How To Implement Safe Cleaning Practices Into Your Home Routine

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By Sam Bowman

Everyone has to clean their homes at some point, which typically requires the use of cleaning products. Some of the most popular brands on the market are laden with chemicals and other ingredients that are not only damaging to the environment but can cause issues for those living in your house. Even dry cleaning your clothes utilizes chemicals that can contribute to heavy CO2 emissions.

Thankfully, more people are starting to show an interest in “green cleaning” products. In North America, 30% of people specifically look for eco-friendly cleaning products, and it is becoming a more popular trend as everything from climate change to compromised immune systems continue to be increasingly important.

If you want to make the switch to using safer cleaning products in your home routine, it’s easier than you might think. It just takes a bit of time, research, and a willingness to let go of some of your favorite products for cleaner, greener alternatives. Let’s look at how to make those changes, and how safe cleaning practices can make you feel better about the environment and the people you love.

Making Changes to Reduce Stress

There are many reasons to choose natural cleaning products in your home, including:

They’re better for the planet
They save resources
They contain fewer allergens
They are gentler on skin
They are safer for the whole family, including children

That last benefit is one of the most important, especially if you have young kids in your house. It might be difficult to let go of certain cleaning products you love, but choosing safer products can give you peace of mind and reduce stress when you have to keep your baby or child’s room clean. Young children can be especially susceptible to allergens, and they may have extremely sensitive skin. Coming into contact with certain chemical cleaning products could be incredibly dangerous.

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To keep yourself more ‘stress-free,’ it’s a good idea to tidy up your baby’s room (and the rest of the house) every day. Using natural cleaners can make you feel better about the air your family is breathing and anything they might be touching at home throughout the day.

Creating a Green and Clean Schedule

If you’re not sure how to make the switch to natural cleaning solutions, don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. It’s something you can do gradually as you find products you enjoy using. There is a common misconception that natural cleaning products don’t work as well as the ones you might be used to. That isn’t true. Like any other product, it takes time to find the right products to work into your cleaning schedule.

With that in mind, creating a cleaning schedule for your home will allow you to introduce different products at different frequencies. Not only will this help you to save money, but it will give you time to learn about the products you want to use and experiment with.

Daily cleaning tasks should include things like:

Making the beds
Wiping down surfaces
Cleaning toilets/sinks
Decluttering areas

You can use a few different natural products for disinfecting surfaces and cleaning toilets. But, you might use other products to clean the windows once a week, or to mop your floors every few days. Spacing out how often you use different products will make the switch easier on you until you fall into a schedule you can stick with.

How to Choose the Right Products

Because there are so many safe, natural cleaning products on the market, it can be difficult to choose the right one. But, as long as you’re willing to look at the ingredients, there doesn’t have to be a “right” or “wrong” selection. Instead, decide which ingredients are important to you and which ones you would like to avoid. Additionally, you can research the opinions of trusted experts if you’re stumped on which products to choose.

Additionally, you can try making your own greener products to clean your home safely. One of the biggest benefits of creating your own is that you know every last ingredient, and you are in full control of what is (and isn’t) used.

Many natural ingredients, including lemon and vinegar, are great for cleaning and disinfecting without the use of harsh chemicals. Even distilled white vinegar on its own can be used to spray kitchen countertops and bathrooms. There are hundreds of ‘recipes’ available for homemade cleaning products that are safe for you and your whole family, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Using the right products to clean your home will make it safer and more pleasant for everyone. You can feel good about the products you’re using while keeping your home tidy and fresh. By making a few simple, subtle switches, you can do so much to help the environment, as well as the people you care about.

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This post was previously published on emagazine.com.

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