Cleaning Up Your Cleaning Supplies
This December we thought it would be great to get a head start on your New Years Resolutions (which for us means clean house, better organization, and striving to live as healthy and green as possible)! One of the easiest and least expensive ways to go green and clean, is to switch out all your existing cleaning supplies for organic and natural options. You will find that most non-organic and natural products have a caution label stating 'fatal if ingested or inhaled.' Why would we want these in our home especially since something as easy as vinegar and lemon are just as effective as bleach? The EPA has found the air quality in our homes to be 2 – 5 times more toxic than the air outside.
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Cleaning Tips!
Cleanwell, one of our top selling lines of hand sanitizer and soaps has just come out with a cleaning line! They are currently available in SF and NY and we cannot wait for them to be offered in Chicago and online stores. Instead of harmful chemicals such as chlorine (found in bleach and known to disrupt our immune systems), formaldehyde (found in deodorizers, disinfectants, adhesives, and particleboard), Cleanwell uses natural ingredients in their new cleaning line. Formaldehyde has been shown to cause cancer in animals. It is also a respiratory irritant and high concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma). Luckily Cleanwell, along with Seventh Generation, and Dapple do not use either of these harmful chemicals. Instead they use natural ingredients derived from plant extracts and botanical extracts. Remember, our government does not regulate harmful chemicals in cleaning supplies and they do not make it a law for companies to list their full ingredients. It's our job at Sprout to help provide the safest options when possible for our customers and families. Remember, opt for either a natural and/or organic option when possible, especially since there are healthy and affordable options readily available.
Dapple is another great company we have been carrying at Sprout since we opened back in April 2009. In the past few years, their line of natural cleaning products for kids and families has grown extensively! They first started out with toy wipes and bottle cleaners, now they make laundry detergent and dishwasher gel in addition to a few other great products. What is so great about this line is they are free of parabens, formaldehyde, chlorine, artificial fragrances and pthalates (just to name a few)! They are marketed as a baby/kid friendly line but just because they are sold at baby stores doesn't mean they shouldn't be used for the whole family. I do not have children yet, but after learning about all the harmful chemicals in household cleaners and soaps, I'm thankful for a company like Dapple and their cleaning supplies. It's crazy to think that harmful chemicals are in soap can seep into our skin when washing dishes or leave residue in a glass that I'm going to drink from.
Another great natural option is to purchase a spray bottle and use vinegar, water and lemon. These three ingredients are proven to help kill bacteria and clean up a good mess! Also, soda water is a great way to get out a pesky stain.
Hopefully these little tips have inspired you to make a health conscious cleaning supply switch! One great reminder I always use is to remember way back when, when all these chemicals did not exist and cleaning supplies were all natural remedies made from plants and other natural ingredients.
Four Featured Products-
Dapple bottle cleaner – Dapple bottle cleaner is not only grat for bottle cleaning but also strong enough for washing tough stained dishes.
http://www.sproutsanfrancisco.com/shop/personal-care/dapple-baby-bottle-dish-liquid
Cleanwell sanitizing wipes – While these wipes have been featured a lot, we have to keep posting them! They are free of alcohol, fragrance and other harmful chemicals. We cannot wait for Cleanwell's cleaning supplies to launch, so until then we will keep posting their sanitizer.http://www.sproutsanfrancisco.com/shop/personal-care/hand-sanitizing-wipes
Dapple Laundry detergent – We love this detergent for the whole family! Not only is it free of fragrance and parabens, it is also tough on stains and great for the whole family.http://www.sproutsanfrancisco.com/shop/personal-care/view-all-personal-care/fragrance-free-baby-laundry-detergent
Dapple Toy wipes – These natural toy wipes are so great for cleaning toys along with surfaces. They use baking soda as a natural ingredient to help clean!
http://www.sproutsanfrancisco.com/shop/personal-care/toy-wipes