I do not consider myself a crunchy mom, a granola mom, or a green mom, but I do try to make the best choice for my family that save us money and the planet. I am well aware of the harsh chemicals in cleaners and the impact they have on our air and watershed, not to mention our immune systems, but I am also conscious about how to have a clean, germ free home. I, like the next mom, had always used what my mom used, and what her mom before her used.
Like the old adage goes, a house is only as clean as it smells, and that smell was always bleach and harsh chemicals. The chemical smell always annoyed me and gave me a reason to hate cleaning bathrooms, not to mention the dry, cracked and irritated hands, persistent cough, and watery eyes that resulted after spraying down the shower. All this makes for such an enjoyable experience, right? If only I followed the directions on the bottle, you know the ones that say wear gloves when using cleaner and use only in well-ventilated areas. Right, because all bathrooms are well ventilated with the tiny fans and the windows that rarely open. When DH and I bought our condominium, I decided to switch to the popular brand green line cleaner. You know, the one with the yellow daisy, but with the traditional name still it on. I found the cleaners’ worked well, but they still had the smell, and they still irritated my hands.
When we moved into our new house, while we were expecting, my mom helped me clean the house. She went out, bought the cleaners and left a bottle of bathroom cleaner on the kitchen counter; it fell over and spilled on the counter and floor. It ate away the finish on the laminate counter and the floor. My husband cleaned it up before he went to work and threw the in the sink, it burned the stainless steel sink. The offending cleaner left black marks in my sink, a white spot on my floor, rough patch on my counter, and me wondering what caustic substance is in my household cleaner. Moreover, why am I using it in my house? At that moment, I decided all cleaners with unpronounceable names and chemical ingredients were no longer welcome in my house.
My search was not difficult I came up with many solutions. To narrow down my choices, I ask myself, can I pronounce the ingredients and if ingested, would I be ok? If the answer is yes, it can come in the house. If no, it stays at the store. Even though my cleaning products are generally safe, I keep them up and out of reach of the curious little hands that like to put everything into her mouth. I no longer use window cleaners – I use Norwex cloths. Toilet bowl cleansers or all-purpose cleaners are now replaced with all-purpose vinegar. I started using Method disinfectant for the Lil’ Cupcake’s toys and high chair, and I keep Clean Well hand sanitizer wipes in the diaper bag ready for use when we are out and about. I feel better about my cleaning products and the minimal impact they have on my family and my environment. I no longer have to worry about my hands or choking on fumes, but I still hate cleaning bathrooms, but my house smells fresh, looks clean and if I want to eat a piece of fruit off the floor, because I dropped it again, I don’t have to worry about what chemicals I am eating inadvertently, which is always a good thing when you have a child.
Like the old adage goes, a house is only as clean as it smells, and that smell was always bleach and harsh chemicals. The chemical smell always annoyed me and gave me a reason to hate cleaning bathrooms, not to mention the dry, cracked and irritated hands, persistent cough, and watery eyes that resulted after spraying down the shower. All this makes for such an enjoyable experience, right? If only I followed the directions on the bottle, you know the ones that say wear gloves when using cleaner and use only in well-ventilated areas. Right, because all bathrooms are well ventilated with the tiny fans and the windows that rarely open. When DH and I bought our condominium, I decided to switch to the popular brand green line cleaner. You know, the one with the yellow daisy, but with the traditional name still it on. I found the cleaners’ worked well, but they still had the smell, and they still irritated my hands.
When we moved into our new house, while we were expecting, my mom helped me clean the house. She went out, bought the cleaners and left a bottle of bathroom cleaner on the kitchen counter; it fell over and spilled on the counter and floor. It ate away the finish on the laminate counter and the floor. My husband cleaned it up before he went to work and threw the in the sink, it burned the stainless steel sink. The offending cleaner left black marks in my sink, a white spot on my floor, rough patch on my counter, and me wondering what caustic substance is in my household cleaner. Moreover, why am I using it in my house? At that moment, I decided all cleaners with unpronounceable names and chemical ingredients were no longer welcome in my house.
My search was not difficult I came up with many solutions. To narrow down my choices, I ask myself, can I pronounce the ingredients and if ingested, would I be ok? If the answer is yes, it can come in the house. If no, it stays at the store. Even though my cleaning products are generally safe, I keep them up and out of reach of the curious little hands that like to put everything into her mouth. I no longer use window cleaners – I use Norwex cloths. Toilet bowl cleansers or all-purpose cleaners are now replaced with all-purpose vinegar. I started using Method disinfectant for the Lil’ Cupcake’s toys and high chair, and I keep Clean Well hand sanitizer wipes in the diaper bag ready for use when we are out and about. I feel better about my cleaning products and the minimal impact they have on my family and my environment. I no longer have to worry about my hands or choking on fumes, but I still hate cleaning bathrooms, but my house smells fresh, looks clean and if I want to eat a piece of fruit off the floor, because I dropped it again, I don’t have to worry about what chemicals I am eating inadvertently, which is always a good thing when you have a child.
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