I love to clean. I am not talking about the chores like putting away laundry or putting dishes away. What strikes my fancy is getting things clean! Speaking of fancy, that is another thing that I love–being fancy! I am the kind of woman who is known to sometimes clean her house in high heels (hey, you have to have something on your feet when you mop the floor!) Dirty houses are not fancy, but come to think of it, cleaning products that feature pictures of bald, earring wearing men are not that fancy. And neither is an extreme chemical smell that makes me feel as though I am in a Hollywood back lot’s version of a “Pine Forest”.

Here is a question for you: Does what you use to clean your home matter? Is there really a difference in using the more well-known, popular, chemical based cleaners than using the ‘green’ counterparts?

If the health of you and your family, your pets and the safety of the environment matter to you, then yes…yes, it does!

I feel that it’s always best to give out the bad news first…so here we go:

What are the hazards of using chemical products?

Studies have now found that women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate than women who work outside of the home. This means the exposure to toxic chemicals is taking it’s toll, mainly via cancer. Bleach has been linked to causing breast cancer. Along with cancer, (which not only effects the women of the household, but the men, children, and even pets)other chemical induced side-effects include immune system problems, allergies, asthma, lung disease, learning disabilities, and birth defects. This is a heavy price to pay for having blind faith in the larger cleaning product companies we have relied on for many years.

We breathe in what we clean with. We walk on cleaned surfaces such as freshly mopped floors and shampooed carpets, our children play on floors and tables and countertops, and our pets sleep on floors, lick their paws after walking around on chemically cleaned floors, and even eat off of the floor. Scary Stuff! The chemicals in household cleaners are three times more carcinogenic than the air outside! This means using these cleaners for your home environment and breathing in the air from your home is more dangerous than walking around outside in a polluted city.

So what is a woman to do? Switch the products you use to natural ones! No more bleach products and other toxic chemicals you find in the standard cleaning aisle. Also be on alert to ‘Green” products. Many people use this product thinking it is a ‘green’ product, and that it is all natural and safe. Not so. Some ‘green’ products  are classified as ‘non-toxic’ and if swallowed, classified as ‘essentially non-toxic’ however that does not mean it’s good for you or the environment. The key ingredient in one top selling ‘green’ product is a gem called Butyl Cellusolve, which has been deemed TOXIC by the Federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Not so simple or green.

• Here are some safe products:
• Arm & Hammer
• Borax
• Seventh Generation,
• BioKleen
• Mrs. Meyers
• Method
• Earth Friendly Products.

In the 1990’s, when natural products were still seen as something a tad foreign, intimidating, over priced, and even a bit ‘granola’ for some. Today these products are affordable(most come in concentrated form in addition to the daily use sizes, and you can have months worth of use!) very attractively packaged(ok, maybe not Borax or Arm & Hammer) and come in gorgeous scents, with none of the scary health risks. (As with any cleaning product, however, one still needs to take care to keep these products out of reach of children and pets, thank you)

I personally take great thrill in having a pure orange scented floor, lavender or lime carpets, geranium and rose infused bathrooms, and whatever strikes my fancy for laundry at the time!

If you feel creative, you can even  make your own products! A little bit of Arm & Hammer and some Essential Oils go a long way! If you purchase Arm & Hammer Laundry Powder, mix in some Borax and add essential oils ( I use Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and Lavender) you have your own dynamite laundry soap! Some lemon essential oil and Baking Soda and you have surface scrub, Vinegar is said to be amazing on glass, although I personally do not use it as the smell does nothing for me! Many recipes can be found online, just do a search and find what appeals to you!

Rachel Rose Saunders

Rachel Rose Saunders is the owner of Posh Bijou, a company that creates and retails luxury products for bath and home and a fitness coach for Beach Body.  Saunders believes a sense of humor and a sense of style can get you through life and her writings will demonstrate this belief. With a background in Aromatherapy and Herbology, a passion in gardening and educating on healthy alternatives to chemicals, Saunders’ articles will focus on yoga and herbs and how they can naturally fit into our daily lives. She will also focus on birth choices and is the Birth Story Editor for Domesticating in High Heels. Saunders lives with her husband , James and their two children: Eden-Violet and Fox.