Starting Out: Swapping Clean Household Products

One of the first things I did when starting a clean lifestyle was replace the household items that I was using. I was a little overwhelmed by where to begin, but I used a variety of apps to help - in particular The Environmental Working Group's consumer guide. They have different categories for every type of household cleaner and personal care, which made it so much easier. I then cross-checked these products with other websites and ingredient apps to find trends and supporting data. Essentially, I started with one item or category at a time, found a clean product I loved that didn't break the bank, and then moved on to the next. You can do the same, or you can check out some of the best products I've found in various categories that are cleaner options. 

Here's our current full clean round-up:

• Laundry: Molly's Suds
• Furniture Polish: Ecos
• Hand Soap: Branch Basics
  
• Glass Cleaner: Attitude
• Floor Cleaner: Aunt Fanny's
  
• Dishwashing detergent: Molly's Suds

You can check out these and more on our Amazon Storefront.

Molly's Suds

This is a very clean brand across the board. I currently use their laundry detergent and dishwasher pods but they have several other cleaning products available as well. The price may seem higher than your normal product at first, but honestly I got so many washes out of  the powder detergent and I haven't even gone through one dishwasher bag yet. So you pay more up front, but it ultimately saves you money in the long run. I prefer the unscented for the dishwasher and peppermint for laundry (two of the cleanest "scents"). 

• Laundry detergent
• Dishwasher pods

Attitude

Another brand that you can pretty much trust across the board - plus we love a lot of their baby products and personal hygiene products as well. They (again) offer a variety of categories, and we currently use their multipurpose spray and glass cleaner as a regular part of our routine. I have additionally used their dish soap (they even make one specifically for cleaning bottles!) and love them all. The scented products have a slight vinegar smell and the unscented, like the dish soap, has no discernable fragrance at all. Can't recommend them as a clean brand enough, aside from the fact they are a bit more expensive than your average product.

• Multi-purpose spray
• Glass cleaner
• Dish soap
• Baby soap
• Deodorant

 

Nine Elements

This is a three-for-one clean sweep: this brand is highly rated in all of its products on the EWG website, works well, and is pretty affordable. I've used their laundry detergent, dish soap, and multi-surface spray for various chores around my house. In particular, laundry is a major source of harmful chemicals and fragrances, so that was one of the first switches I made. There are several highly-ranked laundry brands, but some were super expensive and hard to find. This detergent is only a few dollars more than my usual brand and is available on Amazon/in stores at Walmart, as were their other cleaners. There is definitely a strong vinegar scent with all of their products, as it is the major cleaning agent, but it doesn't stick with the laundry and just makes everything else I clean smell.....clean (lol). They have a eucalyptus scent as well, but the lemon was more readily available so I went with convenience. There is some controversy over green-washing with this brand, but from the research I've done, it seems like a cleaner alternative than many other household names.

• Dish soap
• Multi-surface spray
• Laundry detergent

Better Life Dishwashing Detergent

This dishwasher detergent comes highly rated in terms of its clean ingredients. I'll be honest - I've never noticed much of a difference in how dish detergent affects the cleanliness of my dishes...I think it has a bit more to do with your dishwasher and how you pre-rinse some tough food stains. However, that being said, this has kept up with my usual level of cleanliness and is given a top score in ingredients, which is what matters to me. I have tried another clean brand from Grove which left a light film on some of my dishes but did not have that problem with this gel. There is no scent that I've noticed (which is good) and a little appears to go a long way. I found a two-pack on Amazon and didn't think the price was bad. We don't run the dishwasher too often, but this has lasted quite a while and I still have most of the bottle plus my second one. Overall, I would buy again; having dishwasher detergent that has non-toxic ingredients is really important since it is literally touching everything we eat!

• Amazon two-pack

Aunt Fannie's Floor Cleaner

Especially with a baby who is crawling (and slobbering) all over the place, I wanted to be sure that my floor was not only clean, but free of harmful chemicals that Sloane's wide-open mouth would ingest. I switched to this "A" rated floor cleaner as a result. Once again, it is vinegar-based so that is a pretty strong smell, but I enjoy this mandarin version, which has some citrus notes as well. This product is definitely on the more expensive end compared to cheaper floor polishes; I think I used to buy ammonia for less than $1.50 which would last for months. This Aunt Fannie's is almost $12.00 and I was still surprised when it came in the mail and was a smaller container than expected. That being said, it seems to be one of the better options out there (which all tend to be on the pricier end anyway) and you don't need much to get the job done. I'm on my first bottle, so I can't speak to how long it will last, but it appears to be longer than it looks. It's a dollar cheaper from the Aunt Fannie's website and I've seen it occasionally in stores, but it's available on Amazon as well.

• Aunt Fannie's Website Link
• Amazon Link

Miss Mouth's Stain Treater

This one is a little more baby-centered, as this stain remover is specifically designed for little "messy eaters", but I don't see why it couldn't work for everyone. Unlike Shout, which worked well but reeked of chemicals, this spray is non-toxic. That's especially important for babies, who seem to eat their clothes more than anything else. We've stained fabric with white spit-up to orange sweet potato and every color green in between. This spray got out the toughest stains on the lightest fabrics. It's on the more expensive end (I think about twice the price of a bottle of Shout for fewer ounces), but again, was one of the things that became a priority for me with a baby! 

• Amazon link
• Amazon three-pack

Wool Dryer Balls 

Did you know that your dryer sheets are one of the worst offenders of emitting harmful chemicals and they are bad for your dryer? Not to mention the environmental waste of throwing out a sheet with every load of laundry. So I made the easy switch to wool dryer balls. These ultimately save you so much money, make your clothes dry faster, are healthier for you and your family, and are better for the environment. It's a win all around! The only downsides I have noticed are that I have a little more static cling when the ball starts to wear down (but they are so cheap that they are easy to replace) and, of course, you miss that fresh-from-the-dryer smell. However, this is easily remedied by using a natural essential oil on the dryer ball. Make sure these don't use artificial fragrance or harmful ingredients, but then it's as simple as applying a few drops to the ball before you throw it in with your laundry and the smell carries through to your clothes. This would usually last a few loads and then I'd apply just a little more. I also don't mind having no smell at all - it reminds me that my clothes are actually "cleaner" than before!

• Molly's Suds Organic Wool Dryer Balls

Ultimately, these are some great first steps in the transition to cleaner living. Even just replacing one item at a time while you figure out what works for you will make a significant impact overall! 

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