Chiropractic Elk Grove

A few days ago, I was talking about our overall lifestyle… and the ongoing effort we make to put the “good stuff” IN while keeping the “bad stuff” away.

Obviously, this includes nutrition. But it also involves many environmental choices we make each and every day.

I consider the household cleaning products I use, what I will (and will not) spray in and around our home, what I put on my skin & hair, what I clean my mouth with, what I wash our clothes with, what gets sprayed on our lawn (nothing), what I add to my gardens, and so on.

Choices in these environmental areas all add up to either a less toxic home, or a more toxic one.

As always, it’s not perfect. But we try.

I received some questions about the cleaning & household products I use. I’ll share some of the things we use in our home. This isn’t a complete list… but it’ll give you an idea where you might be able to make less toxic, more cost-effective choices.

Many years ago I switched to ‘homemade’ cleaning products, once I discovered the frightening effects of conventional cleaners… dangerous health consequences, as well as environmental consequences.

In many of the other categories, like personal care products for example, people argue with me that the non-toxic brands are SO much more expensive. You know what? Many times, that’s actually true. Especially if you’re buying at full price.

So, I wait for sales (and use coupons) for things like shampoo & conditioner, lotion, make-up, sunscreen, natural insect repellent, toothpaste, etc.

Actually, we rarely purchase things like toothpaste - because we can just use baking soda (& some hydrogen peroxide) for 95% of our paste. The other 5% is just for that minty fresh breath! You can also make your own shampoo, body wash, deodorant and more from a simple baking soda base. I’ve used it in a pinch for hair and body… but normally I just purchase a paraben-free brand.

Let’s talk  deodorant. Baking soda makes a great deodorant. The same way baking soda absorbs odors in your fridge, it works on the human body! Another great choice is a  ‘crystal’ deodorant. Whatever you use, remember 2 things:

1) You are actually supposed to sweat, dangit! It’s how your body releases toxins!! You do not want that stuff staying in your body! I recommend throwing away your toxic antiperspirant. (One of its most harmful ingredients is aluminum.) It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the geographic connection between blocking release of toxins from the lymphatic system in the armpit area, as well as applying aluminum and other known toxins directly to this area, and the effects that can have on the very nearby breast tissue!!

2) If you choose to use something, just use something that absorbs the odor… not something that blocks a natural and important process.  A non-toxic deodorant is fine. So are baking soda and the natural crystals.

Another healthy money-saver for us is oil for moisturizers.

I mix this up. Sometimes, I’ll purchase a non-toxic body or facial lotion when I kind find a good deal on a clean product. Other times, I’ll just use our pure coconut oil or almond oil. I like to use those more in the warmer weather. Great for the skin… great for the pocket book. These, and olive oil, work great as natural, non-toxic make-up remover, too.

Another area where we save some big bucks. Hand soap. That same concentrated liquid soap (e.g. Dr. Bronner’s) that I use in cleaning solutions, I also use in our foaming hand soap dispensers. I purchased conventional anti-bacterial foaming hand soap when it was on sale dirt-cheap at the local store. Then, I dumped that garbage out. Yep. You might think that was a waste. Not me. That stuff is a toxic, immune-weakening waste product. I dumped it out, rinsed out the dispensers, and re-filled with a bit of the concentrated soap and some purified water. I use those throughout our home and our practice.

If you really feel the need for an anti-bacterial soap, then use something that naturally fights bacteria but doesn’t destroy your immune system – like tea tree oil or grape seed extract.

So, as far as the argument “it’s SO expensive” goes, it’s really similar to what I said about buying less toxic food. I don’t spend much money on conventional products, so we’re able to invest more in the less dangerous products when necessary.

Even with some of the healthier, less toxic products we do purchase, I’d still estimate that we spend far less than many ‘average’ families buying conventional products.

Two areas where I know I save a tremendous amount of money AND create a healthier, safer environment for our family, are household cleaning products and anything to do with lawn and garden.

Outside, I let nature do her thing. If I have a bug issue in the vegetable garden, I’ll spray with soapy water or use any number of other non-toxic simple remedies. Or, I’ll just share with the bugs. There must be bonus points in heaven for showing kindness to bugs. Maybe.

I won’t add chemicals to our lawn for weed control or for a picture-perfect lawn. No matter how many dandelions we may have. My kids play out there. Other kids play there. Animals play there. I just can’t do it. My hubby will vouch for me here – I’d rather dig up each and every dandelion by the root rather than add poison to our lawn. Been there – definitely done that! Maybe I have issues. Maybe not.

What we have utilized quite successfully over the past few years in order to control our abundant weed population is re-seeding. The new grass with added healthy, organic nutrients forces the weeds to get outta’ Dodge. There are plenty of “non-toxic” lawn services available now.

With household cleaners, I’ve discovered over the years that I can conjure up a variety of recipes for cleaners with a pretty short list of core ingredients. I can clean anything I need to with some combination of vinegar, baking soda, liquid soap, and (depending on the intended use of the cleaner) some type of disinfectant, like hydrogen peroxide, or tea tree oil, or grape seed extract, etc. Then, I just add essential oils to the mix if I’d like a natural scent.

Simple. Cheap, cheap, cheap. I purchase baking soda and vinegar in bulk from our local warehouse store. The rest I get when it’s on sale.

One of the books that really helped me out a few years ago is “Clean House, Clean Planet” by Karen Logan. It’s loaded with “recipes” for every cleaning solution under the sun. I know there are a gazillion additional resources out there now, too, including free websites. It’s easier than ever to “go green”!