Spring Cleaning – General Tips

I used to think that a strong chemical smell was equivalent to clean. Unless I could smell the bleach, the Lysol and the Pinesol, it wasn’t “clean”. However, that is NOT true. These cleaners contain fumes that are actually toxic synthetic chemicals. These chemicals are the “scents” that we have associated with “clean”. But for hours or days afterwards, after I would clean, I wouldn’t feel well. These cleansers were irritants to my lungs and brain. A few years ago, I threw them all out. I encourage you to do the same.
Have you ever felt ill after inhaling too much bleach? Do you feel that tickle in your throat when you clean with it? Imagine if you could get your countertops just as clean and “disinfected” with natural products that wouldn’t make your nose burn.

Bleach is as much of a toxin as it is a cleaner. Here are some of the hazards:

Respiratory issues
Skin burns
Damage to nervous system
Exacerbates Asthma
Headaches
Vomiting
Accidents that cause the skin to come into direct contact with bleach or people ingesting it (as many as 700 adults per year)
Linked to cancer

All those fumes get trapped inside your home or office and lead to indoor air pollution problems now and down the road. COPD (congestive obstructive pulmonary disease) and lung cancer are rampant now.

Instead, I now choose cleansers that I can make at home inexpensively or I buy non-toxic cleaners like Method or Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day .  I love Method Grapefruit spray- it smells scrumptious! You can buy it anywhere now, even at Target, your grocery store or online. A great store-bought scouring powder is Barkeeper’s Friend. But plain baking soda works great! It’s inexpensive and is not harsh. Avoid window cleaners with ammonia too, like Windex. You can use window cleaning solutions made by the companies mentioned or use the special recipes that I will post on Thursday.