The cleaning products we bring into our homes can contribute to poor indoor air quality and can expose us and our families to unnecessary chemicals that can contribute to chronic health issues.

One of the easiest ways to start reducing exposures to harmful chemicals in the home is by swapping out your conventional household cleaners for brands that use safer, healthier ingredients.

Safer Cleaning Product Guidelines

When shopping for household cleaners of any kind, follow these guidelines to ensure you’re choosing safer:

● Shop for cleaning products at a natural foods store. While this is not a guarantee that they are totally safe and non-toxic, they will very likely be better than conventional cleaning products.● Rather than trying to memorize a long list of ingredients, focus on avoiding products containing the following ingredients.● Choose brands that have a full commitment to safer, non-toxic products, and avoid the “green” versions from mainstream brands. 

what to avoid-

○ Fragrance - a protected formula of undisclosed chemicals, often containing phthalates which are known hormone disruptors.○ Triclosan - an antibacterial ingredient linked to hormone disruption, particularly of the thyroid.○ Glycol Ethers - a class of solvents commonly used in household cleaners.○ Ethoxylated ingredients - Chemicals with names ending in -eth, like laureth, ceteareth, Steareth-2, and any ingredients starting with PEG, as these may be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane.○ Methylisothiazolinone - a powerful biocide that is linked to nerve damage.○ Bleach - extremely caustic respiratory irritant.   

Better Brands Of Household Cleaners

There is a lot of greenwashing in the cleaner industry; brands that market themselves as green and non-toxic, but are not. Stick to companies that have a mission of offering safer, healthier products.Branch BasicsMama SudsEcoMeMelioraMolly’s SudsGreenshield OrganicsAttitudePure NaturalBetter Life (some products in their line contain methylisothiazolinone - skip these)Bon AmiForce of Nature  use code: SUMMER25OFF until 7/1/21 Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them, and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.