The chemicals in house cleaning products are very toxic. As you use them, you breath in their vapours (even more so with hot water or in a smaller, confined space, such as a bathroom). These vapours enter your lungs and are then are absorbed into your bloodstream. And although most people don’t stand in front of their dishwasher as they are operating it, dishwasher detergent vapours come out with the warm air.

With most houses having air-tight windows these days, air quality tests have shown that the air inside many homes has more toxic compounds in it than the air outside. Toxic chemicals in household air has been associated, among other things, with an increased allergy in asthma rate in both children and adults.

Here is a great article on CBC Marketplace on this very subject.

This website, from the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia is a fantastic guide to less toxic cleaning products. The top portion of this webpage lists common toxic chemicals in cleaning solutions and the risks associated with them. There is also an exhaustive list of non-toxic commercial cleaning products, categorized by use (eg. dish soap, toilet cleaner) and options for homemade alternatives as well.

Here are some websites for non-toxic cleaners:

Seventh Generation - I have only tried the toilet bowl cleaner so far, but I really like it and will try other products soon.

Nature Clean - I have the automatic dishwasher detergent, dish soap and all-purpose cleanser. All work very well.

Shaklee - I have never used these, but have heard great reviews from the Oprah Show to patients.

Here’s how I converted:

I just recently converted all my cleaning products to non-toxic equivalents and not only was it simple, it was much cheaper than I thought it would be. I bought non-toxic automatic dishwasher detergent, dish soap and toilet cleanser. The toilet cleanser is from Seventh Generation and has many fresh smelling essential oils in it. The automatic dishwasher detergent works just as well as the chemical one I had been using. The dish soap doesn’t get quite as sudsy as the regular commercial one I had been using, so I end up using a little bit more. But I’m okay with that, because as I use the soap (and can smell it) I like knowing that I am not breathing in any toxic chemicals.

For mirrors I have been using white vinegar with a microfiber cloth (doesn’t leave streaks or lint). Vinegar and water in a spray bottle is  excellent at cleaning kitchen counters, sinks and stove tops. If there is something dried/stuck on the counter or stove I just spray some vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes; the vinegar seems to break it down and it’s then easy to clean off.  I also pour full-strength white vinegar into the rinse agent dispenser of my dishwasher and my dishes come out sparkling clean and this has eliminated the hard water build-up I was getting on the bottom of my glasses.

For floors, I have a steam mop (I got the Shark one and love it) and just use water to clean my floors. If you have a large house, you will probably use more than one mop attachment per cleaning — the mop comes with two, but more can be purchased inexpensively on Shark’s website. Instead of the Swiffer I was using to sweep my floors, I bought a microfiber version that I put on my Swiffer broom. The steam mop also comes with a microfiber attachment; I have several of each and once there is enough for a washload I just throw them all in and wash normally.

As for bathroom sinks and bathtubs, I am using a Nature Clean All-Purpose Cleanser and it works great. Baking soda and lemon juice or borax also work very well.

TC