I went to a home improvement store this weekend. My husband and I are working on updating a closet and it was time to purchase some organizational pieces to complete the project.
As I walked into the store, I was struck with the high volume of cleaning products diplayed. 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, but that's not the point. The point is, there must have been hundreds of the same cleaners stacked high waiting to be purchased.
And that made me sad.
I know when choosing products to use in our homes, it seems easiest to just grab whatever items are available at the local stores. However, those products may not be the safest. Sadly many of them - even the “green” ones - contain ingredients you do NOT want in your house or anywhere near your family!
Now, I didn't stop to take a closer look a 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.
Many common household cleaning products can lead to health problems like eye and throat irritation, headaches, respiratory issues, allergic reactions, worsened asthma, and possibly even cancer.
I know it feels like you should be able to trust the products you find at the store, but unfortuntely, you can't.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health studied 2,983 ingredients in our products at home and found 884 of them were toxic. Does that concern you? It does me!
Some of the most dangerous chemcials in your home are lurking in:
- air fresheners
- cleaning supplies for counters
- floor cleaner
- toilets and drain cleaners
- oven cleaners
- furniture polish
- dish soap
- laundry detergent
- dryer sheets
- body care products
So why should it matter? Sure, your body was created with the ability to detox, but your liver can't keep up when it's being chemcially overloaded day in and day out. It may show up as disease or more subtle symptoms such as lethargy, inability to focus, sleep trouble, chronic infammation, unexplained pain, skin issues, unbalanced hormones, stress, etc...no matter how, eventually the toxic burden does catch up with you.
So, what can you do?
Read labels and avoid these ingredients:
- 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.
HERE'S WHAT I RECOMMEND YOU DO:
1. Download an app called Think Dirty. 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 use Dawn dish soap, go get it and scan the barcode. A picture of the bright blue bottle will come up with a rating of 8. However, it doesn't just leave it at that. The app rates each ingredient and explains it's possible health impact. A rating of 0-3 is green and considered clean, 4-6 is yellow and labeled half/half, and 7-10 is red and called dirty. You'll want to aim to find as many green products as possible and avoid those in the red.
Go ahead. Try it out. Heres a link. I get no benefit from suggesting it to you other than the pleasure of sharing a resource I find to be tremendously helpful when I'm researching a new product. https://thinkdirtyapp.com/
2. Or, if that 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. Young Living never uses any artificial dyes, harsh chemicals, or synthetic fragrances. How wonderful is that?!
And the best part… it all comes directly to your door. Easy peasy!
From the kitchen to the bathroom and every room in between, you can find products that meet a strict seed to seal standard that will not compromise your health.
Why Thieves?
All the products within the Thieves line contain the proprietary Young Living essential blend called Thieves which is a sweet and spicy combination of Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, Rosemary, and Lemon essential oils. The name ‘Thieves’ was inspired by the legend of four 15th-century French thieves who formulated and wore a special aromatic combination of clove, rosemary, vinegar, and other botanicals that they believed provided protection while they were stealing. The story goes on to say that when the thieves were caught they were offered a lesser punishment if they would divulge to the king the secret to their immunity, despite being exposed to a highly infectious, deadly disease. Pretty interesting, huh??
Why Young Living?
Thankfully, Young Living has taken this incredible cleansing blend and created an entire line of amazing household and personal care products for you! They are all backed by Young Living’s Seed to Seal quality commitment as well. You can rest assured that you’re getting a quality product made with the highest quality essentials oils and other naturally-derived ingredients.
Check out some of the strict guidelines they abide by to fulfill their promise in sending only the best products to your home.
- plant material that is grown on corporately-owned farms or carefully vetted partner farms (that you CAN visit!)
- sustainable farming and sourcing practices, providing the purest oil
- great care taken to preserve and protect natural resources
- hand-weeded fields and ZERO use of pesticides
- oils that retain all their natural constituents and therapeutic properties
- use of food-grade distillers with state-of-the-art design and distillation methods
- low pressure and low temperature distillation, without the use of solvents or synthetic chemicals
- rigorous testing on each batch by internal labs and third-party facilities
- oils that are carefully reviewed through every step of production in order to meet or exceed industry safety and purity standards (beyond organic!)
And the best part… if the oils (and all their products) do not meet these high standards they are rejected and will not be bottled as a Young Living product. Check out more info on their Seed to Seal promise at www.seedtoseal.com.
Thieves Household Cleaner
Now, 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 with all the the things if becoming aware of the toxic products in your home
is new to you.
So, I've broken this post into two parts. This is part one. Part two will introduce you to many more easy
button products YL has to help you ditch and switch with out 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 virtually 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, go ahead and 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 pets 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! How incredible is that? 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.
Are you convinced yet?
Ready to give Thieves a try?
I thought you would be! I put together a bundle to get you started. Go Hereto order your very own Thieves cleaning products. It has the basics of the household cleaner, kitchen scrub, dishwasher soap, dish soap and hand soap. Ditching the harsh chemical cleaners and switching to a plant based, sweet and spicy, smell from the bottle, all purpose cleaners has never been more fun! Cleaning and fun may seem like an oxymoron, but seeing the results of Thieves Household Cleaner and enjoying a smell that doesn't give you a headache makes it possible!
Wait… there’s more! A clean living makeover is possible and easy in every area of your home with Thieves! Keep reading and then make the switch.
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