Over the course of the past several years it’s become increasingly important to me to lower the toxin load in my home.
Instead of burning scented candles full of unhealthy chemicals, I diffuse pure essential oils.
And rather than using cleaning products full of harsh chemicals that aren’t healthy for humans, I choose products that are natural or plant-derived. Quite often, the ingredients were the same used by our grandparents or even great-grandparents and before the influx of industrial cleaning supplies making their way into our domestic spheres.
If you’re new to the idea of lowering your household toxin load, it can be really overwhelming thinking about throwing everything out and swapping for clean products. Especially when you don’t know where to start.
Here are three ways to gently transition to a lower-toxin household cleaning environment:
1. Swap one product at a time
Instead of tossing everything under your sink, just replace the cleaner you use most (like all-purpose spray) with a natural version. Once that feels normal, move on to the next. Slowly swapping out will lower the feelings of overwhelm.
2. Try a simple DIY
Start with a small, easy recipe. You could try mixing equal parts vinegar and water with a few drops of essential oil for a countertop spray. Another one of my favorites is mixing baking soda with hydrogen peroxide to make a gentle scrub for cleaning cooked on food to make your pots sparkling clean again. Both are budget-friendly, quick to make and you’ll feel proud every time you use it.
3. Read labels with curiosity
When you run out of something, take a peek at the ingredients before buying again. Look for shorter lists, plant-based surfactants or brands that are transparent about what’s inside. Don’t be afraid to google any ingredients you’re not sure about. Over time, this’ll become second nature.
If you’re anything like me, your natural inclination is to do all or nothing. But, as I’m slowly learning as I (hopefully) gain wisdom in these later years, you don’t have to go through life that way! You CAN make small changes over time that will grow into bigger impacts the further along you get.
But, if you’ve been curious about the whole lowering your toxin load and swapping to cleaner and natural cleaning products, these three steps are a great place to start!
