When was the last time you opened a book on DIY household products and couldn’t put it down?
Almost too ridiculous a question to ask, I know. Doesn’t sound like riveting reading.
Except that’s exactly what happened to me last night. I opened up Heather Dessinger’s (of Mommypotamus fame) ebook, DIY Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes, intending to just look at some pictures and see what kind of stuff she included, and didn’t look up again until I’d finished reading the entire thing, cover to cover.
It all started here, on page 7:
Right now as you read this page, there are about 700 chemicals coursing through your body, many of which can be found in the cleaning supplies that line store shelves: potent hormone disruptors, formaldehyde and cancer-causing 1,4 dioxane to name a few. 1 2
Okay, I’m listening. She goes on:
These chemicals are known to bio-accumulate and pass from mama to baby, increasing each generation’s chances of a particular penile defect in newborn boys, infertility, and even cancer. And unfortunately, though these chemicals appear to do their worst when introduced to the developing endocrine system of small children, safety disclosures haven’t changed all that much since you and I were kids.
Penile defects, infertility and cancer? No thanks. If we don’t need the chemicals, why use them? And yeah, we can buy the organic, enviro-friendly products you find at the store (although many of these still contain questionable ingredients), but they are spendy. And I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to spend my hard-earned dollars on something more fun than cleaning supplies.
The recipes Heather shares make products that are just as – if not more – effective as anything you’ll buy in the store, without the nasty chemicals, and for pennies. And the best part? The vast majority of these recipes are extremely simple, with just a handful of common ingredients you probably already have at hand, such as:
– Baking soda
– Coconut oil (buy here)
– Hydrogen peroxide
– Lemon juice
– Olive oil (buy here)
– Rubbing alcohol
– Salt
– White vinegar
– Your favorite essential oils like: Lemon, Tea Tree, Lavender, Orange, Peppermint
Here are a few of my favorites that have landed top of my “must-try” list:
Laundry detergent:
Citrus-Splash All-Purpose Spray Cleaner (so handy and EASY):
Goop Remover (I was just asking my hubby the other day about how to get sticky nastiness off a couple of cabinets we have, and he suggested paint thinner. That sounded like overkill but I didn’t have a better solution. Now I do!) UPDATE: I made this last week and it works brilliantly! Highly recommend it.
Dryer Balls (aren’t they gorgeous?? What a great housewarming gift…)
Want to try them out for yourself? As spring peeks around the corner, now is the ideal time to get yourself all set with non-toxic cleaning supplies. To make it even more appealing, Heather’s offering the book at 25% off from now through the end of March. Simply enter the coupon code SPRING25 when you buy the book here.
Want more DIY cleaning support? Check out these posts:
7 DIY Cleaning Recipes Using Vinegar
DIY All-purpose Citrus Cleaner
DIY Cleaning: 18 ways to reduce your environmental impact
Green cleaning is always the better choice! I haven’t used conventional cleaning products since two years and it really makes a huge difference. Our family is healthier and we are always in a great mood! Sounds strange but it’s true! Thank you for sharing!