When I first started our “less toxic” journey, our cleaning products were the first thing that I swapped out. If you want a clean swap when it comes to cleaning products, this is the post for you. If you’ve been here a while, you probably already know my favorites, but I’m making a full post out of it anyway to tell you 1) why you should switch your products and 2) what products are my favorites. And no, this doesn’t benefit me financially in any way, so my goal with this is pure: to make sure that you are keeping your family as safe as you can…which includes reducing the toxins within your home.
Clean swap: cleaning products
Products such as Clorox, Lysol, Windex, Method, Mrs. Meyers (sorry if you thought they are “clean”), and many other cleaning products are cheap, easy to find in-store, and work well. However, when you use them, what are you really spraying on the surfaces you eat off of and the surfaces that your babies are walking on? While you may feel like your countertops and floors are getting clean, I view it a little differently. To break it down, let me start by explaining something.
Differences between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting.
Cleaning uses water, soap, and scrubbing to remove dirt and germs. The process removes 98% of bacteria and 93% of viruses from surfaces.
Sanitizing reduces the number of germs on a surface by 99.9%. However, you need to clean your countertops first because sanitizers are not effective unless you clean surfaces first since they do not clean dirty surfaces.
Disinfecting uses a pesticide to kill or inactivate germs. It does not only kill bad bacteria, however. It also kills good bacteria, as well. This process is also only temporary because once a surface is touched, germs start to grow again.
To be classified as a sanitizer or disinfectant, a product must contain an EPA registered pesticide OR a high percentage of alcohol (at least 62%). Most use a pesticide and the use of those has been shown to contribute to the increasing problem of antibacterial resistance.
Now, let me explain why it’s better to use plain soap or water or a non-toxic cleaner compared to a sanitizer or disinfectant, in most cases. I’ll just post a few bullets so that it’s easier to read:
–Using a sanitizer or disinfectant does not take care of all germs. Their overuse has caused superbugs that are resistant to being killed and those superbugs are left behind.
–Soap and water removes all germs: since plain soap and water or a non-toxic cleaner removes germs, instead of killing them, ALL germs are removed, which is much more effective.
This is exactly why the CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water over using hand sanitizers. I am sure you’ve heard this recommendation all throughout the pandemic. It’s the same premise with cleaners, as well. The CDC has done extensive testing on this which is how they drew their conclusions.
What are the risks of using disinfectants?
Disinfectants and sanitizers use toxic chemicals, such as pesticides, artificial fragrances, and more, that can weaken your immune system. They kill good bacteria, which is essential to gut health (and if you know anything about gut health, then you’ll know it directly impacts immune health), and they create superbugs that cannot be killed.
But the real thing that gets me about disinfectants and sanitizers is the fact that most of you are not even using them correctly…so they aren’t working! Check out any of your cleaning products. I’m sure you’ll see instructions on how to use them that most of us ignore. To properly use these cleaning products, you need to…
- clean surfaces first or else your disinfectant won’t be effective
- spray and cover your entire surface with enough disinfectant so that your surface stays wet for 5-10 minutes (dwell time). If it doesn’t stay wet this entire time, it won’t even kill germs or bacteria…
- Then, wipe clean with a cloth. But if it isn’t wet after the 5-10 minutes, you have to do it again because disinfectants do not immediately kill germs.
A typical cleaning product will contain artificial fragrance, phthalates, multiple carcinogens, PEGS, SLS, SLES, multiple skin irritants and allergens, dyes, endocrine and hormone disruptors, and they pollute indoor air quality. This is my main reason for switching – the ingredients and the products do not do anything to actually improve health and safety. In fact, they are doing the exact opposite.
This is the reason I view it differently. If we are spraying pesticides and other ingredients that have been KNOWN to cause health issues on the surfaces that we are eating off of, or surfaces that our skin is touching, how is this truly “clean?” If we actually look at the facts, the scientific and well-researched studies, and what government agencies put out there (like the CDC guideline on handwashing), it’s very apparent that traditional, chemical cleaners are not healthy or safe for us…but most of us use them anyway.
Less toxic options for cleaners:
The good news? There are SO many less toxic options when it comes to cleaning products! Here are a few products that you may want to try out:
–Branch Basics: My #1 go-to. Branch Basics is Made Safe Certified, which means that it is free from over 5,000 toxic chemicals. It’s fragrance-free, does not contain dyes, protects indoor air quality, and there are no carcinogens, endocrine or hormone disruptors, or skin irritants/allergens in their products. Their starter kit seems a bit more on the expensive side, but I promise you that one bottle of concentrate goes a LONG way. One bottle makes 3 all-purpose cleaners, 3 bathroom bottles, 3 streak-free bottles, 3 foaming wash bottles, and 64 loads of laundry. You can purchase their concentrate, the starter kit, and more on their website HERE.
-Aunt Fannies is a great option for a more accessible option (can be found on Amazon!). Most of their products are non-toxic and they use essential oils to fragrance each individual product. Their vinegar cleaner scores an A on EWG, their cleaning vinegar wipes are all rated as an A, as well, and most of their other products also come in as an A rating (floor cleaner, etc.).
-Need a disinfectant? Try out Force of Nature. I don’t personally use this because when I use a disinfectant, I just use hydrogen peroxide and vinegar (a solution that you probably already have at home), but I’ve heard great things about FON. It coverts salt, water, and vinegar into electrolyzed water, so there are zero harmful ingredients, zero residues, and zero fumes. It also cleans mold and fungus as effectively as bleach and prevents it from returning. It is a GREAT option if you prefer disinfectants/sanitizers.
-Toilet cleaner: I feel like I need a little more of a “punch” in our toilets, so we use the Better Life toilet bowl cleaner. This is the only cleaner that we use aside from Branch Basics in our house. It is a much better option compared to most and it WORKS! Plus, it’s only $4.99 on Thrive Market and I’m sure Amazon has it, as well.
Any questions? I’m here to help! While you’re at it, check out some of my other non-toxic favorites.