When we hear the word ‘detox’ the image we conjure up looks something like: a glamorous super model with beautiful, flowing, sun-kissed locks sexily (new word of the day) drinking a green smoothie with her flawless skin and tanned 6 ft long legs with not a hint of cellulite.
The real image looks more like me wearing my husbands flannel pajama pants with a tank top, my earrings still in, mascara smudge under my eyes drinking a green smoothie (feeling not the least bit sexy), having fallen asleep the night before while putting the baby down, and my green smoothie still has chunks in it because I didn’t let it blend long enough.
Today, though, I’m not talking about what to eat or drink to detox, I’m going to share household detox tips.
Do you remember these from growing up?
When I think back to the house I grew up in (mom, don’t take this personally, just using the example to educate) and the products we used to maintain it, here is what I remember: Lysol in an aerosol can, bleach, Mr. Clean (the bald guy), a pine scent, spraying foam on woodwork, Windex, antibacterial soap, and Dawn just to name a few. Oh, and that powder you shake on the carpet before vacuuming and Glade plug-ins to freshen the air.
Having four kids and two pets going in and out, my mom needed all the help she could get in the cleaning department! Little did we know at the time, there were options from companies like Young Living that can clean a house without harmful chemicals. In the shower, I remember the St. Ives apricot scrub, shampoo & conditioner from Johnson & Johnson, Pantene, that herbal shampoo that supposedly gives you orgasms in the shower if you wash your hair with it, and Neutrogena body oil. I grew up using my mom’s Mary Kay makeup, and labels such as Maybelline and Loreal, not knowing there are safer, more high-performing options.
Simple tips for household detox
- Use natural products like lemon essential oil, water, and vinegar to create an easy and effective cleaning spray
- Diffuse essential oils to balance out the scent of wet dog and hockey gear
- Burn a bit of sage when you need an energy shift
- Make a spray of Thieves essential oil and water to wipe down black mold in windowsills
- Make the switch from toxic chemicals one product at a time. For example you could start with kitchen spray you likely use daily to clean off the countertop, faucets, kitchen table, etc. What I use for this is the concentrated Thieves household cleaner, water, and added lemon essential oil drops. It’s super fresh, super clean, smells amazing and does the job without having to waste money and resources on bleach-like wipes.
- In lieu of harmful antibacterial soap, just take about 10 drops of Dr. Bronner’s liquid castle soap, and add to a foam soap dispenser (just rinse and use the empty one you have) with water and you’ve got an easy hand soap that saves you money and leaves good bacteria on the skin. Did you know we have more helpful bacteria on our skin and in our gut than harmful bacteria? Guess what happens to that bacteria every time we use antibacterial soap? I say stop sterilizing your kids and they’ll be all the healthier for it.
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