As a mom, I always have an eye out for non-toxic cleaning products to use in my home. After all, kids spend a lot of time in contact with the floor and they all inevitably have a “put everything in the mouth” phase that increases their exposure to what's in their environment.
But it’s not just our kiddos that we need to think about.
Our family pets also get exposed to these chemicals have a greater risk because they are small, like children.
And then there are our hormones and our health.
The standard cleaning products are often full of endocrine disrupting chemicals (aka hormone wreckers) and burden our detox pathways—making us feel sick, experience headaches and other unwanted symptoms.
Don’t panic!
Instead, take a nice deep breath and know that you have a lot of control over your home environment. Let’s take this one step at a time.
Read on to learn how to do a little detox and start using non-toxic cleaning products for better hormones.
Home Detox 101: 4 Step Plan to Non-Toxic Cleaning Products for Better Hormones
Step 1: Take Inventory (and try not to freak out)
Take note of what is under every sink in your house, next to the toilet, and what you put on your floors and windows.
Write it all down.
Step 2: Evaluate
Schedule 30-60 minutes to dedicate to exploring www.EWG.org to understand what has got to go now and what can be phased out.
The worse the rating, the quicker it has got to go!
Note: You can skip step 2, throw it all out and start over. But this can feel overwhelming and be pricey. But it can also feel liberating and amazing to clear them all out right away, so the choice is yours.
Step 3: Find Alternatives
There are lots of green alternatives to choose from on the market, but be mindful that companies are sold, formulas do change, and no one is out there informing the consumer of the updates in real time.
Don’t let that discourage you.
You can become a speedy label detective with just a bit of practice. And the EWG has always got your back!
You can also make your own non-toxic cleaning products at home.
One of the simplest and effective ways is to use essential oils. Essentials are great because they have so many benefits. You’ll have a clean home and, depending on the blend, you’ll also have a better mood and a pleasant smelling house.
That's opposed to the lemon fragrance added to home cleaners to mask their odor that actually contribute to hormone imbalances.
Quick Tangent: Have you ever seen that bleach commercial where they advertise the lemon scent and then show the woman taking a big whiff of bleach? Who advertises huffing bleach? Seriously. This just makes me giggle and I had the share. Watch the commercial here and wait for her at about 12 seconds.
Step 4: Phase Out
Like I said, you can phase out your products slowly or do it all at once. Of course, the faster you do this the quicker your body is relieved of the burden, but if that is not realistic then phase them out.
I recommend starting with 1-2 products initially and then replacing a product weekly until you've done a full home detox and are only using non-toxic cleaning products. Your hormone will thank you!
Where to Find Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes (The kind that won't wreck your hormones)
So, the next question is, where do I find some recipes to make these new cleaning concoctions, right? Here are two new resources that I’ve been really enjoying and have found effective.
Green Cleaning Guide
This quick little guide lives on my fridge so I don’t even have to think about it. With a small child running around my house, this is essential.
These are the most common recipes I use in my house.
You can download it here for free.
Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils
In all fairness, this book offers way more value than just a home detox. It is actually loaded with a ton of really practical and safe uses for essential oils and will teach you a ton about how and when to use them.
My good friend Mariza sent me a copy of this book and I must admit, I learned a lot about how to use oils.
This is a really valuable resource for those wanting to learn more about essential oils and begin incorporating then into your life.
Check out The Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils here.
All things mom-hacks lives on Pinterest.
Want to know how to get gum off your carpet? Pinterest.
Want to learn 101 uses for coconut oil? Pinterest.
What answer can’t be found on Pinterest? I joke.
But know that all things that live on Pinterest do not actually work in the real word. No, seriously. You should google Pinterest fails.
So keep in mind you might have to test things out and come up with your own formulations before you find what actually works best. But I do think this is a good place to look for green cleaning recipes.
Bonus Tip:
Take your shoes off at the door and avoid wearing them in the house. You know that nasty chemical Glyphosate that gets in your bone marrow and causes a whole lot of trouble in your body? It’s found in Roundup and most of us walk through it every day.
Plus, there are heavy metals and other elements you pick up on your shoes that you do not want in your house.
The solution is simple. Take off your shoes and let your bare feet meet the ground (or wear slippers, slippers are good too).
Note: Walking barefoot is really good for your feet, your posture, and is even better if you can get them on the Earth.
Double Bonus Tip:
Kombucha and sauerkraut contain a bacteria called Acetobacter that actually helps breakdown glyphosate from the body.
Take that glyphosate! We’ve got probiotics on our side!
Drink a kombucha a day or eat at least 2 tablespoons of fermented foods daily.
Show that gut some love and it will throw down in your defense against these environmental toxins.
Non-Toxic Cleaning Products for Better Hormones
Do a little home detox and switching over to use primarily non-toxic cleaning products will reduce the burden on your liver to allow it to process your hormones more effectively. Supporting the liver is an important step in balancing hormones and improving health.
I always advise my patients to start here as a means of reducing environmental toxin exposure. Before we ever talk shower filters, air filters, water filter, etc.—we start by cleaning up our environment.
Do you use non-toxic cleaning products? Which are your favorites? Do you make your own?
Let me know in the comments.
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