How clean is your home?  Think about that question because I don’t mean your bathroom sink or your kitchen countertop.  I mean the things you can’t see, like the air in your home and chemicals in your furniture and carpets.  Now, look in the cabinet under your sink.  How many harmful, potentially “fatal if swallowed” chemicals do you have lurking under there?  More than you thought, huh?  Well, this is the first place to start.  Greening your cleaning.  Start by ditching your toxic chemicals and either making your own or purchasing organically made, non-toxic, all-natural alternatives.  There are so many wonderful brands out there and they are often the same price as the chemical cocktails.

The thing that hit home for me was finding out that there really is no one looking out for your safety when marketing these mainstream toxic cleaners.  There are two potentially fatal chemicals that most people have in their homes at this very moment.  When combined these chemicals form a deadly gas.  Yet, both of these cleaners are sold on the shelf at your local supermarket and are often used in the same room.  When you clean your bathroom you mostly likely use a window/glass cleaner for your mirrors and then a tub and tile or surface cleaner for the toilet and shower.  Well, the window/glass cleaner is ammonia based and the tub and tile is chlorine based or in other words, it contains bleach to disinfect.  When these two chemicals are combined a deadly gas is formed.  This gas is undetectable to the eye and can cause severe damage to the lungs or death depending upon the amounts used.  So, why are these chemicals sold as household cleaners and why are they being utilized in the same room with just a small warning label on the back?  Now think about this, how can you trust the companies who manufacture these products and market them, not to chemists, but to the populace?  Wouldn’t you rather use products that do not carry warning labels or images of skulls and crossbones?  Vinegar and baking soda can clean just about anything.  Add some essential oils and they are pretty much all you need to clean your entire house!  Clogged drain?  Don’t reach for one of those products that use sulfuric acid or lye, use baking soda, vinegar and hot water!  It works!  Or, use a plunger.  These options are much, much safer and you won’t have to worry about going blind or suffering from serious burns.  Enzymatic cleaners are another eco-friendly option, they contain bacteria cultures and enzymes that eat away at organic material without harming your pipes or your septic system.  Conscious living means thinking about the effects of our actions with every step we take and always being aware of where the chemicals we utilize are going to end up.  Most of these end up in rivers and streams and ultimately in the oceans where they cause algae blooms.  So, it’s a new year, how about a new cleaning routine?  Check out the Nexyoo providers for tons of natural cleaning products.

I think we’ll start with the concept of conscious consumerism.  I mean, that is what we are, consumers.  And, as much as we try to not consume, we end up doing just that.  So let’s try to find better ways to channel that need.  Conscious Consumerism is the idea that when you need to purchase an item or service you look for the healthiest, most fulfilling and eco-friendly option.  Nowadays, this is so easy since everyone is jumping on the “green” bandwagon.  But, that is where we have to be careful not to fall victim to the “greenwashing” trend that is very evident in corporate america.  I can help with that.  Best place to start?  See who owns what, follow the trail all the way to the top of the corporate food chain.  Who owns that supposedly healthier toothpaste in your bathroom? Maybe the original owner sold the company a long time ago for millions of dollars to a huge corporate entity?  hint-hint.  That happens a lot and it is disheartening to find out that the product you bought is not what you thought it was.

I love the cosmetics database over at Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep site, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ . Ken Cook flat-out rocks and what he is doing is so important considering the overuse of toxins and chemicals in the beauty products.  You just type in the product and it gives you the listing and danger level of every ingredient found in the product.  It’s pretty scary sometimes but, definitely eye-opening. Now, raid your bathroom and gather up all of those “must have” products and see how they rate. As always, if you have any questions about alternatives when it comes to certain products contact me and I’ll help you out, we have tons of incredible discounts here at Nexyoo for earth friendly and super-healthy alternatives to those products you can’t live without!