How Toxic Are Cleaning Products? And How to Make Your Own (16 DIY Recipes!)
Our homes are supposed to be a safe haven, the place that you’re able to relax and let your guard down a little. The funny thing is though that when you become a parent and bring that precious little being home for the very first time, you are acutely aware of all of the hazards in every room. You second guess your every move and begin doing funny things like reading the backs of bottles for the ingredients. But do you even know what you’re even looking for? Do you know which ingredients are “no-no’s” and which are “OK”? I sure didn’t, that’s when the panic ensued and the research began.
Our skin is the very largest organ of the body and yet we often don’t treat it as such. One out of every thirteen women and one out of every twenty-three men are exposed to known carcinogens (cancer causing toxins) every day. If that number sounds insanely high, that’s because it is! According to the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot mandate that cleaning companies prove that all the ingredients are safe unless they have reason to believe that they are in fact unsafe.
That means that our cleaning products are “safe until proven toxic”.
Not only that but these toxins are actually silently affecting more areas of our lives than we think. Issues stemming from this toxicity have now expanded to infertility, stunted development, asthma and cancer. Our fertility rates are at an all time low within the last 20 years due to synthetic chemicals that disrupt our endocrine system by mimicking our reproductive hormones.
To avoid bringing all that Ick into your home, I highly suggest downloading the Think Dirty App. In this app you can search up or scan the barcode of an item: household, hygiene, makeup etc. The result will give you a breakdown of that item into categories of good, bad and ugly. It will also tell you all the names every chemical noted is allowed to be listed under, what it is commonly used for, the health implications and the sources of research. That is an incredible first step in the right direction.
When my daughter was born we used Johnson & Johnson Lavender Bedtime lotion on her every night. We thought it was soothing and it smelled so good! And of course we thought it was safe because who on earth would make products for babies that aren’t safe? Recently Johnson & Johnson had to pay $110.5 million settlement because their baby powder causes ovarian cancer. When you search the lotion I mentioned earlier in the Think Dirty app, you will see it receives a red score of 8. This is a terrible score and here are just a few reason why;
+Ammonium Sulfate Lauryl is a fragrance that is a known carcinogen
+Methylparaben is a preservative that mimics estrogen and is a hormone/ endocrine disruptor
+Propylparaben is a preservative and fragrance that builds up to cause breast cancer
+Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic antimicrobial that depresses the nervous system
+Ceteareth is a know to be contaminated with a carcinogen
+Ethylparaben is a fragrance and preservative that causes irritation to skin, eyes and mouth
And this is where the major panicking began. We began to reevaluate all areas of our home and the cleaning supplies came next! The underside of most peoples bathroom and kitchen sinks are often an explosion of cleaning products.
+Toilet bowl scrub
+Grout cleaner
+Soap scum remover
+Window and Mirror cleaner
+Stainless steel cleaner
+Hardwood floor cleaner
+Surface cleaner
+Dish Soap
+Dishwasher detergent
+Laundry detergent
The list goes on! But as you begin to pursue a low waste lifestyle, you become addicted to living minimally. Not only are these many cleaning products bulky to store but many cleaners contain ingredients that are horrible for your health. Here are several chemicals that are in most household cleaners that you should avoid and why;
Diethylene Glycol - a solvent banned in Canada
Ethanolamine - Break down nitrogen to form carcinogens
Sodium Borate- banned in Canada. respiratory / skin irritation, possibly damaging to fertility
Ammonium Sulfate Lauryl is a fragrance that is a known carcinogen
Sodium hypochlorite is an oxidizing agent that is known to cause skin and respiratory irritation as well as organ system toxicity
Methylisothiazolinone antimicrobial that causes major irritation to eyes and skin
Ethanolamine - Break down nitrogen to form carcinogens
Ammonium Sulfate Lauryl is a fragrance that is a known carcinogen
Sodium hypochlorite is an oxidizing agent that is known to cause skin and respiratory irritation as well as organ system toxicity
Ethanolamine - Break down nitrogen to form carcinogens
Laureth is a surfactant which is a possible carcinogen
That’s a lot of crazy to be on the lookout for so it might be helpful to have alternatives that are low waste, toxin free and totally safe for every member of your family. This way you can get your kiddos involved in the cleaning as well! Interestingly enough, when you begin to cut waste out of your routine, the toxins often go with and often you begin saving money to boot! So when seeking to become a zero waste, toxin free home, you really only need about 5 items;
+Baking Soda - excellent for scrubbing, deodorizing and oxidation when combined with vinegar.
+Vinegar - good deoderizer, cleaner and oxidation when combined with baking soda.
+Castile or Savon De Marseille soap - castille soap comes in both bar and liquid form. Savon de marseille only comes in bar form. Both of these are great bases for cleaning products and can even be used on their own.
+Essential Oils - If you are planning to begin or want to add to your zero waste-toxin free lifestyle, essential oils are the next thing you need to invest in. They are essentially the lifeblood of the plant that helps to protect it from disease. Because they function within the plant similarly to our blood within our own bodies, they can work alongside our bodies natural systems to support them. Not only that but they can be used for very effective cleaning. The effects are truly incredible! I refuse to use the store bought essential oils because they only have to have a 5% concentration to be labeled “pure” which means you aren’t getting quality and it will be full of synthetic fillers that can cause more harm than good. I choose to use Young Living for a few reasons;
They farm all of their crops sustainably
They have what is called a “seed to seal promise” which means that they own all of their processing from the time the seed is planted till the product is placed in your hand.
They have an open door policy which means that you can visit their farms or distilleries at any time. You can see the way they farm and how they create the finished product. Nothing is hidden which means no shadiness!
They are already incredibly low waste and their goal is to go waste free by 2025. All of their products are sold without dilution which means you get the most bang for your buck.
Oh and they give you money back on each order, so they are super budget friendly.
They have starter kits of 12 of their most versatile oils. If you’d like to grab one, do so here and you’ll get 24% off for life on all their eco- friendly products!
+Young Living Thieves Multi Surface Cleaner Concentrate - Young Living is a health and wellness company that is incredibly low waste and sells all their products in concentrated form to cut down on waste. All of their products are plant based, vegan and free of chemicals. The Young Living Thieves Multipurpose cleaner comes in a 32 oz bottle of concentrate. One capful makes an entire 16oz bottle of household cleaner that you can use on;
+fabric
+glass
+mirrors
+wood
+walls
+tile
+granite
+carpet
As a busy mama, I prefer to use this cleaner as my base for most cleaning because it's easy, affordable, effective and safe.
Tools
There are many amazing zero waste and biodegradable options for cleaning tools. I make a biodegradable and compostable sponges in my shop as well as cleaning cloths. The best rule of thumb when gathering your tools is to use ones made with materials that are compostable, recyclable and biodegradable such as plant materials, wood, fabric and metal. All cleaning tools eventually need to be replaced but when you choose and eco friendly option, you ensure that the item will return to the earth. Choosing a plastic option may be cheaper but most plastics are not biodegradable and are filled with synthetic chemicals that are damaging you and the environment.
Here are some of my favorite cleaning tools;
+wooden scrub brush
+metal scouring pad
*Once again, I’d like to reiterate that the only reason I am mentioning a specific brand (Young Living) in this article is because their products are low waste, toxin free and already made up. So for those of you who are looking for convenience, this is it. They have an entire cleaning line ready to go. You can buy any of their products retail but you are kinda cheating yourself if you do. When you purchase a starter kit and become a member you get:
+24% Off for life
+additional percentages of as the months go on
+additional freebies on qualifying orders
+access to their Essential Rewards program which is a monthly subscription box that you customize with items you’d like to bring into your home that are toxin free. This way you can of your ditch and switches gradually each month.
What becoming a member DOESN’T mean;
+annual fees
+obligation to sell
+obligation to hold inventory
+meet quotas
Really and truly the only reason I am telling you about this brand is that they are doing so many things right and it’s all so convenient. All of their products are toxin free and very low waste and they plan to go ZERO waste by 2025! So if you’d like to become a member and begin making monthly ditch and switches, you can begin here. If that’s really not your thing, you can order retail value here. But once again, becoming a member holds no obligations and will give you the best bang for your buck. I can tell you that as a single income household, we’ve actually saved so much money by getting all of our toxin free household/wellness products through them in the monthly Essential Rewards box!
SURFACE CLEANER
Option 1
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
Option 2 (lysol wipes replacement)
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves, Tea Tree or Pine)
+Fill a mason jar (about 24oz) ½ way up with water
+add in 20 cloth wipes
Now you have toxin free, zero waste cleaning wipes!
Option 3 castille watered down
+1 Tablespoon of Castile soap or Savon De Marsielle*
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves, Tea Tree or Pine)
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
*if using a bar of castile or savon de marsielle, simply grate the soap and mix slowly with a bit of hot water till dissolved
Option 4 citrus infused vinegar
+Add the peels of lemons, limes and/or oranges to a large mason jar
+Pour vinegar over it and let sit in a dark room for 4 weeks
+strain away the peels and then add to a class spray bottle
I’ve tried all 4 of these and I have to say that I prefer the first two options the best in terms of being zero waste and effectiveness. While I enjoyed putting the many citrus peels we go through to use, I found that it left streaks or a residue to the surfaces and never seemed to get it quite clean enough. SO I’ve decided that the first two options are the best fit for our home and to compost our many citrus peels.
SHOWER CLEANER
Each of these can be stored in a glass spray bottle, jar or even a dish wand
Option 1
+5 squirts of pre-diluted Thieves dish soap
+2 oz vinegar
+1 Tablespoon washing soda
+1 Cap thieves cleaner
+3 drops Tea tree essential oil per oz container
Option 2
+1 tablespoon castile soap
+2 oz vinegar
+1 Tablespoon washing soda
+3 drops Tea tree essential oil per oz container
Option 3
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
FABRIC/UPHOLSTERY REFRESHER
(not to be used on leather)
Option 1
+1 cup Baking soda
+5-10 drops essential oil of choice
+combine
+sprinkle over area of concern and let 2-4 hours or over night
+vacuum up after
Option 2
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
+spray on area of concern
TOILET CLEANER
Option 1 (Toilet tabs)
+1 Tablespoon of Castile soap or Savon De Marsielle*
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves, Tea Tree or Pine)
+2.5 cups baking soda
+1 cup citric acid
+splash of water
+combine and scoop into an ice cube tray to let try for 4 hours
+pop out of tray and into storage container
+add one tab to toilet bowl and scrub
*if using a bar of castile or savon de marsielle, simply grate the soap and mix slowly with a bit of hot water till dissolved
Option 2 (toilet tabs 2)
+2 cups baking soda
+1 cup citric acid
+1 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
+3-5 Tablespoons of water
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves, Tea Tree or Pine)
+combine and scoop into an ice cube tray to let try for 4 hours
+pop out of tray and into storage container
+add one tab to toilet bowl and spray with vinegar or Thieves multipurpose spray
+scrub
Option 3
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
SOFT SCRUB
Option 1
+1 cup Baking soda
+10 drops Citrus essential oil oils
+mix
+sprinkle over area
+vacuum it up
Option 2
+1 cup Baking soda
+10 drops Citrus essential oil oils
+1 cap of Thieves cleaner concentrate
+mix
+Sprinkle over area
+spray with vinegar
+scrub and rinse
GLASS & MIRROR CLEANER
Option 1
+2 pumps of pre-diluted Thieves Dish soap
+1 cap of Thieves cleaner concentrate
+Fill the rest of a 16 oz glass spray bottle with water
Option 2
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
Option 3
+2 pumps of pre-diluted Thieves Dish soap
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER
Option 1
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
HARDWOOD CLEANER
Option 1
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
Option 2
+1 Tablespoon Vinegar
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
*add 2 tablespoons fractionated (liquid coconut oil) or olive oil for shine
Dish Soap
Option 1
+¼ bottle of Thieves dish soap concentrate
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine)
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass container with water
+mix and use
Option 2 Castille
+¼ cup Castile soap
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass container with water
+mix and use
Option 3
+Savon De Marsaille bar
+rub wet dish brush or sponge over bar of soap and scrub dishes
My favorite currently is option 2 for its effectiveness and the fact that I can make 1 bottle of concentrate stretch so far. But in terms of zero waste, the Savon de Marseille is a winner.
DISHWASHER
Option 1 (tabs)
+1 cup Baking soda
+¼ cup citric acid
+10 drops Citrus essential oil oils
+1 cap of Thieves cleaner concentrate
+mix
+add to ice cube tray
+let sit for 4 hours
+pop into storage container
+use one per load
*can add vinegar as a rinse aid
Option 2
(tabs)
+1 cup Baking soda
+¼ cup citric acid
+½ cup of Salt
+10 drops Citrus essential oil oils
+1-2 caps of Thieves cleaner concentrate
+mix
+add to ice cube tray
+let sit for 24 hours
+pop into storage container
+use one per load
*can add vinegar as a rinse aid
Option 3
+4.5 cups of Baking soda
+1 cup Citric Acid
+1 cup Salt
+10 drops Citrus essential oil
+combine and store till ready for use
+1 Tablespoon per load
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Option 1
+⅙ container of Thieves Laundry soap concentrate
+20 drops favorite essential oil
+1 cap of Thieves cleaner concentrate
+top 32 oz container off with water
Option 2
+1 cup of liquid Castile soap
+1 cup of Baking soda
+30 drops of favorite essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine)
+Fill rest of the container with warm water
+Mix
+use ¼ cup per load
Option 3
+grate 1 cup of Savon De Marsaille
+½ cup Baking soda
+30 drops of favorite essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine)
+Fill rest of the container with warm water
+Mix
+use ¼ cup per load
Option 4
+4-6 soap nuts in a cotton bag
+toss in the laundry and wash as normal
+replace in 7-10 washes
GOO GONE
Option 1 (paper labels)
+soak label in a soaking wet cloth and let sit for an hour
+peel label away
+scrub clean
Option 2 (paper labels)
+submerge fully in water and soak for an hour
+peel label away
+scrub clean
Option 3 (paper labels)
+drop several drops of Citrus essential oil onto label and let it saturate
+let sit 5 min
+peel label away
+scrub clean
Option 4
+peel label off
+drop several drops of Citrus essential oil onto sticky areas
+let sit 5 min
+wipe away
Citrus Essential Oils
MAKEUP BRUSH CLEANER
Option 1
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+½ cup water
+soak for 10-20 minutes
+rinse and let dry
Option 2
+½ cup of witch hazel
+3 teaspoons of castile soap
+1 teaspoon of coconut oil
+5 drops of your favorite essential oil
+1 cup of water
+ soak for 10-20 min
+rinse and let dry
HAND SANITIZER
Option 1 (liquid)
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 8oz glass Spray bottle with water
Option 2 (gel)
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+1 Tablespoon of vitamin E oil
+fill half the container with Aloe Vera gel (uncolored)
+Fill the rest with water and mix
JEWELRY CLEANER
Option 1
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+½ cup water
+soak for 10-20 minutes
+take out and dry
Option 2
+1 Tablespoon of Salt
+1 Tablespoon of Baking soda
+1 Tablespoon of pre-diluted Thieves Dish soap
+1 cup of Hot water
+stir slowly
+soak jewelry for 10-15 minutes and then dry
Laundry brightener
Option 1
+20-30 drops of lemon essential oil
+2-3 caps of cleaner
+4-6oz Hydrogen peroxide
+fill rest of a 750ml bottle (wine bottle)* with water.
*use a bottle pourer as a lid for easy, mess free pouring
STAIN REMOVER
Option 1
+½ cap cleaner
+10 drops of lemon essential oil
+splash hydrogen peroxide
+add water to top off 30ml roller bottle
+roll over stain and let sit
+wash item as normal
Option 2
+1 Cap of the YL Thieves Cleaner concentrate
+10 Drops of your choice of essential oil (I like Lavender, Citrus fresh, Lemon, Thieves or Pine
+Fill the rest of a 16oz glass Spray bottle with water
We live in a consumer culture that preys on our desires for instant gratification. I am so not suggesting that you stop spending, well I sorta am, but instead spending money on sustainable items. Sustainable living is not hard to sustain. It's truthfully more about the idea of buying something that will stand the test of time instead of the items that you immediately throw away after use. It might be a larger investment upfront but the savings are huge! We actually found that by analyzing our waste and making steps towards becoming Eco-friendly (sustainable living) that we actually began saving money!
Kathleen Scott
Kathleen is a wife, a mother and a mom-trepreneaur of This Glorious Life, a toxin free,
waste free, sustainable living company. She enjoys hot cups of tea, rainy days spent
painting and long conversations with friends, old and new.