toxicity1
- Sodium hypochlorite “bleach” may cause severe burns and asthma.1 It’s associated with cancer in animals.2
- Sodium Borate has potential endocrine disrupting and respiratory effects.1
- Ammonium Hydroxide may cause breathing problems and asthma.1,3, 5
- 2-Hexoxyethanol is associated with skin irritation and allergies, skin burns, and eye damage, and may cause central nervous system toxicity and kidney injury.1,4, 6
Clean with Natural Ingredients
Since we’ve largely become a “germophobic” society, many of us have become convinced that we have to use caustic ingredients to clean our homes. In reality, this couldn’t be any farther from the truth.Look for products with naturally based ingredients. They do exist; it just takes a little bit of research.
Some brands favored by health enthusiasts include Bioshield and Ecover. Or, if you’d like to experiment, make your own cleaning products at home with the ingredients listed below.
But here’s a little disclaimer. Based on my own experience, it takes a lot more effort to clean with natural ingredients. Don’t expect stains to disappear with the spray of a bottle; be ready to do a lot of scrubbing. ;-)
Natural Cleaning Ingredients Worth Trying:
- Vinegar
- Glycerin
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Essential oils (tea tree oil, lemon, lavender, pine, spruce)
- Lemon juice
- Alcohol (vodka)
- Castile soap
- Epsom salts
- Baking soda
- Soap nuts
Detox Your Body by Supplementing With Herbs
There’s no question that we all come across toxins on a daily basis. Why? Because it’s impossible to live “toxin-free” in a toxic world.So why not give your body’s own detox system a natural boost? Here are some research-backed nutrients that can enhance the detoxification process of your own body.
Herbs for Detox:
What Works for You?
Do you use natural cleaning products at home or make your own formulas? If so, we’d love to hear what you’re using and how well they’re working for you.As you can probably tell by now, getting to a clear-cut “toxin free” cleaning regimen is no small task, so we welcome your ideas.
Got something to add? Please share it in the comments!
References:
- Available at http://www.ewg.org/. Accessed March 15, 2012.
- Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1997 Dec 26;837:189-208.
- http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+5125. Accessed March 21, 2013.
- http://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/category-details?id=3112&table=copytblagents. Accessed March 21, 2013.
- Available at http://hero.epa.gov/index.cfm?action=reference.details&reference_id=1060936. Accessed March 15, 2013.
- Available at: http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+112-25-4. Accessed March 15, 2013.
- Free Radic Biol Med. 2013 Mar;56:102-11.
- Phytomedicine. 2002 Dec;9(8):687-93.
- Nutr Res. 2010 Jun;30(6):435-40
38 comments :
Mix baking soda with hydrogen peroxide to make a paste...will clean pots & pans, stove etc........
Now that I have a child, I want desperately to get rid of all the horrible toxins under my sink. I have always known there were natural ways to get my house clean but I didn't have the right information. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I would hate to hurt my child with poisonous cleaners. I am looking for ways to improve the health and sanity of my home so I plan on trying these natural ingredients as soon as possible.
Anonymous - Good one! Thanks :)
Jennifer - Glad to help and good luck!
Thanks for giving suggestion. I am searching for best chemical and cleaning products for my house and these natural cleaning products are very beneficial for my house.
Cleaning Franchise Sydney - Our pleasure! Thanks for reading. :)
Using these ideas & tips the Washing is going to be easy task. With all close relatives the Washing experience would be great fun.
Your cleaning tips are very effective. I had many problems about cleaning of my home but now, I am feeling very easy because I read your post and these natural cleaning tips are very cost-less and very beneficial for me. I will try these all tips in my next cleaning process. Thanks for giving wonderful information.
Commercial Cleaning Sydney - Glad it was helpful! Thanks for reading. :-)
Thanks for stressing the importance of choosing safer cleaning supplies as we really have to be conscious of what we use in cleaning our homes. :)
Amanda - Our pleasure! Thanks for reading. :-)
We had a small, but enthusiastic group of people. I had a great time sharing ideas and 'recipes' for cleaning solutions that are green and clean!
Tractor Supply UTV - We would love to see your green recipes. Please share!
I was looking for a toxin to clean our home thanks to help.
Natural cleaning products are very beneficial for cleaning of all home items. It is also cost-less cleaning agents. I like natural cleaning agents because it has no side effect on your home products but some chemical cleaning products effect home products badly so, I use only organic cleaning products for my home cleaning.
These cleaning toxins work very well in home cleaning and i have experienced them very good fo this purpose.
Cleaning the toxins from your home really makes the home a healthier place to live. It could be done easily by replacing the toxic products with natural ones and just get used to their use. It will save you money as well and you will breathe better without toxins. You will no longer have to worry about your kids touching the bottles with hazardous chemicals and you will need general ingredients which you will always have in the kitchen.
Anyclean - Right!
Thanks for sharing this information relating to cleaning toxins and for awareness about it.
home cleaning wellington - It's our pleasure!
Hello Life Extension! I am too picky in choosing cleaning toxins for my home. But i still have problems in cleaning stuff. It don't stay's for a long time...
Nice post. It’s all about cleaning house or homes. It's better tips or ways to know the cleaning purpose. One of the better post about cleaning home. Thank U for sharing.
Tibin Sam - Thanks! Glad the post helped. :-)
This is a great site and a great article. For personal reasons, my family and I are dead set against chemicals. We use baking soda, vinegar, and peroxide for cleaning the house.
Rosie- Awesome! Glad to hear it.
These simple materials can really make miracles at home! I recently have tried soda for cleaning and polishing stained cups, to my surprise it was fast and very effective.
Grindu Dangos - And not to mention, safe. Cheers to natural cleaning!
Thanks for giving details about common toxins in everyday cleaning products. I learned something new. I would like to now clean with natural ingredients.
Katy - It's our pleasure!
I'm a big fan of green cleaning and I prefer to use natural cleaners instead of chemicals. I have no idea why people still use chemical cleaners when there are much safer alternatives.
Lower Morden Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
I'm so happy I found this blog!!! I want to get rid of all the chemicals at home and your post is a great start!
Preyah - Glad it hit the spot!
I'm always picky and spend a lot of time when choosing the cleaning products I need. Everyone should be IMO. This is a great post. Thanks for sharing it.
Georgia L - Being picky is a good thing. Thanks for the feedback!
Appreciate the great info and glad to see the world is waking to better more healthy ways to clean. This can affect many people's medical costs too :).
Actoncleaners - You're welcome. Thanks for reading!
For me spring is time for deep cleaning really. You're so right, as more we start using natural cleaning products as more benefits we will get.
Lily Pritchard - Indeed! We're glad you enjoyed the post!
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