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Plant-Based Alternatives to Toxic Home Cleaners
Did you know that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 woman in the U.S. will get cancer? (source)
And if you think that’s scary, you should know that 43% of children currently suffer from a chronic illness. (source)
The fact of the matter is that disease rates are skyrocketing because of our lifestyles. 95% of diseases can be controlled with lifestyle, diet and environmental changes.
And one of the first changes you can make right now is tossing out toxic cleaning products. Keep reading because my alternatives are actually cheaper than the store-bought cleaners.
Toxins in Traditional Cleaning Supplies
Did you know that there are over 100,000 chemicals in use today, but about 80,000 have not been tested and determined to be safe for human health? And household cleaners account over 10% of all toxic exposures reported to US Poison Control Centers.
Below are just some of the main toxic chemicals that are found in most cleaning supplies.
Phthalates – usually listed as “fragrance”, phthalates give your air fresheners, soap and sometimes toilet paper their scent. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors and can increase your risk for cancers, obesity, infertility, early puberty, pregnancy issues, and diabetes.
Triclosan – this antibacterial agent found in dish and hand soap, promotes the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. We have be warned by many that antibacterial products actually do more harm than good. Triclosan is also being studied for possibly being an endocrine disruptor and carcinogen.
2-Butoxyethanol – found in your window and other multi-purpose cleaners, spray lacquers, enamels, varnishes, and latex paints. Considered a hazardous substance in California, Canada requires 2-butoxyethanol to be diluted. Furthermore, 2-butoxyethanol can lead to sore throat, pulmonary edema, and liver and kidney damage when inhaled.
Ammonia – this is a polishing agent that is used often in glass cleaners because it does not leave streaks. What it does leave…lung and breathing problems.
How These Toxins Affect Your Health
Toxicity and inflammation are caused by chemicals, which disrupt our immune system. A healthy immune system is important because it’s your body’s natural defense system. It’s job is to defend your body against invaders. Those invaders can include bacteria, viruses, parasites, even a fungus, all with the potential to make us sick.
In addition, chemicals disrupt the respiration of healthy cells by depriving the healthy cells of oxygen, this converts them to anaerobic respiration. Cancer cells are anaerobic. Read more about this on my post, What Cancer Is and What Cancer Isn’t.
How to Use Essential Oils for Non-Toxic Cleaning Solutions
By switching out your toxic cleaning supplies to wholesome, essential oil-based cleaning solutions you can improve the health of your family. Yet, many people don’t realize that there are a variety of essential oils that contain antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Here are the top 
essential oils that have antibacterial properties:
- Cinnamon
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Melaleuca (Tea Tree)
- Bergamont
- Chamomile
- Eucalyptus
- Frankincense
Lemon- Orange
- Peppermint
- Vetiver
- Lavender
Researchers have also found that essential oils can kill viruses in one of two ways: “by inhibiting their ability to replicate and/or inhibiting viruses’ ability to fuse to cell walls and infect a host cell.” Here are the top antiviral essential oils:
Cinnamon- Clove
- Eucalyptus
- Geranium
- Melissa
- Oregano
- Melaleuca (Tea Tree)
- Thyme
Above are 3 plant-based, non-toxic household cleaner recipes that I recommend. It’s worth noting that I recommend using an amber spray bottle. This is due to essential oils’ sensitivity to light. And you should use glass bottles, not plastic, because you don’t want the chemicals in the plastic to interact with the essential oils. Here are the bottles I get from Amazon.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
