Here’s 18 Ways To Welcome The No Tox Life. Last year when I went completely chemical free in our home, I felt an instant relief in terms of healthiness. The quality of air was better, the migraines were gone, the house just seemed cleaner and for longer. The no tox life is something that I have been learning more about and encourage everyone to educate themselves on. It’s forever life changing.
NO TOX LIVING
In some of my recent guides I share all things non toxic. That’s all I use in our home and I love creating little presentations for my mentorship program, so reach out if you need one!
I only wish I had learned more about this when my babies were young. What a difference it would have made. Thinking back on the products I used to clean with makes me sick. The girls suffered allergies and when they finally did blood tests on them, they came back allergic to everything! Animals, foods, the air, laundry soaps, everything! Just like many of you, I believed they were safe products because every store in the world carries them. That’s what we do. We shop for beauty and cleaning products weekly! Little did I know that they are not regulated and companies are allowed to put whatever they wish on their labels. When I started coming across this more and more, I vowed to educate myself and others.
18 Ways To Welcome The No Tox Life
Transitioning from chemical product use to non toxic is not an overnight process. It takes some getting used to. This I know for sure because there’s something so addicting about buying a new bottle of glass cleaner that makes us believe it’s safe to use in our homes. I still get the urge and have tested many brands, Seventh Generation to name one! I do this because I want to learn more about how these companies can get away with providing such false information. They are NOT natural, at all. Even though the label highlights ALL NATURAL, ORGANIC, yeah, no it’s not. The scent alone in some of these products kills me. At first spray I’m choking.
GREENWASHING FACTS
Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly. (via)
The absolute only thing that made me feel better about going green was to make my own cleaning products (which took some getting used to), but nevertheless, I enjoy it so much now.
HOW TO CLEAN CHEMICAL FREE
- Slowly incorporate this new trend in your homes. Like I said, it doesn’t happen quickly because if you’re unfamiliar with the knowledge behind it, it takes some time to get used to. Bring out the bags of baking soda and dump a few tablespoons into the kitchen sink for a quick wipe out! It also really helps to start living like a minimalist when going green. When you have less it’s truly so much easier to keep our homes clean.
- Declutter daily. I know this sounds like a bit much and you may already be doing this because of #theunclutteredproject but try to eliminate the things you can live without. In terms of belongings; do you really need 8,000 books or all of those knick knacks. Going green and minimal, go hand in hand! Never trust the clutter.
- Toss cleaning products with chemicals in them {they all have them} by throwing them all away at once. Initially I stated to transition slowly but if you’re going to go NO TOX, ditch them all at once. There’s no need for you to have any bottles under the sinks any longer.
The inside of our homes is more toxic than the air we breathe outside. Pollution is and has been a problem for centuries. When we enter our house for the evening, we bring in all the harsh, invisible toxins that we don’t always acknowledge. We sometimes go to bed without washing our hair and transfer those smells onto our pillow cases causing breathing problems and allergic reactions. You may not even realize where it’s coming from. That’s why I always recommend washing linens at least weekly. Like our page for weekly cleaning tips! My favorite concoction is alcohol, water and lemongrass drops for a fresh linen spray.
Non Toxic Healthy Cleaning + Living
Since I was born in the wrong century, it was really easy for me to convert after learning how to clean with old fashioned products that we already have in our cupboards. Simply take out the vinegar and start by reusing spray bottles that are convenient for cleaning purposes. I specifically love smaller spray bottles because they don’t take up much space and look neater.
I keep one bottle 50% vinegar and 50% water nearby at all times. We don’t have stone counter tops so it’s super convenient for wiping fast. The wash rags {I’m getting zero waste better by the day} I use are from Walmart in the cleaning or bath section. I buy them more often than microfiber cloths because they clean up easier without hairs or anything getting caught in the fabric. They’re really cheap washcloths that are small and perfect for super easy wipe outs and then I throw them right into a bucket to wash separate from the rest of our clothing. I really like the cheesecloth for cleaning too.
HOW TO DITCH THE TOX
- Unclutter your kitchen sink area first. When you’ve finally cleaned out your old cleaning products under the sink, you’ll want to maintain a clean and clear sink most all of the time. This helps your green cleaning mission. I preach all of the time how the kitchen sink is the most dirtiest part of the home. That’s why I clean it daily. It’s not a question. It just gets done. The whole point for the kitchen sink is not to store dirty dishes but to clean them. If you use this basin to hold dinnerware, it depletes the functionality. When a few dishes are in there, clean asap and put away. Load the dishwasher often. Rinse the forks and load them. The sink needs to remain clutter free to prevent bacteria from spreading.
- Wash the sink out every day or night by sprinkling baking soda into it and running hot water. Use a scrubby brush and if it’s really bad, squirt some dish soap in there to release the food. Rinse, dry and repeat the following day. Do this daily. It’s a lifestyle. Nothing less.
- Do not buy sponges any longer. They harbor more bacteria than the toilets. Go green by using the scrub brushes I share often on our page and here on the blog. They are great for dish washing, scrubbing the tubs, sinks and even toilets. I normally grab all of mine at Home Goods or TJMaxx. They’re much cheaper than online.
- Embrace the change. This is really important because you want to love what you do. You cannot welcome something into your life without embracing it.
- Practice cleaning. When going no tox you need to learn how to clean with it. The basics to cleaning all naturally is rather simple but can be confusing if you don’t understand it. At first I didn’t understand how the vinegar was cleaning a surface because it didn’t seem clean. You have to know how to let the product do it’s job in order to be successful. Spray the vinegar straight onto the stove top for a quick wipe down. If it’s heavily caked on, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe with a rag. It comes up rather easy. Do the same for microwave cleaning. Spray straight vinegar in and around, removing the plate and spraying that in the sink. Let sit and then wipe. Wash the plate with soap and hot water.
Did you know that most cleaning can be easily done with just hot water?
HOW TO CLEAN WITH JUST WATER
I honestly love cleaning with just plain water! Don’t get grossed out or anything. It’s definitely not for everyone, especially if you haven’t cleaned in like FOREVER!!!! But for those of us that maintain a clean routine daily and weekly; all you need is water to clean with. Normally I dab my cloth with hot water and wipe.
Things you can clean with just water:
- mirrors and glass
- counter + stove tops
- exterior cabinet and appliance wiping
- dampen one end for quick dusting
- on the floors under the cabinets
- baseboard washing
- blinds and fans
- spot cleaning
- and more
No Tox House Cleaning
Stop buying chemical beauty and cleaning products. This can easily be done through mindset. I used to scour these aisles in Target and Ulta but with so much awareness it’s easy to purchase an all natural product now versus one that is highly toxic. Honestly the only thing I can wash my face with is Dove scent free bar soap. I can get away with the coconut one but any other scented soaps irritate my skin.
How To Clean Without Chemicals
No tox cleaning should not be expensive. If you’re buying products that you believe to be non toxic yet they’re extremely costly, something isn’t right. I personally love all natural soaps and vegetable based dish detergents like castile soap. That’s the most expensive thing I purchase. It runs around $15 dollars in a grocery store but I can get it at TJmaxx in the beauty section for $6-7. We use it in our home for cleaning not really our skin. Squirt into a dish pan to release the grime fast and easy. Mix a concoction of all purpose cleaner with one teaspoon castile soap and top with water. Use alcohol instead of the vinegar if you have granite, marble or any other stoneware.
Chemical Free Cleaning Recipes
- Wipe counter tops and surfaces fast and easy by just dabbing alcohol on the cloth and wiping
- Use 1/4 cup vinegar in every load of laundry for fresh clean clothes {say goodbye to fabric softener which is highly toxic by using vinegar and wool dryer balls instead}
Eliminate under the sink clutter. I think this is so helpful when going green because the less products you’re able to clean with means the world when it comes to our homes. If you open your cabinet doors and get overwhelmed with the sight of overflowing bottles of chemicals, just think of how much your life becomes stress free when you eliminate all of that!
The only things that should be under your kitchen sink:
- all purpose spray bottle with vinegar and water {or soap, alcohol and water with optional 3 drops of essential oil}
- eco friendly brushes + cloths
- castile soap or homemade dish detergent ( and yes, I still love dawn )
- dishwasher pellets
- garbage bags
All Natural and Chemical Free Cleaning Tips
Store in a plastic basket or a hanging over the cabinet door wire basket and that’s it! I use these wire baskets in the bathroom to hang on the wall for minimal products. Such a relief that I don’t see under the sinks being cluttered anymore.
Bring in purifying plants. This not only clears the air you breathe inside the home after just six months of having them but it helps you clean greener too. The saying:
plants make people happy
is no lie. Trust the greenery.
Helpful Tips For A Non Toxic Clean Home
My no tox guide has supplies I love and use everyday. I also share more homemade recipes and cleaning routines. When going green you should only need vinegar, castile soap, alcohol, peroxide, baking soda, tea tree oil, lavender and eucalyptus, cedar and lemon, peppermint is good too. My favorite is lemon. I’m a lemon snob all the way! The scent is not as harsh as some of the others. Tea tree is really good for wiping counter tops and removing mold in the showers but it’s heavily scented. When cleaning, I barely use as many drops as recommended. Less is way more in my opinion.
Ditch The Tox and Start Breathing Again
Welcoming the no tox life is rewarding to say the least! Rise and make the bed daily, clean more often with quick and easy routines that aren’t stressful.
Remember that this is LIFE CHANGING and SO WORTH IT! Once you get used to it, it becomes pure sanity! Use these tips to transform your cleaning routines and live healthier! Until next time, more coffee please.
Looking forward to some good tips
Looking forward on getting rid of some clutter