A Day in the Life of a Nontoxic Home

Ever wonder how difficult it would be to swap out all the chemical-filled products in your home for nontoxic alternatives?

Ever wonder if it’s even possible to have a chemical-free home without coming across like an unstable person with mental issues?

As human beings we don’t like change. 

Even positive changes unsettle us. The problem is, if you want to improve your life, you know change is necessary. And let’s face it, once the changes have been made, we often look back and think “that wasn’t so hard, what was I worried about?”

When my daughter was first diagnosed with acute anxiety when she was six, I knew that as a family, we would have to make some changes if we wanted to make things easier for all of us.  But, I didn’t want to make the changes that the medical profession wanted us to make. Instead, I wanted all-natural alternatives.

There was a lot more information available than I thought there would be. (Seriously, how did we ever get anything done before Google?) But at that stage, the medical model was the one we were encouraged to take.

I’m so glad we didn’t! Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for all the help we’ve had from the medical system. (The stuff that was helpful, anyway.) But, there are many natural and holistic options that have made a huge improvement to our lives.

Once I began to make changes, I started to realize the reality of what we had accepted as “normal.” I started to read the labels on products in the Supermarket that I’d been buying for years. Products I had grown up with and trusted. 

I was stunned at what I found on those labels.

Without naming names, some of the things we grew up with in our homes - basic, everyday essentials - are packed full of weird-sounding ingredients. And not just the products you expect to be harsh, like tile cleaner, oven cleaner, and over-the-counter drugs. 

But seemingly innocent products like shampoo, soap, moisturizer, deodorant, toothpaste, even dishwashing liquid contains chemicals that I’m amazed are still legal!

And don’t even get me started on what’s hiding in the food. “Legal limits” of pesticides in everything from cereal to beer.

Because we made a decision to reduce the toxic load in our lives, we now have a considerably less anxious daughter, a son who no longer displays symptoms of PANDAS, and a home that smells and looks divine.

Switching to natural household products has meant that our kids are not exposed to the dangerous chemicals that are hidden in our everyday products. And we haven’t sacrificed anything in the way of cleanliness or effectiveness.

I know it can be tricky when you first start out though so to give you an idea of how simple you can make the transition, here’s a run through of our day and the products we use. 

Showering and Showing Up for the day Ahead

Getting four people showered in the mornings can be a bit of a mission but we have it down to fine art now. We all use the same products but hubby and I have a couple of extras that the kids aren’t interested in (yet).

• Toothpaste - Grants mild mint & aloe vera natural toothpaste https://www.ausnaturalcare.com.au/Grants-Mild-Mint-Aloe-Vera-Natural-Toothpaste-110g

• Shampoo & conditioner - Alaffia collections https://www.alaffia.com/collections/shampoos

• Handwash - I use my own recipe with grapefruit, lemon, or lime, but you can use whichever oil you have handy

• Body Serum - doTERRA Yarrow Pom Body Serum https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/yarrow-pom-body-renewal-serum-oil

• Deodorant - dōTERRA Natural Deodorant with Balance https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/doterra-natural-deodorant-with-balance

• Hair styling product (me) - I make my own with marshmallow and flaxseed oil. I found the recipe here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPRFhsVExq0

• Hair styling product (hubby) - Giovanni styling glue https://au.iherb.com/pr/Giovanni-Styling-Glue-Custom-Hair-Modeler-2-oz-57-g/19065

As you can imagine, once four people have been showered and prettied up, the bathroom needs its own shower. 

Cleaning the Surfaces and Floors

• Surfaces - Norwex cloths https://norwexbiz.nz/en_NZ/microfibre

• Toilet - ECOLOGIC Organic Toilet Cleaning Gel https://australianorganicproducts.com.au/products/ecologic-pine-lemon-toilet-cleaning-gel-500ml

• Freshening spray - Another home-made recipe. I use filtered water in a glass spray bottle with lemongrass, lavender peace, or whatever else takes my fancy at the time

• Floors - I use a Norwex mop and add some doTERRA oils, usually Tea Tree, On Guard, Lemon Eucalyptus or Citrus Bliss drops, on the mop pad 

The Kitchen’s Natural Cleaning Products

• Dishwashing liquid - Kin Kin dishwash liquid https://www.biome.com.au/blog/kin-kin-cleaning-products-are-as-natural-as-their-backyard/

• Dishwashing powder - Kin Kin dishwash powder 

• Hand soap - DIY using castile soap water and 20 drops of doTERRA On Guard in a self-foaming dispenser. Watch my DIY video here.

The  Laundry’s Natural Cleaning Products

• Stain remover - Kin Kin stain remover

• Laundry liquid - doTERRA On Guard laundry liquid https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/doterra-on-guard-laundry-detergent

And we can’t forget our four-legged family member!

We use the Moo Goo Dr Zoo calming shampoo and conditioner
https://moogoo.com.au/au_pack/natural-calming-shampoo

It Wasn’t so Hard and I Wonder What I Was Worried About?

If you’ve decided that you want to switch to natural products you have two options.

1. You can go cold turkey. This is the more dramatic option and it means throwing out all the products you currently have and replacing them with natural versions.

2. You can take the dribs and drabs approach of replacing each thing as you run out and need more anyway. This is the best approach for the budget-conscious and involves replacing products one-by-one.

Helpful Advice to Ward off the Nay-sayers

I thought I’d finish this post with a few words of advice. When you make the switch, people are going to start telling you all the reasons why you shouldn’t. It’s a good idea to be equipped with some comebacks.

• But natural products don’t clean as well as chemical products. 

Really? Have you actually tried them? If your natural products aren’t cleaning as well as they should, I would look into the quality of your product. doTERRA oils for example, are a high-quality product and do work just as well, if not better, than any chemical products. They also smell better.

• But natural products are more expensive than chemical products. 

Actually, doTERRA products are cheaper per mL than most products you find in the supermarket. When you buy natural products, you’re not buying more expensive ones, you’re just buying differently than you’re used to. But you don’t have to make my word for it, next time you’re in the supermarket take a calculator with you and you can do the math yourself.

• But using chemical products doesn’t really make a difference to your kids symptoms, it’s just a coincidence. 

I have actual evidence that proves that it does. My two children are living proof. Severe symptoms such as tics, inattention, lack of focus, gut issues have all disappeared since we made the switch. “That’s far too many coincidences.”

I’ve provided links to many of the products that we use but the only company I’m affiliated with is doTERRA. Their oils are the highest quality I’ve found and I love the culture of the company as well. 

If you want to know more about doTERRA’s essential oils or any of the other products we use, please just let me know.

What do you think?

Now that you don’t have to investigate every product, does this feel like something you could start doing at home?

Drop me a comment and let me know any questions you have or stories you’d like to share!

Want recipes for cleaning and caring for every inch of your house?

Just pop over to this album on my Facebook Page - Non-Toxic Solutions To Common Household Chores