Marketing is an incredible tool to get us to think we need to buy things to live the lifestyle we aspire. It is very deliberate to make us feel we are missing out or inadequate if we don’t use certain products. No part of our life is left untouched. Including the products we buy to clean our households. We are made to feel our house won’t be clean if we don’t use certain products. Using the wrong detergent will leave our clothes stained. Our bathrooms and ovens won’t shine. The list goes on.

What advertisers don’t mention is the long list of harmful ingredients used to make these products. Some are mildly dangerous to human health. Causing eye irritations, skin rashes, headaches, and asthma. Others are potentially fatal and proven to be carcinogenic. Many cleaning products contain VOC’s which are volatile organic compounds, including ammonia and bleach. As the American Lung Association warns, “Cleaning supplies and household products containing VOCs and other toxic substances can include, but are not limited to:

• Aerosol spray products, including health, beauty, and cleaning products;
• Air fresheners;
• Chlorine bleach*;
• Detergent and dishwashing liquid;
• Dry cleaning chemicals;
• Rug and upholstery cleaners;
• Furniture and floor polish; and
• Oven cleaners.1,2

*Never mix bleach or any bleach-containing product with any cleaner containing ammonia. The gases created from this combination can lead to chronic breathing problems and even death.’’ Their report goes on to explain, that recent research reveals natural fragrances in cleaning products, especially air fresheners, can react with the ozone from indoor air sources and outdoor air to form formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. And ozone is a harmful but invisible gas, that worsens asthma and other lung diseases. Such particles can cause heart attacks and stroke.

Not only are these products expensive, but they are also harmful to our health. The reality is our grandmothers had clean houses, clean clothes, using only natural products that worked. Here are some of our tried and tested tips to make sure your home clean and healthy without wasting your money.

The main ingredients you will need are baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, castille soap and water!

All-Purpose Cleaner

 Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 2 liters of water.

Laundry Detergent

Mix 2 cups of washing soda with the gratings from one 5-ounce bar of castile soap. Use 1 tbsp for light loads; 2 tbsp for heavy loads.

Limescale in kettles and taps

Pour half a cup of vinegar in a kettle with 2 cups of water and let boil for a few minutes. Soak tap filters in pure vinegar

Marks on Walls and Painted Surfaces

Apply baking soda to a damp sponge. Rub gently, then wipe and rinse.

This will clean most ink spots, pencil, crayon, or marker spots can be cleaned from painted surfaces 

Oven Cleaner

Moisten oven surfaces with sponge and water. Use ¾ cup baking soda, ¼ cup salt, and ¼ cup water to make a thick paste, and spread throughout the oven interior. (Avoid bare metal and any openings.) Let sit overnight. Wipe clean in the morning.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into the toilet basin and let it sit for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse.

Tub and Tile Cleaner

For simple cleaning, rub in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinse with fresh water. For more challenging jobs, wipe surfaces with vinegar first and follow with baking soda as a scouring powder. (Vinegar can break down tile grout, so use sparingly.

Window Cleaner

Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter of warm water. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. Only use the black and white newspapers, not with colour print. Best not to clean windows if the sun is on them, or if they are warm, as streaks will show when dry. Please do not add more vinegar than the recipe states, as it may lead to etching and cloud glass.

Stainless Steel

Clean with a dampened cloth with undiluted white vinegar or olive oil. For stainless cookware, mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 liter of water and apply using a soft cloth. Wipe dry using a clean cloth. For stainless steel sinks, pour some baking soda on an absorbent cloth to clean, rinse, and wipe dry using a clean cloth.

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The skin os one of the largest organs on your body. Which is why why you put on it is so important. Personally I never thought much about what I put onto my skin because I thought it didn’t matter. But after some research I realized that it is. Especially because even without knowing it, our skin absorbs all the stuff we use on it. From body washes to face creams and body oils. The pores in our skin absorb the ingredients of the products we choose which in turn go into our blood stream. So one of the best ways to take care of yourself and your health is to clean up your skincare routine for good.

One of the first and perhaps more obvious places to start is with your body wash. Primarily because when we shower with warm or hot water. The pores in our skin open up and the products we use get absorbed into our skin and body. Which is why ensuring that you are using non-toxic body washes is so important. Personally I like to go for brands that are not only less toxic. But also environmentally friendly. This means that the products will not harm your body or the environment. One of the key things to look for when looking to make the switch is that you are buying body products that are paraban, fragrance and GMO free.

From then on the ingredients are up to you based on your particular needs. Another good rule of thumb is using and looking for products that are organic. As this usually means that they are made with ingredients that are good for you and the environment. One of my favourite go to brands for non-toxic and clean skincare products come from African Organics. Not only are the products organic. But they are made in Africa and eco certified. This means that the ingredients in their wide range of products have been carefully selected for their kindness to our body and the environment.

Not only that but their body wash gives me and my whole family that clean feeling we all look for. So you know that whilst you are being kind to your body, that you are also getting the results you want. Some other brands to look out for include Pai, Susan Kaufman and Ren to name a few.

But don’t take my word for it. Spend some time in the body wash and skincare isle at your local pharmacy and see what brands are on offer. In all likelyhood you will find products that are locally made and effective.

The post How to clean up your skincare routine for good appeared first on Sheevolves.world.

We can all agree that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Whether you are an avid cook, or prefer take outs. Chances are, you spend a fair amount of time in your kitchen handling food, drinks and snacks. Which is why ensuring your kitchen is as toxic free as possible is important. As a self proclaimed foodie myself I can say that I spend a good amount of time in my kitchen.

Which is why when I was looking for a confinement project, one of the first places I looked to was my kitchen. Not only because I cook daily for my husband and I. But also because I have started making meals for my 7 month old. After doing some research I realized that in keeping with my goal of making wholesome foods, I needed to make sure my kitchen was as toxic free as possible. Here are some changes I made to my kitchen to make it less toxic;

1. Changed out my non stick pans for ceramic coated pots and pans and cast iron pots. Not only does this ensure that the food I make doesn’t get contaminated with toxic chemicals often emitted  by non stick cook wear. But I can rest easy knowing I was truly making healthy food for my family and I.
2. Made my own surface cleaning detergent: This one actually started with my husband. Like me he enjoys cooking for our little one. And after failing to find organic cleaning products he turned to the web for some advice. After reading a few articles he settled on vinegar. Since then we have been using it to clean most of the surfaces in our house. I like to mix it with lemon juice and water and only use soapy hot water to clean our chopping boards.
3. Clean out the fridge weekly: Whilst this required no real swap out. With confinement, one thing I have noticed is how much better I feel when our fridge is cleaned weekly. This can range from a deep clean to a quick wipe and reshuffling.
4. Changing out our snacks: Whilst I will be the first to admit that I enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie as much as the next person. One thing I have done is try to be more conscious of what is in our cupboards. From snacks to foods as a whole. Knowing what is in our foods takes the guess work out of food prep.
5. Investing in a fruit and vegetable brush: I am not sure what I was doing before I bought our natural fiber fruit and vegetable brush. But knowing that our fruits and veg are cleaned from any chemicals is a plus for my peace of mind.
6. Switching out plastic containers fro glass ones.

What are some things you have switched out to make your kitchen less toxic?

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