Spring has sprung! Aside from that annoying bit of having to adjust the clocks forward and lose an hour of sleep for the sake of daylight savings time (groan), I am fully embracing this season of growth and renewal with gusto! It’s also the time of year for the age-old tradition of spring cleaning!
As someone who is highly sensitive to, well, everything, I joined the clean living movement fairly early out of necessity. While some people associate the smell of bleach with cleanliness (Who are these people?), I, on the other hand, associate it with caustic fumes, pain, and torture. Just a faint whiff will cause my eyes to water and itch and my nose to burn. It’s quite uncomfortable and makes me feel like I’m being poisoned…because I am. So, as a habit, I steer clear of any cleaning products that contain bleach—or ammonia for that matter.
Another ingredient to look out for if you are similarly sensitive is methylchloroisothiazolinone, or, as I like to call it, “The Ingredient Which Must Not Be Named,” because it is utterly unpronounceable and the Voldemort of preservatives as far as my skin is concerned. This “safe” ingredient was named Allergen of the Year in 2013 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society, due to its increasing prevalence in personal care products and growing correlation with skin irritation. Unfortunately, it can be found in practically every household, including yours. Check your labels; I’ll wager a bet that it’s in your shampoo, hand soap, and laundry detergent—all of them. Go look now. I’ll wait…
Was I right?…I was right.
I became acquainted with methyl-blah-blah-blah (why bother?) after a patch test administered by my dermatologist produced a painful blister in the little square where it had been applied. It took months to fully heal. I repeat, MONTHS. So if you ask me, “You Know Who” belongs in one place and one place only: the Scripps Spelling Bee. Good luck with that one, kids.
Over the years, as awareness of the effects that everyday products have on our health and environment has grown, so has research and development improved within the clean living industry. We no longer have to sacrifice efficiency for safety when it comes to household cleaning. Hooray! As you can imagine, I had to kiss a lot of frogs on my quest to find safe and effective cleaning products, but I finally discovered some top-notch performers that are also gentle on my skin and on the environment.
Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to a few of my favorite products:
Dirty Labs. Let’s start with my toughest challenge: laundry detergent. It was extremely difficult to find one that was gentle, effective, and (equally important) made my clothes smell great. Dirty Labs, utilizing green chemistry, manages to achieve the trifecta. I love the scent of Magnolia, Bergamot, and Cedar and how the fragrance lasts, subtly, on my clothes. The detergent itself can be applied directly to fabric as a stain remover that actually works! For bath towels and sheets, I toss in a scoop or two of the Bio Enzyme Laundry Booster for added freshness and brightening. A little goes a long way, so the bottle is long-lasting. It’s also BPA-free and recyclable. The formulas derived by Dirty Labs are biodegradable and void of harsh chemicals that can pollute water sources and harm wildlife. Environmentally friendly, skin friendly, and did I mention how great it smells? Mmm. Ahhh.
Branch Basics. This cleaning concentrate does it all. When combined with water in various ratios (convenient measurement lines are printed on the individual spray bottles), The Concentrate can be used to create three different formulas: an all purpose cleaner, streak-free glass cleaner, and one specifically designed to tackle the bathroom. I use the all purpose in tandem with the Oxygen Boost to make my natural stone shower floor look like new. No kidding—it’s like magic.
My favorite offering from Branch Basics is their very helpful cleaning guide, which provides a comprehensive instruction manual on how to maximize the efficacy of their products when tackling each room of the house. I have consulted this guide on more than one occasion when confronted with a stubborn stain, and it has never let me down.
Dawn Dish Soap & Rubbing Alcohol. The process of combining ingredients for this all purpose cleaner makes me feel like somewhat of a scientist. All I need is a lab coat and a beaker. Really, this DIY recipe is oh so simple: 3 parts water to 1 part rubbing alcohol, plus 2 teaspoons of Dawn dish soap, mixed together in a 16-oz spray bottle. Rubbing alcohol is a disinfectant, of course, and Dawn a very mild cleanser. Together, they create a pH-balanced solution that is gentle enough (think of those darling little ducks on the commercials) to be used on a wide variety of surfaces. We keep this handy mixture under our kitchen sink for daily, quick cleanups of our quartzite countertops, stainless steel appliances, painted wood cabinets, and dining furniture. I love how versatile it is, and it’s very affordable and easy to make. You may already have these ingredients sitting around your house. Give it a try!
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There is an exception to every rule, however, and in this case it’s Woolite® Carpet & Upholstery Foam Cleaner. Let me explain…
There was an incident.
An incident involving a white sofa, light gray rug, and the bright, tangy orange of Buffalo wing sauce EVERYWHERE.
My husband blamed our hosts’ prolonged refrigeration of the chicken (pre-marinade) for the excessive condensation on the outside of the bowl. Regardless, the bowl did not make it outside to the waiting grill. Instead, it slipped out of my husband’s questionable grasp and crashed to the floor, dumping a large puddle of the thick orange sauce onto the practically white area rug, and spraying droplets of orange around the entire living room as though having been fired from a shotgun. Buffalo shrapnel was splattered everywhere—all over the sofa, the rug, THE WALL, and even above the fireplace. It was a situation.
We are never going to be invited back.
But then our dear friends, the panicked homeowners, whipped out the Woolite (2 cans!), and we all went to work dabbing and scrubbing, watching that chemical-laden foam work its beautiful, toxic magic. (Truth be told, I mostly observed the process in shock and horror and merely contributed to the effort by pointing out each new orange droplet that I discovered while surveying the damage.) But, amazingly, about 40 minutes later, all evidence of the disaster had vanished, thanks to the mighty power of Woolite. Our friendship was saved. Phew!
So, while I am all-in when it comes to green cleaning, you can bet that I will be keeping that Woolite ace up my sleeve—for emergencies only. (And you should, too.)
Happy cleaning!
