You know that Soulfull are super passionate about eating REAL FOOD, getting our kids to eat REAL FOODS and being extremely passionate voice for living a more eco loving lifestyle.
Well, we are also extremely passionate about getting rid of toxic products in our home like conventional cleaning and beauty products. Our Grandparent’s were really onto something when they used to make their crazy woo woo concoctions from common household items such as vinegar, castile soap, baking soda and essential oils.
We totally get that times are a little different to when Grandma had the time to make everything from scratch. But gosh we are so lucky these days to have so many amazing natural brands giving us the convenience we need and even making a presence in conventional super market aisles (YASSS!!!). Times are changing and people are becoming more and more aware of the dangers of using chemicals in their home and on their skin and it’s now cool (no longer just hippy) to give a crap about living a more natural eco-friendly life.
Whether it's the 'toxic' warning labels on the bottles, the long list of strange ingredients that all seem to end in 'oxide', 'ethylene' or 'chlorite', our household cleaning products don't give off a very friendly vibe.
In fact, they often give off a dangerous vibe, which can be damaging to your health. I know that is something that I don’t want around my family and it grinds my gears when I still see people holding their breath every time they clean the shower for fear of passing out from the toxic fumes or having to scrub the shower with their eyes closed because their eyeballs burn. We’ve all been there at one time in our life. But thankfully now we all know a whole lot better!!
If you are yet to make the switch to all natural, here are a few reasons why you should. We've also given you our favourite multi-purpose kitchen and bathroom cleaner recipe at the bottom, so your journey to chemical free should be totally stress free, just the way we like things!
CHEMICALS ARE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH
Many cleaning products contain numerous chemicals such as formaldehyde, arsenic, phosphates, napthalene and parabens. Many of these cleaning products have been linked to cancer, asthma and infertility. Ok what hasn’t been linked to cancer right? But seriously these ingredients are not a joke. Many of the chemicals in cleaning products are not regulated. Every time you breath these fumes, you are getting these chemicals in your body. Yes that’s right just like food and water, these chemicals are being absorbed into your body. Scary right?
IMPROVE AIR QUALITY
Research suggests that the average person can spend 90 percent of their time indoors. This indoor air is considered to be more polluted that the air in even the largest and most industrialised cities according to the Environmental Protection Agency. While there are many reasons for this such as mold, paint, chemicals from furniture and carpet, one of the big reasons is the use of chemical cleaning products. If you start using natural products, you can make a significant difference in the air quality of your home.
YOU ABSORB WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR BODY
If you are ingredient conscious like us (and you should be!) you should also be mindful of keeping chemicals in cleaning and beauty products out of your house. By making your own natural cleaning products, you know what is in them. Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs whatever you put on it. This includes cleaning products, that come with those warning labels and chemical hotline numbers. Pretty scary huh?!
SAVE MONEY AND USE FEWER PRODUCTS & SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT
Using ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap (we love Dr Bronner’s) you can make simple cleaners for a fraction of what you can buy the packaged stuff for! You can get superior results from all natural alternatives and once you get experimenting you can make some amazing smelling natural cleaners at home using your favourite essential oils.
This also means you are buying fewer bottles and will have less packaging waste which is a big tick for limiting your load on the Environment.
SAFER FOR KIDS AND PETS
If you use only natural cleaning products, there is never a need to worry about your kids accidentally getting their hands into your cleaning cupboard and ingesting any nasty chemicals that can see you ending up in the Emergency room in Hospital. Children are constantly licking things and putting things in their mouths, as are pets. If your home is cleaned with natural products, there is less chance for them to ingest these chemicals.
TOXIC CHEMICALS POLLUTE OUR WATER WAYS
When you use toxic cleaning products, those chemicals get rinsed right down the drain and go right into our waterways that ultimately end up in our Ocean. It's sad that most people wouldn't be aware of this detrimental effect on our Environment. I'm sure we are all aware of it, but just don't think about it! Making your own cleaning products with natural ingredients will definitely reduce the impact of toxic pollution that ends up killing our precious marine life.
EASY TO DIY
It is so easy to make your own cleaning products and it is part of our Soulfull mission to inspire as many people as possible to make the natural and eco switch! We've included a simple cleaning spray recipe below that we use in the bathroom and kitchen and are certain that you are going to want to use it too!
MULTI-PURPOSE KITCHEN & BATHROOM CLEANER
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups of water
- 20 - 30 drops of essential oil (we love lemongrass or a citrus oil)
- 1 tablespoon of Castile liquid (we love Dr Bronner’s but you can omit if you don’t have any on hand)
Mix all ingredients together and pour into an amber spray bottle. These are becoming more readily available now which is fantastic.
Spray on the surface and wipe off. Once you’ve made the switch, trust me you will never use toxic cleaning products again!
We hope that we have inspired you to make the switch to ‘green up’ your cleaning game and make sure you let us know if you love our kitchen and bathroom cleaning spray!