For our Healthy Resolutions Project, we’ve looked extensively at how to better take care of ourselves, not just our body but also our mind and soul. Now it’s time to take a look at our surroundings, at our home environment.

First, let’s take a look at what we’re using to clean our homes. Commercial household cleaners like window cleaners, bathroom cleaners, and laundry detergent often contain chemicals that are carcinogenic, disruptive to our reproductive system, harmful to our environment, or irritating to our skin or respiratory system. Even so-called natural household cleaners sold in stores often contain fragrances and preservatives, which are typically made from petroleum by-products and can be irritating.

So what are we supposed to do? The good news is that it’s easy to make your own household cleaners that work using basic ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your home! These include baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, lemon and tea tree essential oils, and a natural soap like castile soap. Not so bad, right?

Now that you know what might be lurking in your bathroom cabinet and that it’s not so hard to make your own natural household cleaners,
here are some SMART goals (see our earlier
post for a more detailed explanation of SMART goals) for you to consider:

• Goal to have a better understanding of the ingredients in your body care products:
  • Over the next two weeks, I will look at the
    ingredients of the products in my bathroom and kitchen and look them up on the
    Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Guide to Healthy Cleaning
    or use EWG’s Healthy Living App to see if there are health concerns related to them.
• Goal to learn how to make your own cleaning products:
  • By the end of this week, I will sign up for a workshop on how to make natural home care products.
• Goal to start making your own cleaning products at home right away:
  • Over the next month, I will try out one new household cleaning recipe each week.
    • Check out our blog for our favourite recipes
• Goal to purchase non-toxic, cleaning products:
  • For the next month, before I purchase a cleaning product, I will look them up in EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning or use EWG’s Healthy Living App and ensure they have a safe rating.

Got a household cleaning recipe that you love? Share them with us!

And don’t forget to check out our other Healthy Resolutions posts:

• Healthy Diet Resolutions
• Healthy Skin Resolutions
• Healthy Home Resolutions: Going Plastic-Free
• Healthy Self-Care Resolutions
• Healthy Physical Fitness Resolutions