Spring is in the air!

Happy second day of spring!! I'm a little late to the party. Here in upstate New York there's still some snow on the ground, but warmer days are coming and i'm so excited! We all know that spring means spring cleaning. We open up the windows and doors to bring in fresh air. We sweep out the dust bunnies and spray down all the grime from winter. Unfortunately though, most people are unaware about what they are actually "cleaning" with. We assume they are safe, they are sold at stores after all, so that must mean they are safe to use. Sadly that's not the case.

In many fragranced household cleaners we find Phthalates. They are found in air fresheners, dish soap, even toilet paper. What?! Well, because of proprietary laws, companies don't have to disclose whats in their scents. You won't find Phthalates on any labels. So, if you see "fragrance" on a label there is a good chance that Phthalates are in the products. What's so scary about Phthalates is that they are known endocrine disrupters.

In dry cleaning solution and carpet cleaners we can find Perchloroethylene or "Perc". Perc is a neurotoxin according to the chief scientist of environmental protection for the New York general attorneys office. And the EPA classifies it as a "possible carcinogen" as well. It's known to cause dizziness, loss of coordination, and other symptoms.

Found in window cleaners and multipurpose cleaners is 2-butoxyethanol. It's the key ingredient in many window cleaners. It belongs in the category of “glycol ethers,” a set of powerful solvents that don’t mess around. Law does not require 2-butoxyethanol to be listed on a product’s label. According to the EPA’s Web site, in addition to causing sore throats when inhaled, at high levels glycol ethers can also contribute to narcosis, pulmonary edema, and severe liver and kidney damage. Although the EPA sets a standard on 2-butoxyethanol for workplace safety, if you’re cleaning at home in a confined area, like an unventilated bathroom, you can actually end up getting 2-butoxyethanol in the air at levels that are higher than workplace safety standards.

As frightening as all these are, that's not even half of what can be found in your cleaning products. But i'm not going to keep going on about that. I want to share with you the 100% safe cleaning products that I clean with.

Thieves household cleaner is a nontoxic all purpose cleaning solution using therapeutic-grade essential oils as emulsifiers and germ cleaners. I use this on every surface of my house. I use it to mop my floors, to clean my toilet, to clean my counters. It's safe to use around children and pets. I have zero worries when my daughter is crawling around on the floor. A little goes a long way with this stuff as well. No home should go without this amazing cleaner.

I live in a very old house, and of course most things have been updated, but having a dishwasher is not one of those things. I feel like I am constantly hovering over my sink, washing away. Thankfully I have this awesome dish soap. It successfully cleans my dishes without chemicals, dyes, or synthetics. I'm talking, getting that grease off your pans, without having to scrub for thirty minutes. It's also great on my hands. So win, win.

Did you know that it takes 3,000 lemons to produce 1 kilo of oil? Nuts. There's not much this little bottle of oil can't do. I love to use this to clean off sticky things. If any other parents have insight on to why my child's hands are ALWAYS sticky, please send me an email. If you are having a hard time getting something sticky off, try lemon. I'll also add this to vinegar and put it down my drain to freshen it up. Lemon also, has some great health benefits, too. It's one of those oils you can use for just about anything.