Ditch & Switch Cleaning Makeover
Last week I went to my friend Andi’s to ‘makeover’ her cleaning supplies! Basically took out everything she was using, checked the ingredients on EWG.org and then ditched everything with unsafe ingredients! I then helped her to make everything she needed to replace what we ditched.
Here are a few things she learned:
1) You don’t need a dozen products to clean your home. Cleaning product companies market to us and make us believe we need different things to clean the stove, sink, bathroom, etc. but that is not the case. When you use plant based and natural products, you realize how versatile they are.
2) Watch for the word ‘fragrance’ on labels. Yes, there are dozens of chemicals to look out for in cleaning products. You can read about them here. Many are banned in other countries. We also found her toilet bowl cleaner she was using cannot be disposed of in a regular garbage, she would need to arrange for special disposal. But if you’re just starting out, just ditching ‘fragrance’ will help you to make changes and an impact quickly.
3) It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There were some items she had that didn’t have a terrible rating and she is going to use those up first, then change when they are out. For example, her laundry soap from Whole Foods was free of many unsafe ingredients like dyes, parabens, and phthalates, but did contain fragrance. She’s going to use it up and then switch to Thieves laundry soap. She also had some unopened items and just decided to return those.
And now, let’s look at what we made! She ditched all this!
Ditch and Switch is easier than you think!
I showed her how to replace all these items with low tox options! She actually realized she didn’t use a lot of these things anyways and they were just taking up space under the sink!
1) Soft Scrub: Traditional soft scrub rates an F on the EWG website with concern for endocrine disruption and allergy and asthma aggravation. Make this instead.
1 cup baking soda or Bon Ami cleaner
Slowly add Thieves Household cleaner until it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes.
You can also add 10 drops essential oils like lemon, grapefruit, or pine.
Store in an airtight container and use as you would soft scrub. Great for cleaning grout, sinks, bath tub, dishes, or oven.
2) Dryer ball spray: Dryer sheets are one of the most toxic items in homes. They rate a D on EWG with concern for allergies and skin irritations. Use wool dryer balls instead. You can get them here. We like to make a spray for them to freshen the laundry.
4 oz bottle
40 drops essential oil, try lavender, lemongrass, or Christmas spirit
Fill half way with white distilled vinegar. This helps curb static.
Fill the rest with water.
Shake before each use. You can spray right on the wool balls before drying. I use about 20 sprays per load.
3) Scent booster for laundry: Traditional scent beads are made to bind to clothing. They are then touching our bodies 24/7 and can disrupt hormones and aggravate allergies. Make this easy scent booster instead. The washing powder also helps to eliminate odors instead of covering them up with artificial fragrance.
In a 20 oz jar, fill half with Arm and Hammer washing powder (you can get this on Amazon or the grocery).
Fill the rest with baking soda. (Leave a little room at the top because you’re going to shake it up.)
Add 30-40 drops clear essential oil of your choice. I like lavender or lemongrass.
Shake it up!
Add 1/4 cup to each load of laundry with laundry soap.
4) Thieves cleaner: This is your all purpose cleaner. It can replace glass cleaner, shower cleaner, counter cleaner, bathroom cleaner, stain spray, and so much more. You can walk around the house and clean everything with this! No need for a dozen different plastic bottles. One glass bottle that you refill over and over saves on waste too!
In a 16 oz bottle, add 1 cap of Thieves Household Cleaner.
Top with water.
Optional: add 20 drops essential oil of your choice. I use Christmas Spirit in the cooler months and Luscious Lemon when it’s warm out.
5) Foaming hand soap:
Foaming hand soap container. Buy them here.
1/4 cup Castile soap.
30-40 drops essential oil of your choice. I like these combos: lemon/rosemary, Christmas Spirit/orange, lime/peppermint
Add 1-2 pumps Vitamin E oil
Top with water and swirl to combine
6) Stain spray:
4 oz spray bottle
Fill half way with Thieve dish soap.
Add 10 drops lemon essential oil
1 T thieves cleaner
Fill the rest with water
Shake before each use and use to replace your stain spray/stick.
This is the after!
So much less plastic and waste! We used a label maker to mark everything!
Are you interested in Ditching and Switching in your own home? I’d love to help you! I offer this service in person or via Zoom. You can email me here and we can chat about your needs! This is the bundle I recommend! Has everything you need to make the switch! Click the photo to learn more!
Have you made changes to your cleaning routine? Tell me about it in the comments!
XO
Sarah