3 Easy Swaps to Reduce House Cleaning Toxins

Once your mind, heart, and eyes are open to the importance of reducing toxins in your house, it can seem overwhelming on how to actually start making changes. Between not wanting to be wasteful, being unsure of how to DIY a cleaning solution, and still being a bit skeptical that natural cleaners are effective, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to incorporate a new way of cleaning into your life. The good news is, I'm going to give you 3 easy swaps you can make to reduce cleaning toxins without breaking the bank.

1. Vinegar

This may be one of the most accessible and inexpensive things you can do for reducing toxins while cleaning. Literally a quick Google search of "how to clean with vinegar" will offer an array of advice and articles on how to make different solutions. A basic cleaner seems to be a 1:1 ratio of water to vinegar, but for some sensitive surfaces, like hard wood, using less vinegar is recommended. You may be concerned about the smell, but let me tell you, the smell goes away quickly. It doesn't seem to linger the way perfumes and other chemical scents do, thus, less chance of getting a headache from the scent! Vinegar is also amazing for those of us on a tight budget. There's absolutely no reason for us not to reduce toxic cleaners when vinegar is available!

2. Castile Soap

Another accessible option, castile soap doesn't require a lot of manipulation when bought as a concentrate. One amazing thing about it is that it can be both a cleaning solution and a beauty solution. Dr. Bronner's has an entire page dedicated on how to use and dilute their solution for both body and home use. You can totally get another brand of castile soap other than Dr. Bronner's, but there soap is easily available and they have both scented (by essential oils) and unscented options depending on your specific needs and wants.

3. Branch Basics

Branch Basics has a simple concentrate that does almost everything! Literally. You can clean your bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, living room, floors, walls, mirrors, and clothes with one simple concentrate. One of my favorite parts is that it's fragrance free, which means not having to worry about toxic perfumes ruining air quality. Their site even offers cleaning tips for using their product most effectively. This option may feel pricey, but breaking down the concentrate per bottle makes it reasonable. For those who don't want to do any measuring, they also sell pre-diluted options.

Lastly, I'll give a brief reminder of why it's important that we make the swap to reduce toxins in our cleaning chemicals. You probably already know a bit about this topic and that's why you're reading this post, but it's also easy to know you want to make the swap and then quickly forget why. Here's at least one reason: common cleaning supplies are full of known carcinogens, including pesticides, which are cancer promoting or causing substances. Every time we use a chemical, its small, toxic particles get into the air, thus, we end up breathing the toxins in. If we're not careful and don't use proper personal protective equipment (PPE), the toxins end up on our skin and we absorb it into the body. Making the swap to less or non-toxic options is important for protecting our short and long term health by preventing exposure to the things that are known to make us not just sick, but chronically ill.

Take the leap and pick one of the suggestions above to try! Depending on your unique situation, you may be drawn to one more than the other. No matter which one you pick, you'll be on a much better path to reducing toxins in your life. You got this.