What Are the Best Natural Cleaning Products? Detox Your Home With These Affordable and Effective Options
Using natural cleaning products is one of the most important steps you can take to detoxify your home and optimize your indoor air quality.
The synthetic chemicals used in conventional cleaners are very toxic and have an adverse impact on our health.
Here we will explore why it is so important to use natural cleaning products, some easy and handy items that can be used as natural cleaners, and the best natural cleaning products available today.
Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and subsequently make a purchase on the merchant’s website, we may earn a small commission at absolutely no additional cost to you. All opinions are entirely my own. I have used all products mentioned personally.
The Huge Importance of Using Natural Cleaning Products for Your Home
The synthetic chemicals that are found in many “everyday” conventional products are toxic and hazardous to our health in many ways.
Exposure to these chemicals, especially over a long period of time, can cause hormone imbalance, skin conditions, respiratory symptoms and conditions, and more.
In addition, these chemicals increase the overall toxic load on the body, which can tax the detox organs including the liver and kidneys, leading to further physiological imbalance.
Some of these chemicals include:
- Ammonia: commonly used in window cleaners and some disinfectants and a very potent lung irritant
- Phlalates: commonly used as a solvent in conventional cleaning products and a potent endocrine distruptor (a substance that disrupts the balance and production of the body’s hormones)
- Parabens: commonly used as a preservative in cleaning products and a potent endocrine distruptor
- Triclosan: commonly used in soaps/cleaners and a neurotoxin and endocrine distruptor
- Bleach: commonly used as a disinfectant and whitening agent that is a potent lung irritant and endocrine distruptor
In general, these toxic ingredients also increase oxidative stress in the body and cause systemic inflammation, both of which can lead to serious imbalances, symptoms, and health conditions.
Furthermore, endocrine distruptors can greatly impact the balance of important hormones in our body such as estrogen, androgens, and thyroid hormones.
Some of these chemicals also release Volatile Organic Compounds/VOCs, which are toxic gases that irritate the respiratory system, eyes, and more and are generally toxic to the human body.
In addition to causing air pollution, these synthetic chemicals are also harmful to our natural environment by causing water pollution, as they are eventually washed into rivers and bodies of water.
Due to all of these many reasons, it is imperative to switch to natural cleaning and personal care products to avoid these harmful effects.
This is a big step in your healing journey and will have a hugely positive impact on your health.
There are plenty of equally effective natural options that can be used in place of these toxic cleaners and I truly hope that they become more and more widely used as awareness of the harmful effects of conventional cleaners grows.
If someone doesn’t already have a respiratory condition such as asthma or any other notable sensitivity, it can be hard to realize how harmful these products truly are because they don’t seem to noticeably impact you.
Shortly after I developed Biotoxin Illness/Mold Toxicity from prolonged hidden mold exposure, I became incredibly sensitive to all conventional cleaners.
This condition caused extreme sensitivities to foods, chemicals, light, sound, all kinds of things. The chemical sensitivity was the most severe and was incredibly challenging because there are chemicals everywhere in our world.
If I walked into any public place that used an ammonia based cleaner or synthetic cleaners of any kind (which is pretty much everywhere) I would immediately have shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pain, and it felt like I was being suffocated.
While I already had a firm understanding of how toxic these products were, these sensitives really drove that point home with how pronounced my reactions to them were.
Just because something can be used as a cleaner or disinfectant doesn’t mean it should be. The toxicity of a substance needs to be taken into consideration as the first and most important element to consider.
When there are plenty of affordable and effective natural options available, it remains glaringly clear that the use of any such toxic product must be discontinued.
Common Household Items to Use as Natural Cleaners
There are various ingredients that you may already have in your home that can be used as super effective and convenient natural cleaners. We’ll explore a few of them here.
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Baking Soda
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a very effective natural cleaning agent that can be used for a variety of purposes including:
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- Deodorizer (for shoes, mattresses, rugs, laundry, and more)
- Surface cleaner (especially on delicate surfaces like those that are painted)
- Clean/unclog drains (pour in baking soda and let sit for a few minutes, followed by hot water and drains are cleansed and unclogged)
- In a mopping solution
- Toilet cleaner
- To scrub hard to clean surfaces like the stove top of oven
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Vinegar
Vinegar is also a multi-use natural cleaner that can be used for many purposes. One of the main reasons vinegar is such an effective cleaning agent is because it contains acetic acid. Acetic acid can be used to effectively clean grease, dirt, and even has antibacterial properties.
Distilled white vinegar is the best type of vinegar to use for cleaning, because it will not stain surfaces.
Some of the many uses of vinegar for cleaning include:
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- Streak-free glass cleaner (mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle)
- General surface cleaner
- Toilet cleaner
- Mopping solution (excluding hardwood floors)
- To freshen laundry
- Added to the dishwasher to help disinfect and remove grease from dishes
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Essential Oils
Essential oils have a plethora of awesome uses, including being added to natural cleaning solutions to amp up their cleansing and disinfecting power.
You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil to your DIY cleaning solution spray bottles and use them for surface cleaning, deodorizing, and more.
Some of the best antibacterial and antimicrobial essential oils to use for cleaning purposes include:
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- Tea tree
- Peppermint
- Lemon
- Lime
- Cinnamon
If I am using vinegar for cleaning, I always add essential oils which makes the cleaner smell wonderful.
One of my favorite oils for cleaning is included below.
The Best Natural Cleaning Products
There are also a variety of awesome natural cleaning products that are affordable and effective. I’ve been testing out a variety of natural cleaners for years to figure out which ones are the best and the following products have stood out the most.
One of my favorite lines of natural cleaning and personal care products is Puracy. They are based in Austin, Texas and all of their products are over 99% natural, eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, and gluten-free.
They are also completely free of common harsh and toxic ingredients including sulfates, triclosan, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, phosphates, chlorine, bleach, ammonia, MEA, DEA, allergens, perfumes, dyes, and caustics.
Puracy products are also never tested on animals and certified cruelty-free. They are also totally safe to use around your children and your pets.
I’ve been using them for years and absolutley love them. They are super effective but so gentle as well so its a win win. Even with as many sensitives as I’ve had, not a single product I have used from Puracy has ever caused a reaction.
The following are some of my favorites from Puracy, as well as a few other powerful natural products that I use to make a DIY disinfecting and antifungal spray.
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Puracy Natural Hand Soap
Puracy Gel Hand Soap is a gentle yet effective natural hand soap that leaves your hands soft with no residue.
The ingredients of this soap are plant, mineral, and water based and are derived primarily from coconut and aloe.
This hand soap is available in 2 scents: lavender & vanilla and cucumber & mint. I personally use the lavender & vanilla the most often. It has a subtle, pleasant scent that isn’t overpowering at all.
Click here to check out Puracy’s Natural Hand Soap.
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Puracy Natural Dish Soap
Puracy Natural Dish Soap is a powerfully effective natural option to use for washing your dishes.
This is a concentrated soap that is made of coconut and vegetable based cleaning agents.
It is a powerful soap to cut through grease but is still super gentle on your skin and leaves your hands feeling soft.
I love the green tea & lime scent, which is light and refreshing. It is also available in organic lemongrass and citrus & sea salt.
A little goes a long way, as only a teaspoon is needed for an entire sink of dishes.
Click here to check out Puracy’s Natural Dish Soap.
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Puracy Natural Dishwasher Pods
I was so excited when I first found this product! These are super convenient and work so well as a dishwasher detergent.
Puracy Natural Dishwasher Pods are made of plant and mineral based cleaning agents. They also contain the enzymes protease and amylase which help to break down the most caked-on food.
These are “free & clear” and do not have a scent nor do they leave any kind of residue.
There are 50 pods per bag.
Click here to check out Puracy’s Natural Dishwasher Pods.
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Puracy Disinfecting Surface Cleaner
Puracy Disinfecting Surface Cleaner is a perfect alternative to any other toxic disinfecting cleaner, as it kills 99.99% of germs while also being safe to use.
It utilizes hydrogen peroxide as one of its primary disinfecting agents which uses the power of oxygen to kill microorganisms and pathogens by destroying the cell wall.
This cleaner is meant to be used on hard, non-porous surfaces and can even be used on food contact surfaces safely.
It cleans and deodorizes surfaces while also disinfecting and leaves no streaks or residue.
I use this primarily in my kitchen and bathroom and love it.
Click here to check out Puracy’s Disinfecting Surface Cleaner.
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Disinfecting Spray Recipe
This is a simple recipe that I developed primarily to use as an antifungal spray in maintaining a mold-free living environment. When healing from Biotoxin Illness/Mold Toxicity, keeping your environment free of mold is imperative.
This spray can also be used as a general disinfectant, because the ingredients have antibacterial, antifungal, and additional antimicrobial properties.
My recipes includes:
- 2 ounces of Micro Balance Health Products Mold Solution Concentrate (described further below)
- 15 drops of Vibrant Blue Oils Tea Tree essential oil (described further below)
- Distilled water
*Using a glass 16 ounce spray bottle, pour in the concentrate, followed by the drops of essential oil, and then fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water and shake to mix well.
For hard surfaces, spray on, and wipe with a clean
cloth but do not rinse.
For soft surfaces, spray a thin mist over the item and allow to air dry.
I use this spray on most surfaces and have never had an issue but it is always best to do a small spot test on a hidden portion of the surface before using any new cleaner on your furniture, counters, etc.
A 16 ounce bottle of this spray lasts quite a long time if you’re using it every couple days.
A bit about these 2 ingredients:
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- Micro Balance Health Products Mold Solution Concentrate
I’ve been using Micro Balance Health Products for years, as they are a specialized line of natural products that are geared toward helping those impacted by Biotoxin Illness/Mold Toxicity achieve and maintain a mold-free living environment.
This product is a completely natural concentrate that is made of citrus seed extracts, which house powerful antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
Click here to check out the Mold Solution Concentrate.
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- Vibrant Blue Oils Tea Tree Essential Oil
Vibrant Blue Oils is by far my favorite line of therapeutic essential oils and I’ve also been using them for years for all sorts of healing purposes. They are the best quality and most effective oils I’ve ever found and I’ve tried a lot!
These oils are all organic and are derived from herbs that are harvested from small organic farms throughout the world. They provide a wide variety of blends for targeted support as well as single oils, such as the tea tree oil.
Tea tree is a powerful natural antibacterial, antifungal, and general antimicrobial agent and an excellent resource to use as a natural cleaner.
Click here to check out Vibrant Blue Oils organic tea tree essential oil.
In Closing…
As we’ve explored here, using natural cleaning products is hugely important when it comes to achieving and maintaining your health and wellness.
I hope that in the near future, natural cleaning products become much more widely used, as they provide a much safer and equally effective alternative to toxic and hazardous synthetic chemical cleaners.
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to detox your home today and switch to only natural cleaning products. This is a big step in your healing journey that will have an incredibly beneficial impact on your health.
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