Favorite Dishwasher Detergent

When I first started eliminating toxins from our home, I had a LONG list of products I wanted to change. However, it is impossible (on a budget at least) to make that change all at once. So, I went through that list with a highlighter and decided which products I wanted to replace first.

The first two things I would change were our dish detergent and our clothes detergent.

My thinking was that if I didn't want harsh chemicals in my home, I certainly didn't want to eat off of dishes that were cleaned with them or wear clothes (24 hours a day) with residue from potential toxins! I figured that those two items were the most often used things in my home...so I began there!

I used ewg.org* to help me in the process of finding better alternatives, aside from me making my own. You have to start somewhere, right?

So, now I happily use Seventh Generation powdered dish detergent. It works amazingly well and gets a good "A grade" from ewg! You can buy this online and our local Target carries it in the store. Also, it seems to last forever!! We dump it in a plastic container and use an old protein powder scoop to get it out.

*If you don't know about ewg, it is a website that grades various household products as well as skincare products for saftey, considering each ingredient and it's level of toxicity.

Homemade laminate floor cleaner

I don't like toxins, so I really don't like the chemicals in many store bought cleaners. However, I still have to keep my home clean, right? So, I prefer to know exactly what I am putting on my floor, in order that the children and pets in my home are not exposed to any more harsh cleansers than necessary. Also, did you know that the quality of the air in our homes can be worse than that of outdoor air? One of the contributing factors to our air quality is household products. So, with all of that said, after my husband installed some new flooring in our home, I decided to find a recipe for cleaning it without the harsh chemicals. The recipe is simple and was found on ehow.com

Ingredients:

1/3 c rubbing alcohol
1/3 c white vinegar
1/3 c water

Directions:

Mix together in a spray bottle. Squirt lightly onto the floors and wipe with a soft cloth. Make sure not to leave this or any other product on your floor for any length of time or you could damage your floors.