It seems like there is more and more pressure these days to always use organic everything — from food to toilet bowl cleaner to everything in between. It’s like if you’re not following the “cleanest” way to eat or maintain your house, there’s a Netflix documentary waiting to make you feel bad about it. If this is the direction everyone is going, though, it can’t be all bad, right? Right!
READ: Why Switching to Green Cleaning Is So Important
But how do you know what’s actually “clean” or “non-toxic” with all the marketing schemes out there? Well, you read this list, obviously!
In the spirit of living a “clean” lifestyle, here are a handful of cleaning products that you can feel good about using. Clean living, here we come!
Air fresheners have always freaked me out, even though they’re meant to make your house feel fresh. I mean, what chemicals are used to make my home smell like an (artificial) crisp fall day? Sometimes I feel like I’m breathing in a straight up chemical (which you are) — not fresh, clean air. Cue these non-toxic air fresheners! They make the air smell good and purify air at the same time. You’re welcome.
I wanted to call out a clean option for dish soap specifically because, if you think about it, everything we eat or drink touches a dish. And there’s no way bright blue dish soap can be natural (spoiler alert: it’s not!). We’ve essentially been cleaning our dishes with chemicals. Yikes, right?!
If you were going to make one change to the products you use, this is a stellar start. This product is vegan, too, which means it’s made from all plant-based ingredients — and obviously very on trend.
There's been a lot of hype surrounding The Honest Company and its products. Is it just pretty packaging or does this stuff actually work (and most importantly, is it chemical free)? I can vouch for this stain remover and absolutely say YES! It works amazingly well. The best part is it works for clothes AND animal stains (thank you puppy training!). If you're in the market for a safe, plant-based stain remover, you've just found it.
Think about how many times a day you wash your hands — probably a decent amount, right? This is another product I really didn't consider when starting to replace cleaning products in my home, but when you think about it, it's probably the most used "cleaner" in the house. A lot of hand soaps are loaded with harsh chemicals that take away all the natural oils on your hands, but not this one! It's been developed by a team of chemists who make sure it's safe for every living thing in your home.
Just like how dish soap touches every plate, glass, and utensil we use, laundry detergent touches all our clothes. I'm a fan of Greenshield because it's a free and clear product, which means they only use natural, safe ingredients that won't irritate your skin. Plus, this product was created by a dad who wanted safe detergent for his family. How adorable is that?
The smell of bleach might make us feel like our homes are sparkling, but at what cost? It’s known to cause skin irritation, headaches, nervous system issues... the list goes on. But all you clean freaks can settle down — I promise you can get things just as immaculate, sans health issues.
This brand is sold at Target, so one more excuse to go. It’s not terribly expensive, which is usually reason number one for not buying clean products, so that’s a major score. Spritz away!
I LOVE having all-purpose wipes in the house, and pretty much with me wherever I go (yes, I’m that girl). Because I use them 24/7 and in my home, it's super important to not leave chemicals behind. Like the surface cleaner I listed above from this brand, you can find these wipes at Target, or just throw 'em in the old Amazon cart for easy shopping.
I have to admit, this is one I didn’t think about until I read about this product. Sometimes I’m guilty of assuming products are safe, but dryer sheets are definitely now on the questionable list. If you do some research on what they’re made of, you’ll find tons of chemicals and potentially toxic perfumes on their ingredient list. Again, major health issue alert.
These wool balls are made of wool. And that’s it. No complicated names or hidden agendas — they decrease drying time and can be used over and over again. Mother Earth approved, ladies!
Make your own
This is a surefire way to know what’s actually in the cleaning products you use, because let’s be real, I usually can’t pronounce a single ingredient in the store-bought kind. Surprisingly, you probably have most of what you need already in your house:
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 15 drops essential oil (Peppermint and orange — sooo good)
Mix these up and pour into a spray bottle to have a legit, homemade, all-purpose cleaner.
READ: DIY All-Natural Cleaning Products