Cleaning Up In Little Ways

The last few years I’ve slowly been working away at cleaning up the every day products we use in our home, and at the beginning of this year I wrote down that this was something I wanted to keep working away at. First off, my (giant) *disclaimer* for this post is that I do not 100% know all the things when it comes “green”, “clean”, or “non-toxic” products. I’m slowly learning. Am I trying? Yes. Do I have a long way to go? Yes. Do I still use cleaners/products that aren’t considered “green” or “clean” or “non-toxic”? Yes, yes, and yes. But, I fully believe you have to start somewhere and that over time the little bits add up.

One thing I do know is that there is so much information out there. Like, so much. Maybe too much? It’s actually really overwhelming when you start to dig into it. So much so, that it almost makes me (maybe you too?) not want to venture into the area of cleaner/green and non-toxic products. There’s conflicting information all over. In one place you’ll read about ingredients/products claiming something and then in another place you’ll read the opposite. It’s a lot and sometimes it’s hard to actually know what the best thing is. The reality is, you get to choose what works best for you & your family and that’s what’s most important. Something might work for you that doesn’t work for someone else and that’s ok.

The reality is, you get to choose what works best for you & your family and that’s what’s most important.

And since I love having a peek into other’s lives with how they go about this, I thought I’d share the little ways I’ve been working at cleaning up the products that we use in our everyday.

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Little Ways We’re Cleaning Up The Products In Our Home

Norwex - Have you used or heard of Norwex? I only have a few Norwex products, but what I do have I really love. I have the dust mitt, an enviro cloth (probably my favourite!), a window cloth, and a couple of the kitchen dish & counter cloths. Their whole concept revolves around cleaning without the chemicals and creating a healthier home.

I love that I haven’t had to buy window cleaner in a really long time - because, all you need is water and the cloth! Bonus: my kids who are 3 & 6 can help clean the windows (which they actually love!) since it just involves water and a cloth. My friend Crystal is the one who got me started on Norwex a few years ago and she’s got lots more info and knowledge about the products on her site.

Essential Oils - I’ve been using essential oils on and off for about 4 or 5 years now. To be honest, the majority of the time I mostly just diffuse them. My go-to brand tends to be doTerra. They’re great to diffuse for when you’re dealing with household sickness (OnGuard is my favourite for this!), headaches (peppermint is great for this), winding down and getting ready for sleep (lavender to the rescue!), or simply when you just need to refresh the air in your home. I used to be a huge candle person, and now instead of lighting a candle I generally just diffuse oils when we’re needing a little scent boost to refresh the air. (FYI: I still burn candles on the occasion, just significantly less than before). This is just a small snippet of things you can diffuse oils for! Once you start digging into it you’ll realize that there’s pretty much an oil for everything.

Lately, I’ve been trying to incorporate them in other ways of our everyday life. For instance, during the school year I made a spray for my daughter’s hair to help keep the head bugs away - I’m happy to report this totally worked! They can also be used topically for other ailments, making your own cleaners etc. Diffusing them is definitely my go-to though.

Oh, and I love the OnGurad cleaner concentrate. It’s great for making your own all purpose spray!

Wool Dryer Balls - About 5 years ago I stopped using dryer sheets and made the switch to wool dryer balls. I like using wool dryer balls so much better and really don’t miss dyer sheets at all. I found this switch to be super easy and to be honest I love knowing that there’s no chemicals involved when drying our clothes. I try to leave a favourite essential oil in the laundry room (lots of times it’s lavender or purify) so that I can add a few drops on the dryer balls when I’m wanting to add a fresh scent to the laundry. I think if you were looking for a place to start with swapping out some of your products, it would be here.

Reusable Storage Bags - This one is more of a “less waste” type of swap, but I thought it was worth sharing. A while back I snatched up a reusable silicone food storage bag when I spotted it on sale. Then another trip down the road I added another, and another. I’ve started a little collection and while it is still small, it’s a start and I hope to keep adding to it bit by bit so eventually we get to the point where buying the plastic bags is on a minimal basis. These are the ones we currently have, but there are so many options out there!

Skincare etc. - This is another area that I’m trying to be mindful of when it comes to cleaner products. Earlier this year I decided it was time to care a bit more about my skin and put a little more effort in. I’ll be venturing into the later side of my 30’s this summer so I thought maybe it was time I create a small skincare routine. Ha! This started with swapping out the few products that I did use to ones that have cleaner ingredients. So far I’m really loving the items that I’ve started using and the routine I’ve created! (Maybe I’ll share more details of this in another post).

I also made the swap to natural deodorant earlier this year and I’m so glad I did. I mean, the true test will be this summer, but for now I’m happy with the switch!

It feels good knowing that the products I’m currently using are cleaner than the ones I was using before.

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These are just a few of the things I’ve been working at swapping out in our home & life to clean things up a bit. It’s definitely something I’m still working on but so far I’m loving the little changes we’re making. Like many others I’m just trying to create a healthier home & environment for our family.

If this is something you’re wanting to start in your home my word of advice is to try not to get overwhelmed and don’t try and do everything at once. Just start with one thing at a time (even one item!). Those baby steps will eventually add up. This is what I have to remind myself of! And, if you have started making changes here and there in your home I’d love to hear about those little (or big!) ways you’re trying to clean things up!