Cleaning Your Home-Where are the Toxins Hiding?

What Cleaning Products do you use?

I went to a home improvement store not too long ago and as I walked in the front doors, I was struck with the high volume of cleaning products displayed. I'm talking shelf upon shelf and row upon row. Maybe it was so eye-catching because the shelves were tall and reached far beyond my eye-level, which, I admit, isn't hard to do. There must have been hundreds of the same cleaners stacked high waiting to be purchased. I didn't stop to take a closer look at what was on the shelves, so I'm not sure if the products claimed to be "clean" or if they were being advertised as “safe” and “all-natural." The thing is, I probably wouldn't have believed it anyway. The packages are pretty and the labels are clever, but the more you dig, the more you find out. And, once you find out, it's hard to ignore.

WHY SHOULD IT MATTER?

Everything you clean your home with affects your health and the health of everyone living there. I know when choosing products to use in our homes, it "seems" easiest to just grab whatever items are available at the local stores and it feels like you should be able to trust what you find there. Unfortunately, you can't. Not all companies have your best interest in mind and not all the ingredients have been tested as safe. Many of them - even the “green” ones - contain ingredients you do NOT want in your house.The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health studied 2,983 ingredients in our products at home and found 884 of them were toxic. That's 884 too many!

Sure, the human body is resilient, but when it's bombarded with toxins at so many levels, the liver can't keep up and dis-ease may rear it's ugly head, or more subtle symptoms such as gut issues, sensitivities and skin issues occur. Cancer is on the rise, even in the dogs, and the ingredients in your cleaning products play a part. Thankfully, it's not all out of your control. There are swaps you can make to change the narrative and give your family a better chance at a long healthy life.

Keep reading to learn:

1. Where toxic chemicals are hiding

2. What to avoid

3. A solution

Where Toxins Are Hiding

Remember I said The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health studied 2,983 ingredients in our products at home and found 884 of them were toxic? Well, look at this list of everyday products that are hiding them:

-air fresheners

- cleaning supplies for counters

- floor cleaners

- toilets and drain cleaners

- oven cleaners

- furniture polish

- dish soap

- laundry detergents

- dryer sheets

- body care products

-shampoo/conditioners

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Read all labels.

WHAT TO AVOID

Formaldehyde - This is a preservative that is often seen in lotions, cosmetics, and baby wipes. It’s a known carcinogen and can cause skin and respiratory irritations.
Phthalates - These are a group of chemicals found in personal care products and many plastics and vinyls. They can affect your endocrine system, reproductive health, and even potentially cause cancer.
VOCs - Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases that are emitted into the air. They’re found in some building materials, home and personal products, gasoline, and even things like glue and permanent markers. Breathing VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation as well as difficulty breathing and nausea, even damage to the central nervous system and other organs. Some VOCs can even cause cancer.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - These are surfactants commonly used as an emulsifying cleaning agent in household cleaning products (laundry detergents, spray cleaners, and dishwasher detergents). In other words they keep things mixed up and help them create lather. Oftentimes they are synthetically derived and have the potential to cause skin irritation.
Ethanolamines (MEA, DEA, and TEA) - These are found in many household and personal care products and have been linked to organ system toxicity, bioaccumulation, and even cancer.
Triclosan - This is found in many antibacterial soaps, hand sanitizers, and detergents as well as some toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, plastics, and more. It can affect the thyroid and endocrine system and was recently banned by the FDA to be used in “antiseptic washes” but can still be found in some other products like toothpaste, cosmetics, and even clothing, kitchenware, furniture, and toys.
Fragrance - The word “fragrance” can appear on a label and contain an enormous list of ingredients that a company is not required to disclose, as it is considered a ‘trade secret.’ That means a product could contain some awful ingredients and the consumer wouldn’t even know! These chemicals could be linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, allergies and sensitivities. Why take the risk?

Doesn’t that sound exhausting to have to read label after label, wondering if what you’re using is safe?! Thankfully you have help.

THE SOLUTION

1. Download the EWG Healthy Living app (Environmental Working Group). I discovered it when I began ditching and switching in my home. Its a handy tool that helps you shop clean. It rates a product based on it's ingredients. For example, if you search for Dawn Dish soap, a picture of the bright blue bottle will come up with a "high concern" rating for hazards to health or the environment. However, it doesn't just leave it at that. The app also rates each of the ingredients. It was tremendously helpful to me when I began reading labels and researching products.

https://www.ewg.org/healthyhomeguide/

2. If looking up every product seems inconvenient and too time consuming, consider the easy button of ditching and switching with Young Living. You won’t find ANY of the above listed ingredients in their products, especially in the Thieves line. You can trust that what you’re purchasing is truly a SAFE product for your home. Young Living never uses any artificial dyes, harsh chemicals, or synthetic fragrances.

The best part… it all comes directly to your door. Easy peasy!

From the kitchen to the bathroom and every room in between. Products that meet a strict seed to seal standard that don’t compromise your health and the health of your dog.

Thieves Household Cleaner

There are many products in the Thieves line, and I DO want to share all of them with you. However, I also don't want to overwhelm you if this is new to you, so I've broken this post into two. You are reading part one. Part two will introduce you to many more easy button products YL has to help you ditch and switch without the hard work of reading every. single. label.

Thieves Household Cleaner is a great place to start because it is by far the most beloved product of the Thieves family. It’s a member's favorite thanks to its comforting smell, crazy versatility, and excellent cost effectiveness!

So what makes it so special? Thieves Household Cleaner is a plant-based, ultra-concentrated cleaner that can be used on every surface of your home… bathrooms, kitchens, cabinets, counters, floors, furniture, toys, carpets, mirrors, glass, wood, walls, and more! If you’re a little unsure about using it on something, test it in an inconspicuous area. I have personally never had an issue using it on anything. It’s the only cleaner I use. AND it’s safe to use around your dogs- and kids, too! It’s created with naturally occurring surfactants derived from coconut and sugars, so you get a powerful clean without harmful, abrasive chemicals. It’s even septic safe!

Remember I said it was ultra-concentrated? Well all you have to do is add ONE capful to every 2 cups of water and you’ve got an all-purpose cleaner. If you purchase the 14.4 oz. bottle of Thieves Household Cleaner you will get a little over 28 bottles of all-purpose cleaner with that dilution ratio. At the wholesale price, that makes each bottle around $0.84 a piece. If you purchase the larger 64 oz. bottle you will get around 128 bottles of all-purpose cleaner, which makes them around $0.71 a piece. Most people grab a glass spray bottle to use and a cute label from Etsy, just for fun, but you can use a plastic spray bottle if you’d like. If you choose to add in additional oils, especially citrus oils, I would suggest grabbing a glass one. Amazon sells them at a great price; so do some other online supply stores. The less you dilute it the more de-greasing power it will have. I have even added a little splash to my dishwasher and my washing machine to kick up the cleaning power. (Let me know if you want my laundry stain stick recipe.)