Chemical Free

I gave away just about every cleaning product in my house yesterday. It feels great.

After watching the documentary Chemerical on Netflix, Bill and I decided to eliminate just about every chemical possible in our house. Sounds drastic- maybe. Here is something else that's drastic- protecting our youngest child from multiple deadly food allergies on a daily basis, and administering numerous medications while going in and out of doctor offices and hospitals. I wonder all the time what is in our food and environment that contributes, if not straight out causes, her medical problems. If this small step helps keep Lydia and the rest of our family safer from known carcinogens -as in scientifically proven CANCER-causing chemicals- then it's most definitely worth it. Not to mention the benefit toward cleaner water and air.

Plus the financial savings!! The homemade cleaners I used yesterday cost a fraction of store-bought products. Best part- I know exactly what is in them. Companies are weirdly secretive of what they actually put into their products. For example, over the past several years I've used an "allergen free" laundry detergent. This weekend I followed a rabbit trail to find out the ingredient list, with no success. Their website proudly boasts that it is hypoallergenic, safe, recommended by doctors...but no disclosure of what is actually in it. Nearly every cleaner in a typical household keeps the same secrets. (I don't like secrets.)

I cleaned my bathrooms and floors yesterday, and dusted the furniture. I only used various combinations of water, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and washing soap. I didn't have a single headache that I usually do while cleaning, and my house is squeaky clean without the worry of toxic fumes.

If anyone had told me a few years ago I'd be on this path of organic/natural living (and a warning: I'm getting in deeper by the day) I would have rolled my eyes, muttering something about tree huggers under my breath. I'm changing. I think American society as a whole is way too trusting of the companies that serve us. It should scare us senseless that manufacturers put carcinogens in our household cleaners. They don't even have the decency to label their products, because they're hiding behind "trade secret" laws. Our government protects big business over citizens. Shocking (eye roll). Would it scare anyone to know that several of the chemicals in our cleaners are ILLEGAL overseas? As my sister said, Europeans demand that they not be poisoned, while Americans squeal, "Yay, pink bubbles!"

Here are some sites I turned to for the dangers of chemicals, plus cleaning recipes and advice:
Huffington Post Green
Cleaners Hall of Shame
Back to Basics Cleaning
Wellness Mama

And if you want to try your luck at finding an ingredient list (granted, I didn't go the extra mile and actually call the company- I was too ticked off by that point) here's the website given on our detergent bottle:
Sun Products Corp

 Smiling for a picture after improving during her recent hospital stay for bronchiolitis.

Big brother's turn to get breathing treatments for RSV.

Yep- definitely worth it!