How to Get Rid of Harmful Chemicals

If you’re here, that means you are interested in some aspect of healthy living. Maybe you are improving your diet, working on sleeping, or drinking more clean water.

You’re working to make sure that you are only ingesting healthy foods, and it’s important to make sure you aren’t using the unhealthy ones on the outside either!

Chemicals in Cleaners and Beauty Products

Most conventional beauty and cleaning products are full of questionable or outright dangerous chemicals that can be just as harmful to your body’s largest organ as the chemicals you ingest. If you’ve gone out of your way to clean up your diet, it is time to take the next step and clean up the rest of your life!

If you have kids, this is especially important as they are even more susceptible to chemicals in cleaning products, shampoos, lotions, plastics, air fresheners, laundry detergent, etc.

Unlike healthy eating, natural cleaning/ living is an area where it most definitely is CHEAPER to go the natural route. With a few master ingredients, you can keep you house and body clean for practically nothing. At my house, the ingredients I always keep on hand for cleaning are:

White Vinegar
Borax
Washing Soda
Baking Soda
Salt
Lemons
Liquid Castile Soap

For beauty/personal care, I can make practically everything with:

Coconut oil
Baking soda
Shea butter
Liquid Castile soap
Apple cider vinegar
Essential oils

Not Convinced?

Here are a few basic recipes for homemade cleaners and beauty products that you can easily make:

Natural Cleaning Recipes

Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent
Natural All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Natural Oven Cleaning
Natural Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Easy Homemade Scouring Powder Recipe
Floor and Tile Cleaner Recipe

Health and Beauty Recipes

Natural Homemade Substitutes for Conventional Beauty Products
Seven Natural Remedies you Already Have at Home
Seven Natural Beauty Tricks From Your Kitchen
Natural Homemade Baby Wipes-Easy to Make
Make Your Own Natural Deodorant With This Simple Recipe
Natural Homemade Toothpaste- Easy Recipe
UPDATE: Remineralizing Toothpaste Recipe!
Natural Homemade Sunscreen Recipe
Natural Bug Spray Recipes that Work
Health Tonic: Vinegar of the Four Thieves

The Challenge

You are eating healthier, now its time to stop inundating your body with junk from the outside!

I challenge you to hit the bathroom counter, cabinets, under the kitchen sink, etc and get rid of all the chemical filled products that aren’t good for you or your skin! Some examples would be: all purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, disinfecting sprays, conventional deodorants, lotions, toothpastes, soaps, beauty products, etc. Give them to a toxic waste disposal place or, if you aren’t sure you are going to make the switch permanent, put them where you can’t use them for a month and see how you feel then!

What products will you get rid of? What will you replace them with? Share below!

Sources

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

43 responses to “The Chemicals In Your Closet”

Ellen

March 17, 2019

I love learning from you! Thanks for all of your great ideas to help my family be healthier ? Just wondering how you feel about Norwex?

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Judy welte

November 5, 2017

I’m wondering if any one knows how to get rid of the scent of something washed with the toxic laundry soaps in clothes. Sun is the only thing I’ve found to help….but alas it is too cold out now. I’ve tried everything else…vinegar,baking soda,bac out, can’t use hot water because it will shrink them. Would be a blessing if someone could help. Thanks in advance.

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Shawn

May 14, 2016

For mirrors, windows and all cleaning except for wood I use food grade hydrogen peroxide and peppermint oil for the smell. I buy 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide and dilute to 3% so it is very inexpensive.

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Kate

May 14, 2016

I’m a Norwexer! Clean with water and microfiber!

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Brittany

January 28, 2016

NORWEX! No chemicals at all!!!! Let me know and I can answer any questions for you!

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  January 28, 2016
  
  I reviewed them here: https://wellnessmama.com/4702/norwex-microfiber-review/
  
  Reply
Savannah

December 15, 2014

Hi Wellness Mama! I recently found your blog, and am so so grateful for the time you take to share this information with the world! This blog is such a great resource for anyone who is looking to make their lifestyle a little healthier. I am an ex-pat currently living in France, and have been trying to find castile soap (and kale, but that’s another story), but have not yet, even at co-ops and natural markets. I am wondering if there is a good replacement for castile soap? I am looking for a great all-purpose soap for hands/body/dishes/laundry. The options that are available that seem best are Marseille Soap (in true French style) and Soap Nuts. Do you have any information on either of these? Thank you SO MUCH again for taking the time to share all of this information with the world. You are so appreciated!

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  December 21, 2014
  
  I LOVE soap nuts. Here is how I use them for laundry: https://wellnessmama.com/7553/soap-nuts-laundry-care/ and shampoo: https://wellnessmama.com/8441/soap-nuts-shampoo/
  
  Reply
Calli Curtis

August 29, 2011

Replaced Windex with vinegar and water!
Replaced store laundry soap with homemade version (though I don’t love it yet).

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Sherry England

August 29, 2011

-Rid of Head and Shoulders shampoo
-use face naturals organic lavender shampoo
-rid of Lysol antibacterial spray.
-rid of softsoap
-back soap with organic shea butter
-black soap with organic shea butter
-rid of burts bees body wash
-use face naturals organic lush lavender body wash
-rid of degree antiperspirant
-use Salubritas deodorant balm
-vinegar and water and a couple drops 7th generation dish det to clean windows.
-hair rinse-braggs organic apple cider vinegar and water
-face cleanser-coconut oil and honey
-face moisturizer: coconut oil and shea butter
-baths with salts and lavender essential oil to detoxify
-olive oil and lemon juice for the wood products
-cleaning scrub-baking soda,borax,lemon juice and vinegar
-rid of snuggle fabric softener
-use vinegar in homemade laundry detergent
-rid of Arm and Hammer natural laundry detergent
-son now uses goats milk soap to wash his face instead of body wash.
-natural laundry detergent-baking soda, borax,washing soda, castille soap, vinegar, essential oils
-moisturizer-coconut oil and shea butter
-carpet deodorizer-baking soda, borax and essential oils
-skin exfoliator- coffee, sucanat, coconut oil
-rid of st ives apricot facial scrub
-Tropical Traditions cinnamon teeth cleaner.
-apple cider vinegar as an astringent
-linoleum floor cleaner-vinegar and hydrogen peroxide sprayed alternately on the floor.let sit a few minutes and take an old towel or t shirt and walk the floor.

-deep hair conditioner-coconut oil enough to cover hair and scalp. rub in and cover completely massaging into scalp.Cover hair with plastic hair cap and sleep with cap on.Can rinse hair with water or shampoo and rinse.

-use 1 bottle with white vinegar and another bottle with hydrogen peroxide. spray on surfaces alternately and let set for a few minutes.longer on surfaces like commode rims and seats and any areas that are really dirty.This has been tested at UVA labs to be as effective as clorox at disinfecting surfaces.Note: Change the hydrogen peroxide if it does not bubble with new.

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Sherry England

August 29, 2011

moisturizer-coconut oil and shea butter

Reply