Looking to up your green street cred? With new goals focused on trimming down the waist line and improving athletic performance it's important to take a step back and think of alternative holistic practices that can improve your health and well-being.
The focus is always laid on what we put in our bodies and what we do with our bodies. It's also important to consider the environment that we are living in.
Your home, in all of its eclectic warmth and decorative style, can be physically harming you. It's not because of a terrible vase your mother-in-law bought you last year for Christmas that you unwillingly display; or because of your roommate's oversize couch from the '80s. Your home may be harming you because of the products that you are using to clean it with. Nothing like tearing up as you walk in to your recently bleached washroom. Hint: tears are not due to pride over the glistening porcelain. FYI people, that burning sensation in your nose is never a good thing.
Common house hold cleaners contain ingredients such as dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides, ammonia, chlorinated phenols, and nonylphenol ethoxylate; sounds fancy doesn't it? Try scary! These chemicals are known to be nervous, respiratory, endocrine and circulatory system disruptors. I don't know about you but the thought of the products that I use to clean my home causing that much of a ruckus internally does not sit well.
Now that you are holding your breath walking around your house trying not to touch any surface with your bare hands (because you can absorb toxins through your skin) get ready because I have a solution for you. If you wouldn't put it in, or on your body you should give your home the same respect.
DIY Project: Home Cleaners
It's time to get a little creative with some of the holistic gems that you already have kicking around the house.
•Baking Soda: can be used to get rid of grease, remove dirt and whiten surfaces.
•Vinegar: disinfects and deodorizes.
•Lemon Juice: disinfects and provides a fresh clean smell.
•Sea salt: cuts the grime and mould.
•Essential Oils: great natural scents to give your house that just cleaned smell. Lemongrass and lavender are personal favourites of mine.
Here are some mixmaster specials that I conjure up to clean my home. Roll up your sleeves because we are about to get down and dirty.
Mix:
•4 cups of water
•½ cup Vinegar
•20 drops of essential oils
Pour into a spray container and watch as those surfaces disinfect and sparkle before your eyes
Need something with a little more kick?
Mix:
•4 tbsp baking soda
•2 tbsp water
Mix together until a paste is formed. Scrub this into the grimy surface. Finish it off by spraying the covered area with vinegar and watch the magic of the great dirt disappearance occur.
If you are a DIY junkie you will love making different scents, jarring and labelling your holistic certified cleaning products.
Before you sign that contract for the gym, and the vegetables in your fridge start to go bad; start this year walking along greener pastures.Take small steps to further your holistic lifestyle, detoxify your home, and save some coin in the process.
