Have you heard these little cutesy names to describe us mamas: “silky” and “crunchy”? “Silky” mamas tend to be a little more “Western”: they probably had a medicated childbirth, formula fed and disposable diapered their baby. “Crunchy” mamas tend to have unmedicated childbirths (bonus crunchy points for a home birth), breastfed and cloth diapered littles. Me, I had unmedicated childbirths, formula fed both boys, cloth diapered the first and disposable diapered the second. Pretty much straight down the middle, but I must confess I lean towards the “crunchy” side.
Whether you lean “silky” or “crunchy”, you want what’s best for your family. I know a lot of y’all are like me -not only do we want what’s best for our family, but what’s best for the environment as well. As part of the stewardship that God gave us over the earth it is our responsibility to take the best care of this planet as we can. I love that natural, non toxic options are becoming more widely available. Not only are they better for the environment, but they’re also safer for those little weirdos who like to lick windows and countertops.
It is a privilege to entertain the idea of which product is best for our family and the earth, not just which is the cheapest. There was a time when choosing the most eco-friendly item was the last thing on my mind, as I frantically checked our budget in the toilet paper isle to see if we had money for a 4-pack or a 12-pack. And when Davis had Hand- Foot- and Mouth? The entire house was doused in Lysol and all toys that could stand it were washed in bleach daily. But as time and budget allows, I know lots of us want to incorporate products that are effective, eco-friendly and kid-friendly. Here’s a brief rundown of some things to consider when choosing cleaning products.
- Glass cleaner: There’s no need for windows and mirrors to be sanitized, so use whatever you’d like: a homemade mix of water and vinegar or a store bought product. I use Grove glass cleaner. It works amazing on kitty nose marks on windows, but it takes longer to dry so you’ll have to wipe the window a little more and longer to avoid streaks.
- Kitchen cleaner: This is the only one that needs to disinfect. Lots of the mainstream cleaners that kill germs say you should rinse with water after use. Ain’t nobody got time for that! But if your littles like to “help” in the kitchen (read: make a mess then lick the mess off the counter) as much as mine do, you’re probably also looking for something natural & kid friendly. While I can’t recommend straight drinking any cleaner, I really love the Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray. Whatever you choose to use, make sure it kills the “frequent offenders” such as eColi, staph, and salmonella.
- Toilet cleaner: Why does this need to sanitize? It’s a toilet. I get that if you have a stomach bug your toilet might get wrecked, but you’re not going to use the toilet bowl cleaner to clean the lid, seat, handle, and outside of the bowl, right? Get a good disinfecting cleaner for the outside of the toilet, and use whatever you want for the inside. I’ve even heard some people sprinkle Bar Keeper’s Friend in the bowl and scrub with that.
- Bathroom cleaner: Once again, I’m not sure why your typical bathroom cleaner needs to disinfect. Are you eating out of your bathroom sink? Are you licking your shower floor? Besides, after the first flush your bathroom will be coated in tiny particles of whatever was just in the toilet. Just use something that’s good on soap scum and hard water buildup. I use Grove’s Tub and Shower cleaner on the shower, tubs, and sinks, then use glass cleaner for the countertops and fixtures.
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