What I Use Now: Non-toxic Household Cleaners & Personal Products

Knowing my propensity to over-research consumer products, sometimes a friend or family member will call me to ask my advice about a particular non-toxic cleaner, lawn treatment, or mattress. But recently my neighbor decided to completely overhaul all her household cleaners and personal products and asked me to share with her what I use. And as I pulled up some old blog posts to share with her on these topics, I noticed that while much of the information and reasoning behind my choices was still up-to-date, many of the products were not. Some products have been discontinued. Some have been replaced with less toxic or more effective ones.

So I decided to make an exhaustive online list of our household cleaners and personal products to share with her and others that I intend to continually update. This list shares what I am actually using now in my own home and with my own family, 10+ years into the eco-friendly journey. The page also includes links to posts on the category (laundry, kitchen, teeth, hair, etc.) and where to find more information about your own cleaners or my cleaners

I would also like to note that there are a lot of great green cleaners out there now (or you could make your own non-toxic cleaners, although I never have), but for certain categories, it took a lot of trial-and-error to find something that worked for us: in particular, dishwasher detergent and hair products (our family has thick curly hair). I hope my painful experiences will spare you some.


You will find the continually updated list here:
What I Use Now: Eco-friendly Household Cleaners & Personal Products

Did I leave something off that you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments below. 

You May Also Like

• 6 Tips for a Non-toxic Summer
• 6 Strategies for Choosing Non-toxic Personal Care Products 
• Natural Deodorant that Works for My Husband
• How Green Is Your Hair? Non-toxic Hair Care for the Entire Family
• Green Cleaning - How to Identify a Green Cleaner
• All posts on Personal Products
• All posts on Cleaning

Would you like more ideas and tips about Going Green Gradually? Sign up for my free email subscription to get each of my posts delivered to your inbox (I usually post one or two times a week). You can also follow me on Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, Twitter, or with your favorite RSS Reader. I hope to see you again soon!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Your purchase via these links helps support my blog. Thank you for your support. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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Easy Eco-tip Tuesday: Clean with Vinegar

Today's Easy Eco-tip

Green your cleaning routine by cleaning with vinegar. 

The thought of replacing all your favorite tried-and-true household cleaners with greener cleaners, whether homemade or store-bought, can be overwhelming. A very simple and cheap way to green your cleaning routine is to just clean with a spray bottle filled with straight or diluted vinegar. I personally use straight vinegar with a wet sponge and don't bother with dilution. Use vinegar to clean your kitchen table, kitchen counters, bathroom counter and toilet surfaces, mirrors and hard floors. (One caveat: do not use vinegar or other acidic cleaners on natural stone.) Vinegar disinfects, deodorizes, is completely safe, and very inexpensive. I buy two gallons at a time at Costco. It has a strong smell, but it dissipates quickly and after a few minutes there is no smell at all.

What is your favorite green cleaner?

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Green Cleaning - How to Identify a Green Cleaner

In a perfect world, perhaps we would all make our own household cleaners from vinegar, baking soda, soap, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, salt, tea tree oil, etc. However, I still find myself relying on the convenience of store-bought cleaners on a regular basis, so here are some tips for finding a green cleaner (or making sure your favorite cleaner is green enough) until we reach DIY cleaning nirvana.

Look for Cleaners with One or More of the Following:

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Green Cleaning - Laundry

Possibly the hardest part of switching to greener cleaners is deciding which ones to buy.  Once you have a tried-and-true cleaning favorite, it's hard to bother to switch to something new, even if you've read about the problems with conventional cleaners.  Luckily, I've done all that annoying research plus trial-and-error stuff for you.  In my Green Cleaning series, I introduce you to all of my favorite green cleaners.  There are definitely others out there that work.  These are just the ones that I've tried that have worked for me.  


My Laundry Cleaners

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Green Cleaning - DIY Cleaning Recipes

One thing I like about this blog is that it sometimes spurs me to make changes sooner than I might have otherwise.  But more often, I am a better compiler than doer.  Such is the case with Do-It-Yourself cleaners.  By far my favorite DIY cleaner has one ingredient: vinegar. But I haven't ventured too far beyond it.  But I am hoping to expand my DIY repertoire soon (especially when my current cleaners run out), and when I do, here are the resources I will turn to:

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Green Cleaning - Bathroom

 

Possibly the hardest part of switching to greener cleaners is deciding which ones to buy.  Once you have a tried-and-true cleaning favorite, it's hard to bother to switch to something new.  Luckily, I've done all that annoying research plus trial-and-error stuff for you.  In the next couple of weeks I'll be introducing you to all of my favorite green cleaners.  There are definitely others out there that work.  These are just the ones that I've tried that have worked for me.


My Bathroom Cleaners

Bathrooom counters, sink and bathtub

• Bon Ami
• Other suggestions for bathroom and bathroom surface cleaners from The Green Guide

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Green Cleaning - Kitchen

 

Possibly the hardest part of switching to greener cleaners is deciding which ones to buy.  Once you have a tried-and-true cleaning favorite, it's hard to bother to switch to something new.  Luckily, I've done all that annoying research plus trial-and-error stuff for you.  In the next couple of weeks I'll be introducing you to all of my favorite green cleaners.  There are definitely others out there that work.  These are just the ones that I've tried that have worked for me.

My Kitchen Cleaners

Kitchen table and counters

• Vinegar in a spray bottle (diluted or not):  vinegar naturally disinfects and gets rid of yucky smells
• Seventh Generation all-purpose or disinfecting spray (occasionally)

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10 Benefits of Green Cleaning

Possibly the hardest part of switching to greener cleaners is deciding which ones to buy.  Once you have a tried-and-true cleaning favorite, it's hard to bother to switch to something new.  Luckily, I've done all that annoying research plus trial-and-error stuff for you.  In the next couple of weeks I'll be introducing you to all of my favorite green cleaners.  There are definitely others out there that work.  These are just the ones that I've tried that have worked for me.

Here are some of the advantages of green cleaning:

1. One of the easiest ways to reduce your families' exposure to toxins
2. No toxic fumes - no need to worry about proper ventilation or indoor air pollution
3. No toxic residue - so you don't have to rinse after using on surfaces that come in contact with food which will eventually be eaten (which, in my house, includes kitchen counters, kitchen table plus all floors)
4. No need to change cleaners when pregnant
5. Kids can clean with you
6. No gloves required
7. Don't have to lock up cleaners to avoid poisoning
8. Don't have to worry about mixing 2 cleaners into a toxic cocktail
9. Better for the environment - the fishies will thank you
10. Cheaper, if you make them yourself 

Stay tuned for more posts on green cleaning. 


The complete Green Cleaning Series:

• 10 Benefits of Green Cleaning
• Kitchen: My Favorite Cleaning Products 
• Bathroom: My Favorite Cleaning Products 
• Laundry My Favorite Cleaning Products
• DIY Cleaning Recipes
• How to Identify a Green Cleaner

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