I have a confession to make. While I live in a “granola” part of the city where the majority of people are very environmentally conscience, eat all natural, organic food, use only home made cleaning products, provide their kids zero to no sugar products or processed food, and generally refrain from buying from large corporations….I am not one of those people. Sure, I admire them and I aspire to be THAT good, but I’m not.
While I may not be considered granola, I also wouldn’t consider myself the extreme. I do buy organic at times, but not always. I do make some of my kid’s food from scratch, but not always. I do buy locally, but I also shop at Walmart. I do my part to help the environment by recycling and composting, but I also consume and purchase a lot of goods. I’m neither here or there, but hey, no one is perfect.
The one thing that I have made a conscience decision on improving though is my cleaning supplies. Prior to kids, I would just purchase whatever was on sale. However, once my son grew up and started crawling all over our wooden floors, eating off our floors, and touching EVERY. SINGLE. THING, I decided it was time to take action. I made the decision to only purchase and use natural cleaning products. One of those products is Seventh Generation. 
Their products use only plant-derived ingredients which aren’t only great for the environment and for your family, but they actually work at getting the job done. While I use Seventh Generation products at home including the dishwasher powder, laundry detergent and Granite & Stone Cleaner, I swear by Seventh Generation products at the cottage. I know that at the cottage, everything that I use goes right back out into the surrounding forest and lake. I want to ensure that I do my part to keep cottage country natural as best as I can.
I recently attended a Seventh Generation event where I learned about 7-steps-for-a-do-it-yourself home detox. They’re really easy and simple and I think that even if you do a few of them, it will make a big difference. Here they are:
1. OPEN THE WINDOWS – Air inside is often more polluted than outdoor air. Open your windows daily to ventilate.
2. LEAVE SHOES AT THE DOOR – Roughly 70 percent of household dust, pests, pollutants and dirt (which often contains lead and chemicals) are tracked indoors on the bottom of shoes. If you’re dealing with a pest problem, Ozzie Pest Control Ipswich is the solution you need!
3. PLANT MORE INDOOR PLANTS – Plants don’t just brighten your home; they can also help absorb impurities in the air.
4. CLEAN WITH PLANT BASED OR DIY CLEANERS – Choose plant-based household cleaning products that are free of harsh solvents, dyes and synthetic fragrances. Additionally, if you’re looking to clear out old storage structures, Roanoke Junk Removal & Dumpster Rental does shed demos Roanoke, VA, offering a convenient solution for your cleanup needs.
5. SLEEP ON ORGANIC AND OR NATURAL FIBRES – Not only are they more comfortable, but they don’t contain any toxic chemicals making for a better night sleep.
6. DETOX YOUR HOME FROM THE OUTSIDE IN – Tackle weeds and pests without chemicals. Spray your lawn with white vinegar or spread a natural mulch over affected areas, or you can use a service for pests, look at here now to find more about this.
7. CHOOSE TOYS MADE FROM NATURAL MATERIALS – Purchase toys, cribs, and bedding made from natural materials, like solid woods with non-toxic finishes and natural textiles like organic cotton or wool.
GIVEAWAY
One lucky Mayahood reader will win a Seventh Generation home detox kit valued at $50. Enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter below (please give it a few seconds to load). Contest is open to all residents of Canada. Contest ends Wednesday July 30, 2014. Good-luck!
I try not to use harsh chemicals,I mostly use baking soda and vinagar
I recently tried using a vinegar and blue dawn dish soap concoction that worked really well in the shower and tub 🙂
I try to buy natural products, and use baking soda
We try to make our own cleaners whenever possible. I usually use vinegar, baking soda and lemon at times.
I try to use natural ingredients for cleaning–vinegar, baking soda, lemons, etc.
I use a lot of baking soda and vinegar, and make sure we open windows as often and as long as possible to get fresh air into the house day and night
We also use lots of vingar to clean and try to avoid harsh chemicals!
I try to use as many natural products as I can.
I always try to buy a natural cleaner if not hot water works great!
I try to use mostly vinegar, baking soda and water!
i use a steam mop
I use a lot of vinegar and baking soda to do cleaning.
Baking soda and vinegar are my go to natural cleaners
I have recently started using vinegar. I have a shark steamer thst I use for bathrooms and tiles, love using that, just steam and nothing else!
I buy all natural products only, use vinegar for cleaning and a steam mop for my floors!
I try not to use too harsh cleaners,open the windows,adn turn on my air purifier once in a while.
This is something I’ve recently started working on. I’ve always opened windows and had a good assortment of plants (many that are said to help with toxins), but now, I’m using vinegar much more often and baking soda or Borax to clean … My second is like yours, EVERYthing goes into his mouth!
We tend to avoid using harsh chemicals in the first place.
I try to use natural cleaning products.
I’d buy natural products and steam clean my floors.
We try to use natural cleaning products when possible
we use natural products to clean our home
I try to look at the item and see how much chemicals are in there and which is the better option.
We use vinegar and other natural remedies to clean.
I open the windows on windy sunny days and use vinegar or lemon for cleaning
I use a lot of baking soda and vinegar in my cleaning.
I use mostly a combination of natural store bought cleaners and my own recipes using vinegar and baking soda.
I try to make my own cleaners!
I try to use natural cleaners.
I use vinegar and water in a spray bottle instead of commercial cleansers
I try to buy natural products or use baking soda.
try to use all natural products
I try to use natural products.
We use natural products
I try to use as many all natural products as possible …I hate using chemicals in my cleaners and health and beauty products
I make my own cleaners using dish soap and vinegar.
I go for green cleaners as much as possible. I would like to move towards making my own natural cleaners too!
I cut out a lot of chemicals and now make a lot of my cleaners out of household items like vinegar, essential oils, etc.
We use homemade cleaners with vinegar or buy all natural products.
I often use baking soda and/or vinegar as my main cleaning ingredient.
I try and use natural products as much as possible
I use vinegar for almost all of my cleaning
i use vinegar and water in a spray bottle for basic cleaning. i also use natural body products.
Use natural products when I can
We try to use products that are chemical free – e.g. microfiber cleaning cloths with just water, Pink Solution, vinegar…
I detox my home by cleaning with baking soda.