Spring Cleaning

By Romaine Connell

Six natural ways to clean your home and why it’s important.

Endocrine system disruptors are chemicals, additives and pollutants in our cleaners, personal care products, and environments that can contribute to a whole host of issues in the body by interfering with the body’s hormones, and I’m not just talking about female hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body coordinating complex processes like growth, metabolism, and fertility. They can influence the function of the immune system, and even alter behaviour and mood.  



Here are six simple & effective ways to clean your home without exposing you or your family to added chemical exposures:

  1. Use a vinegar & water solution to clean most surfaces effectively. Vinegar has so many uses and cleaning is one of them. Make a multipurpose spray with vinegar and water to take care of most of the jobs in your home. Add some essential oils to your spray to soften the vinegar smell. Vinegar is an amazing deodorizer too. 

  2. For natural stone materials and wooden floors, vinegar can be too acidic.  Choose an all natural cleaner made with Vodka to do the trick!  Yes… I said vodka. Our Shine On is a wonderful all-purpose natural cleaner.

  3. An organic liquid soap, known as a Castile Soap, made traditionally from olive oil but can be made from other oils as well, can clean and wash just about anything in your home, from dishes, to floors, to your face, your hair, and your pets!

  4. Baking soda is a polisher’s dream. Make a paste by adding some water to baking soda and use a toothbrush to help clean grout lines, stainless steel stove tops, ovens, toilets, showers and faucets. For tougher jobs, let the paste sit longer before rinsing away.

  5. Use half a lemon in the kitchen to degrease commonly used areas like cutting boards, sinks, taps, and bbq grills. Put a used lemon in the garburator to freshen the drain.

  6. Laundry is a big one! Petroleum based and heavily fragranced, commercial laundry detergents and fabric softeners are toxic! Clean your clothes with an all natural laundry soap for pennies a load. Use wool dryer balls to help with static and drying time. You can add a few drops of essential oils to wool dryer balls to add a lovely scent.  Lemongrass for stinky hockey equipment or lavender for bed sheets for example!

A few simple changes will go a long way to help ‘clean-up’ your home in more ways than one.  Happy spring cleaning! See more laundry and cleaning products here.