HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS
The household products we use come in contact with our skin and are inhaled into our lungs.
The quest for healthier household products can be a daunting task, but the use of EWG.org Guide to Healthy Cleaning can help you evaluate your current cleaning products and find healthier alternatives, if needed.
1. VINEGAR
My best discovery in the area of household products is vinegar. An inexpensive bottle of distilled white vinegar is a reasonably effective cleaner and disinfectant.
People requiring the most stringent disinfectant possible should search other alternatives, but vinegar in a spray bottle is my daily kitchen and bath cleaning agent.
Yes, the smell is quite pungent, but it dissipates quickly, deodorizing the room at the same time.
Vinegar is very versatile and has many uses in the home and garden. I use it as a repellent for those pesky ants that occasionally make their way into my kitchen - and it also kills them on contact.
I can spray around the baseboards without fear of harming my dog.
It kills weeds in my flower beds and can be used to wash the windows and mirrors - although I have an even better solution for that - to be covered next.
2. NO CLEANER
My favorite healthy way to clean is with no cleaner at all. That might sound weird and unsanitary, as it first sounded to me!
Years ago, I received a lint-free cloth as a gift and wondered what in the world I would do with it. I have since bought two more and absolutely love them.
Dampen them with water and wring out well and these magic cloths will clean your mirrors and other glass surfaces beautifully - if they are too wet, you will see water spots when it dries.
I use them to clean the house windows, just rinsing and wringing as needed. I use them on my bathroom and bedroom mirrors, curio cabinet glass, car windows, and glass tabletops.
3. STEAM CLEANER
Along the lines of the no cleaner approach is the steam cleaner. I admit that this one is a splurge! But, for those of us who have hard surface floors, a steam cleaner is a way to clean the floors without chemicals.
(Make sure the steamer is compatible with your floors.) Steamers for floors are available for as little as $50, but I sprung for a model with attachments so I can steam clean kitchen and bath areas with very little effort and using only water.
4. SUNSCREEN
Enough about cleaning already! Once the chores are complete and it's time to have some fun in the sun, what sunscreen will you grab?
Today's parents have done a wonderful job of slathering the juice over their children for skin cancer prevention, but how safe is the sunscreen itself?
My fair-skinned husband needs a high level of UV protection. I used EWG.org Sunscreen Guide to pick his sunscreen last year. I was pleasantly surprised to find one of the highly rated products available at Walmart - and any drugstore.
The quest for a healthier you takes some effort and is really a never-ending process. I am still plowing my way through it, but have come to enjoy finding healthier, cost-effective options. I hope I have inspired you to do the same.
Shirley Alarie
Author: Losing the Girls - My Journey Through Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy and Beyond
Check out my website for more healthy living tips and my favorite simple, decadent, and healthy dessert!
Or learn more about nipple-sparing mastectomy and my journey that led me to my healthy lifestyle transformation. Hope to see you there!
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