***Interested in joining my Spring Clean Challenge? You can learn all about ditching the toxic chemicals in your home and replacing them with natural cleaning solutions. Join here.
When my mom was a child, she and her siblings were often sick. When my grandma took her children to the doctor yet again, the doctor replied that her kids were “too clean” and to “let them get dirty.”
Is it possible to go too far with sanitizing? Could your home actually be too clean? Maybe. Here are some thoughts to consider next time you’re ready to scrub the counters with your favorite chemical-filled cleaning products guaranteed to get rid of 99.9% of germs around.
In the past, homes were cleaned with simple household items. You used a broom to sweep and shook the rugs outside. You may have used some white vinegar and water on the windows and floors, and plain old soap and water for everything else. Baking soda and vinegar were popular cleaners during the time our grandparents were raising their families. So what changed?
Well, like most things in the United States, the cleaning supply industry turned into big business! It wasn’t until just over 30 years ago that companies started advertising different types of soap, scrubs, and other cleaning products. Now we have a myriad of soaps and anti-bacterial sanitizers available, and many of them are full of dangerous chemicals.
It’s important to remember that not all bacteria is the worst thing in the world to be afraid of. Some bacteria are actually beneficial! Good bacteria help build our immune systems. Experts have found that children who are exposed to a little dirt, dust, or pet allergens have stronger immunity as they grow older and are less likely to develop some health issues later in life. Studies also show that children who had more exposure to germs at a very young age are healthier later in life than those who spent their early years protected from germs in ultra-clean homes.
Should we simply stop cleaning our homes to build up our immune systems? No, that would be gross! However, studies show that sometimes ultra-clean is too clean. So instead of reaching for anti-bacterial everything to keep every germ away, try using regular soap. Rather than using a harsh chemical to clean something, consider a safe, yet still effective, natural option.
Steps to Take:
- Become an avid label reader. Many products won’t list their ingredients, so look for warning words such as DANGER, WARNING, or POISON. These words indicate there are chemicals in the product that may be harmful to you and your family.
- Buy cleaners that have all ingredients listed on their labels. If you can’t pronounce it, figure out what it is and if it’s dangerous, don’t purchase. A great place to check cleaning products for safety is EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning.
- Consider making your own safe, natural home cleaners. It’s way easier than you might think it is. You can find a few of my favorites here or read about my go-to clean-all solution here. I use that one for just about every cleaning job in my home.
To avoid toxic chemicals, many people are turning to natural cleaning solutions. It’s easier to find cleaning products with simple ingredients you can recognize and pronounce these days. More and more people are turning back to cleaning the way Grandma did – with baking soda, vinegar, soap, and water. This is my preferred method.
We certainly need to keep our homes clean, but we don’t need to be so terrified of bacteria that we try to annihilate the good along with the bad. Consider using natural products in place of those harmful chemicals. Soap and water has been getting the job done for many years, and it still works just fine today.
***Interested in joining my Spring Clean Challenge? You can learn all about ditching the toxic chemicals in your home and replacing them with natural cleaning solutions. Join here.
