You Should Switch To These Natural Cleaning Products!
By Louise Belle BHSc (Nut Med)
Did you know that the average household contains approximately 250-300 chemicals? A large portion of these come from cleaning products and detergents. The harsh chemicals in cleaning products have been linked to a range of different issues such as dermatitis, nerve damage, respiratory issues and organ damage- just to name a few. Our livers have the difficult job of filtering out all these chemicals, and can become overwhelmed and sluggish, causing chemicals to circulate or to be stored in our body for long periods. Switching to natural cleaning products is an easy way to reduce the toxic burden on your body, so it is better able to focus on its other duties such as hormone regulation, fat metabolism, blood sugar regulation, protecting the immune system and the storage of vitamins and minerals. Switch out your usual cleaning products for these natural alternatives:
Soap nuts
These are dried berries that contain a natural detergent compound that is antifungal and antibacterial. You can use them in your washing machine to clean your clothes or boil them up to make a liquid to wipe down surfaces or even to wash your pets.
Baking soda
This cheap, easily accessible product is so diverse in its uses! You can use it to scrub pots and pans, to clean grime off your tiles, to deodorise carpets or pet beds, or to clean an oven when combined with vinegar.
Essential oils
Eucalyptus added to warm water can be used to mop tiles or to wipe down surfaces in the bathroom, leaving the room smelling clean and fresh. Tea tree oil is antimicrobial and antifungal and can be diluted and used to wipe down common germy surfaces. Lemon and lavender are also good ones that can be used to freshen up bins and smelly areas.
Lemon
This wonderful citrus fruit can be used to remove stains and discolouration from bench tops, utensils and chopping boards, for deodorising bad smells and for wiping down the microwave.
Vinegar
If you want your windows or aluminium stove top to sparkle – vinegar to the rescue! Plain old white vinegar mixed with some water is a great alternative to glass spray. You can even use it to rinse your fresh produce to remove bacteria and pesticide residues.
Castile soap
This can literally be used to clean almost anything! It can be used as dish soap, for mopping the floors, to clean stains off carpets and can even be used as body wash or shampoo. The best part is- there are no harmful chemicals!
Think about the number of different products that you use to wash your clothes, wash your dishes, mop the floors, clean your oven, scrub your bathroom, deodorise the air and so forth. Think about the amount of chemicals you are exposing yourself to every time you clean. It is definitely worth switching out these chemical products for natural alternatives like the ones listed above. If this sounds a little too ‘extreme’ for you, there are natural, chemical free cleaning products available on the market.
To give your body a good spring clean and to remove chemicals that have been building up in your system, you should do the Dr Cabot 15 Day Cleanse. This program targets the liver, the gut and the immune system to rid your body of toxins, chemicals and heavy metals, to improve your overall health. For overall ongoing liver support, Livatone Plus is a good quality liver tonic that supports healthy liver function.
