We all know how filthy car seats can get, what with the milk spills, crumbles of crackers and cookies, smears of mystery sticky stuff, and often other “unmentionable” accidents that are all too common. As I scrubbed my child’s car seat with a typical household cleaner, I couldn’t help but wonder if the chemicals contained in the cleaner were harmful for her health. After all, she’d be sitting in the seat and inhaling the fumes not long after I cleaned it. This thought lead me to think about all the other cleaners that I use in my home – my detergent, my Swiffer floor cleaner, my Windex and more – and it led me to believe that there had to be a better way. So, I started to research better options for my home and family, and I found some great ideas!

First was the investment into a steam cleaner. Might I say that EVERYONE needs one of these. Whether it be the Shark cleaner, the H2O mop, or the Dupray home steamer, these things are amazing. They usually come with floor, window and hand-held attachments for any job you need done. The high temperature steam kills up to 99% of bacteria – MAN this thing obliterated the gunk and grime in my grout in the bathroom. All those pee pee accidents in the bathroom that potentially seeped into the grout of the tile are a thing of the past, now that I have my steam cleaner!

Next up was my household all-purpose cleaner – you know the one I mean; it’s the spray cleaner you use for your counters and bathroom. I usually use a green cleaner, which I find to be practically useless. It doesn’t disinfect, doesn’t remove stubborn stains, and unfortunately doesn’t smell great either. I started researching better solutions, and I first looked at the benefits of your basics, such as vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. I found that using pure vinegar on mold can be effective, as well as it works to disinfect cutting boards. One part vinegar to one part water can be used as a great general cleaner, disinfectant and deodorizer – overall it is a very inexpensive way to clean your house without those toxins!

Lemon juice is awesome for dissolving soap scum and hard water deposits, and it works like a charm on counter stains! I just sprinkled some baking soda on the counter, cut the lemon in half, and used it to scrub the area! In fact, baking soda is just as effective to scrub surfaces the way that comet used to work for me.

Finally I enlisted a friend of mine who is big into the benefits of essential oils. She is a huge believer of using essential oils not only in cleaning, but in everyday life – for relaxation, immunity, digestive health and more. She gave me a homemade concoction of what’s called Thieves Oil (From Young Living), which is totally plant and mineral based, and smells like cinnamon! It’s a mixture of clove, cinnamon and lemon oils, and I feel so good cleaning the counters and sinks with this product, knowing that there are no harmful chemicals inside. Further, it has antimicrobial and anti-odor, and leaves no yucky residue behind.

While sometimes some people feel that bleach is the only way to go, I’m feeling pretty good about my options out there for natural cleaning alternatives. Next up will be swapping out all my plastic containers for glass ones – but that’s an entirely different post!

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Melissa Collins