Are you ready to clean healthier?  If you’re in full spring-cleaning mode, you’ll find some great tips here for some simple recipes for healthy household cleaners to aid you in getting the job done.  This is a great time of year – out with the old, in with the new.

Tidying up your home and your life can breathe such a breath of fresh air into your life.  One important aspect of cleaning is the household cleaners you use. Are your cleaners healthy?  And how does one locate healthier versions?

Certain chemical-laden household cleaners can make it hard for us to breathe, cause our eyes to water or even lead to health concerns we certainly want to bypass.  These damaging chemicals are found in everything from your fabric softener that gets clothes feeling snuggly to your soap-scum remover and everything in between.

The smell-good factor is what causes a lot of the problem.  Chemical cleaner manufacturers want us to feel like our homes are fresh like lemons, but those cleaners are still loaded with chemical agents we release into our homes with every scrubbing.  Go look at your cleaning products and read the ingredients. Do you see DEA or TEA?  These ingredients, among many others, are carcinogenic and should be avoided.

What you should look for instead to clean healthier

If you must buy cleaners to clean your home, be sure to examine the labels.  If a label says, “danger,” “caution” or “warning” on it, it’s best to keep walking. Choosing non-toxic cleaners is always best for your home and your health.

Another great option is to go with plant-based formulations over petroleum-based.  Don’t fall for words like “natural” or “eco-friendly” though.  You should keep reading the packaging to be sure those claims are legitimate.  If a packaging claim contains “solvent-free,” “no phosphates” or “no petroleum-based ingredients” on the packaging, it’s a much safer and greener choice.

Clean Even Better

If that sounds overly complex, well it can be!  You can simplify cleaning by making your own chemical-free cleaners that are environmentally friendly and safe to use with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen right now.  You just need BPA-free containers to store them, and you’re all set.

Baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar are some of the common cleaners you can use in your home for a glistening, grease-free clean without causing damage to your health and the environment.

Here are a few to try:

All Purpose Cleaner

Mix one-part white vinegar with one-part water and a lemon rind.  Shake it all together in a spray bottle and allow this mixture to fuse together for a week first.  This one is great for getting stubborn stains off surfaces.

Kitchen Cleaner

Take grease out of your way by mixing 4 tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water.  If you hate cleaning that fridge out, this one makes it easy and takes all smells away.

Super Scrub

Stubborn rust stains can be removed by simply cutting a lemon in half and dipping it into borax powder.  Use the lemon to scrub, dipping it into the borax as needed.  This is great for all surfaces except granite and marble.

By using safe cleaners in your home, you’ll have a fresher spring-cleaned home you’ll genuinely enjoy without any dangerous toxins lingering behind!

If you have any formulas you’ve created to clean healthier in your home that you’d like to share with us, please do so below.  It’s time to spritz and shine and to let in as much fresh air as we can.  Why not comment below and share your thoughts with all of us.  We’d love to hear from you.