Keeping a "clean" home was drilled into me from a young age. Every week my mom had me dusting, cleaning my room & vacuuming, all the things deemed acceptable for a young girl to do without getting into the harsher chemicals until my teenage years. So naturally when I went on to college and had my own appartment to clean I took the same approach as Id grown up with. Actually I kept my own place more tidy than I ever did at home! (Sorry Mom!) I used all the normal things like pledge, windex, stiffer wet jet, the strongest toilet bowl cleaner you could find, the shower cleaner with bleach. All of it.
Then one day I was scrolling through Facebook and read an article about how swiffer wet jets were really bad for pets. At the time, probably actually 8 or so years ago, Noel and I had a Huskey with horrible skin issues, lightbulb moment for sure. But then my second thought was "if its bad for the dog to walk on it, lay on it, lick it, then its really probably not good for us humans to be walking on it on a daily basis with bare feet either."
This was the beginning of "going green" for me, my eyes were slightly opened to toxic chemicals in our household cleaning products. I didn't move past this point for a while, until I started making my own Laundry Soap, which was really only a tad bit more "green" than the Tide we previously used.
Soon after, I started seeing all these recipes using essential oils all over pinterest, mind you I'd never heard of these things so I was crazy skeptical but they definitely piqued my interest. By mistake I found myself in a Young Living Essential Oils class one night and I kid you not, it took me 6 months to decide to try them. Why I waited so long I have no idea, but I can tell you that I have never looked back. Hook, Line, and Sinker, obsessed. I had SO many amazing experiences within the first few weeks that I wish I would have documented them!
I slowly started reaching for oils rather than the medicine cabinet + started swapping out conventional personal care products and cleaning products with things that I made and could control the ingredients in. I started intentionally creating a home environment that is as free from toxic exposures as I can control! Something that floored me was learning that the air in our homes is 7 times more toxic than the air outside.
Think for just a minute. Its January 1st in Illinois, it was -16 this morning, like the actual temperature is negative, not windchill carrying it that low. Its pretty easy to assume that we aren't spending ANY time outside or have the windows open airing out the house. What do most people do on days like this? CLEAN AND DO LAUNDRY. If you are cleaning with conventional cleaners you are literally poisoning yourself and your family, every time you breathe or touch a freshly "cleaned" surface.
I know, I know, its hard to hear it but its true! If you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe Dr. Samuel Epstien, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, he says "its unthinkable that women would knowingly inflict such exposures on their infants and children and themselves if products were routinely labeled with explicit warnings of cancer risks. But they are not labeled."
I realize we aren't using a whole bottle of something every time you clean but our bodies are bombarded with exposures on a daily basis and we cannot eliminate the toxins fast enough. Its through bio accumulation that our bodies get to a place where we start to see symptoms of imbalance appear or worse we are diagnosed with a disease.
Here is an example of some implications from a friends book, Aroma Home, by Connie McDanel and Katherine Fuller. "Parabens or phthalates are examples of chemicals that bio-accumulate in our bodies. These chemicals can mimic hormones of the endocrine system. Thus, they are termed endocrine disruptors. Some of these chemical synthetics may mimic the female hormone, estrogen; while others disrupt the thyroid gland. Thyroid disruption portends health ramifications for all of us, since the thyroid affects metabolism and energy use, the body's regulation of insulin and glucose, and our ability to manage our weight properly. Unfortunately in a developing fetus, there can be implications for neural and brain development.
It has taken years to get where I am today. Its my hope that I can empower you to do the same, just a little faster. Perhaps with someone like me to guide you, the switch will be a little more smooth, a little less stressful, and a LOT of fun! All it takes is a little gumption, a little intention, and a little help from a friend to make simple changes to your cleaning routines. The simple routines have a profound positive impact on the health of yourself and your family.
These people right here are worth the switch, it is my responsibility to give my husband and our sons a safe home to live in, to be the educated consumer and gatekeeper of our home. I hope you'll join me and do the same for your family.
With Gratitude,
Whitney
0 Comments