Essential Supplies for a Sustainable Home Clean

Why Choose Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies?

Cleaning our homes is a routine task, but have you ever thought about what you're using to do it? The products we choose can impact not just our health, but also the environment. That's why I’m excited to share my list of essential supplies for keeping a sustainable home clean.

A List of Supplies We Find Essential for Keeping a Sustainable Home Clean

• White Vinegar/Pickling Vinegar: Initially stinky and unpleasant, but once you master the art of infusing and blending with essential oils, it can become refreshing.

  
  

• Essential Oils: I especially use tea tree (anti-fungal & antiseptic), clove, citrus, berries, and mints. Did you know that out of 21 essential oils tested, 19 showed antibacterial activity? That’s a powerful reason to incorporate them into your cleaning routine!

  
  

Here is a quote from a study via US National Library of Medicine: "Generally most of the tested organisms were sensitive to many of the essential oils. Out of 21 essential oils tested, 19 showed antibacterial activity against one or more bacteria. Cinnamon oil, lime oil, geranium oil, rosemary oil, orange oil, lemon oil, and clove oil showed maximum activity against all the bacterial species tested."

• Natural Fragrance Oils: If you prefer stronger smells, look for a brand that is free of parabens and phthalates.

  
  

• Ingredients to Infuse Vinegar: This boosts the fragrance of the vinegar and is a natural way to extract essential oils. My favorites include citrus peels, evergreen needles, juniper berries, sage, rosemary, and thyme. You can dry these in paper bags near a sunny window or use a dehydrator.

  
  

• Sea Salt: I always have a saline solution made for quick use. Saline is convenient for cooking, treating injuries, infections, and certain stains. Just combine sea salt and warm water.

  
  

• Castile Soap: We buy it in bulk for cleaning toilets, bathtubs, tile surfaces, rug stains, and laundry.

  
  

• Rubbing Alcohol/Hydrogen Peroxide: I add this to our air fresheners to help penetrate the air, declog the essential oils, and sterilize.

  
  

• Baking Soda: A super oxidizer for tackling intense stains.

  
  

• Burning Sage, Copal, and Incense: Especially sage, which is believed to destroy negative energy, bacteria, and viruses in the air. I regularly smudge (burn rolled plants) before and after we have company or if something dramatic happens in or around the house.

  
  

• Instruments to Clean: Essential tools include cotton cloths, brooms, vacuums, a refillable spray bottle, and jars to infuse your concoctions.

  
  

I always have a mixture of our homemade cleaning spray on hand. We use this on all our surfaces, especially countertops and floors.

Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Products

Our local Canadian Tire has a great eco-cleaning aisle. Here are a couple of products we love:

• Detergents:

- Nellie washing soda

- Ecos detergent

- Borax - deodorizer

• Cleaners:

- The Pink Solution

- Meyers

- Clean Cult

- Scrub Mommy

Why Sustainable Cleaning is Important in Our Home

Several reasons motivate me to choose sustainable cleaning. Primarily, I want to protect my family and home from the chemicals and carcinogens commonly found in everyday cleaning products. These products end up in our water systems, and I’m concerned about polluting waterways.

We have four pets who roam the house and clean their paws with their mouths, ingesting anything used on the floors and surfaces. Additionally, we have a young baby who puts everything in her mouth.

I’ve never liked the toxic smell of synthetic fragrances in cleaning products and air sprays. There’s a distinction between dirt and the sticky grime that accumulates when surfaces are constantly over-sterilized with chemicals. Our home embraces a cottage-life mentality, with barefoot gardening and sitting on the floor. This lifestyle encourages me to clean more frequently.

I regularly declutter, vacuum, and wipe surfaces daily. When I enjoy the cleaning products I use and don’t feel the need to hold my breath, I tend to clean more often!

Lastly, I like simple solutions in the home. With the ingredients and tools listed above, I feel like I have simplified cleaning supplies that are versatile for all our family's needs. This is much better than having a product for every type of cleaning. Trusting the packaging, which often doesn’t even disclose the ingredients inside, is simply not okay!

Thanks for reading,

Samantha