Natural living isn’t all or nothing. When transitioning your home to a less toxic environment, you may feel obligated to switch everything at once — DON’T! Toxins surround us everywhere, but an all-or-nothing mentality is the most toxic of them all (trust me, I’ve been there).

Let’s be real; some natural alternatives are expensive. Add in potential allergies, and it’s not something that can easily be done overnight. It’s okay to take your time, research alternatives, and make small steps to create the home you love. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

In my home, we have tried many products and DIYs over the years; some work beautifully, while others just can’t pick up the grime of our beloved dog. Thankfully, we’ve done a lot of experimenting, so there’s not much guesswork left, and I’d love to share what I’ve learned over the years. So, whether you’re cleaning your baseboards in preparation for Thanksgiving or are doing some spring cleaning, this post has something for all the nooks and crannies of your home.

I won’t lie; finding some of these transitions has not been a walk in the park. It has been a lengthy transition between the number of greenwashed products and products that simply didn’t work as advertised. After much trial and error, I have a growing list of concerning ingredients (only available in The Holistic Hipppie Community on Facebook) to help you make an informed decision when choosing products for your family. Now, let’s get to the toxin-free cleaning swaps.

Air Fresheners Alternatives

We’ve all used air fresheners at least once in our lives. Sure, air fresheners make your home smell “fresh and clean,” but what exactly does clean smell like… the ocean breeze, cherry blossoms, vanilla, or is it a chemically-derived artificial scent linked to hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer?

Did you know air fresheners emit over 100 different chemicals? Some of these ingredients include volatile organic compounds (terpenes such as limonene, alpha-pinene, and beta-pinene; terpenoids such as linalool and alpha-terpineol; ethanol, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xylene) and semi-volatile organic compounds (such as phthalates) (1).

As someone with suspected multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), this is a hard pass for my home standards. Some of my all-natural air freshener alternatives include:

• Homemade room spray consisting of 2 ounces of at least 95% ethanol alcohol (I use vodka) mixed with 60 drops (5% dilution) of an essential oil for cleaning.
• Diffusing essential oils (remember to practice essential oil safety).
• Simmer pots can create a pleasurable aroma by adding sliced oranges, sliced apples, and cinnamon sticks (or anything you enjoy the smell of) to a pot of water and simmering on low for hours.

All-Purpose Cleaner Alternatives

Who doesn’t love an all-purpose cleaner? The convenience of one bottle of cleaner for several tasks is not only convenient but cost-effective, too! But what happens when quality is compromised, and your disinfecting all-purpose cleaners have ingredients that compromise your health? Let’s take a look at some ingredients in a common all-purpose cleaner:

Alkyl (67% C12, 25% C14, 7% C16, 1% C8-C10-C18) Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, Alkyl (50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16) Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, Water, Phenoxyisopropanol, Lauramine Oxide, Ethanolamine, Fragrance/Parfum, Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate, Acid Yellow 23, Alcohols (C9-11, Ethoxylated), Citonellyl Nitrile, Dihydromyrcenol, Dipropylene Glycol, Terpinolene, Tetrahydrolinalool, and Tetrahydromyrcenol (2).

What even are these ingredients? Well, the last seven ingredients are fragrance components; this is why it is so important to understand the 3,100 or so stock chemical ingredients used by the fragrance industry, which we discussed in my post, The Truth About Fragrance.

Thankfully, there are natural solutions that you can use. Some people like cleaning with plain white vinegar, which I’ve done but added citrus peels. I like to keep a jar of white vinegar on the counter and add citrus peels to it as we use them. After a few weeks of sitting, it’s a great multipurpose cleaner. If you want to bring that to the next level, you could mix it with alcohol (vodka). Zero waste and all-natural, yes, please! If you’re looking for a premade option, I like Good Natured Brand’s All-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate.

Bleach Alternatives

Many people think they need bleach to whiten their clothes or disinfect their homes, but this isn’t entirely true, not to mention the dangers of bleach. Bleach is corrosive, especially on metal surfaces. Many don’t know this, but bleach has a very short shelf life (three months); it is neutralized by dirt and other organic compounds, making it minimally effective if the surface isn’t already clean (3).

In addition, bleach can cause significant skin, eye, and lung irritation, especially when used incorrectly with other chemicals or cleaning products. Bleach toxicity has been linked to ammonia toxicity, acute respiratory distress syndrome, smoke inhalation injury, and hydrogen sulfide inhalation (4).

Thankfully, there are safe and effective natural alternatives to bleach; here are a few of my favorites:

• 1 cup of distilled white vinegar mixed with 1 gallon of hot water
• 1 cup of baking soda mixed with 1 gallon of boiling water
• ½ cup of lemon juice mixed with 1 gallon of hot water

Carpet Powder Alternatives

Carpets and I have a love-hate relationship. As someone with a formaldehyde allergy, the off-gas of carpet glues and adhesives, which often contain formaldehyde, can affect me in ways I may not even be aware of. According to the American Lung Association, carpets may trap pollutants and allergens like dust mites, pet dander, cockroach allergens, particle pollution, lead, mold spores, pesticides, dirt, and dust. Toxic gasses in the air can stick to small particles that settle into carpets (5).

Let’s face it: If you have carpet in your home, chances are you’ve used carpet powders from the store containing ingredients like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), hydrated silica, polyoxyethylene tallow ethylmonium ethosulfate, and fragrances. As a dog owner, those ingredients are unsafe for humans, let alone my beloved pet who loves eating food off the floor.

Although I have never used Aunt Fannie’s Carpet Refresher, it is a decent alternative (although I am not a fan of silica ingredients). Still, even if silica wasn’t an ingredient, I cannot bring myself to spend $12.99 for a carpet cleaner when I can make it myself for a fraction of the cost. A homemade carpet powder is a straightforward and inexpensive swap that anyone can make. Remember, some vacuum companies void warranties if carpet powder is used, so check that first.

Dish Detergent Alternatives

We all eat, so chances are, we all have dishes to clean. I used to be one of those people who absolutely refused to use a dishwasher; I would handwash everything, but eventually, life got busy, and I had to compromise. One thing I wasn’t willing to compromise on was the ingredients. There was no way I was using a product with ingredients such as:

Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Citrate, C12-15 Alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated, Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Polyacrylic Acid Sodium Bisulfite Terminated, Taed, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Ethylene/Propylene Oxide Copolymer, Alcohol Polyglycolether, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Protease Enzyme, Amylase Enzyme, Manganese Catalyst, Colorants, and Fragrance (6).

Absolutely not! Think about how many times you’ve opened the dishwasher, and there is visible soap scum still on your dishes. Now think about all the times you may not see soap scum; those ingredients end up in your food and can cause detrimental health consequences.

Thankfully, you can easily make your own homemade dishwashing tablets, which I love. I also make an amazing homemade rinse aid (recipe coming soon).

If you’re looking for a premade product, although I have never used them, I have heard good things about Molly’s Suds Dishwasher Pods. Their pods are powered by earth and plant-derived ingredients to naturally cut through grease and stuck-on food stains to leave dishes sparking with zero residue, streaks, or other mineral build-up.

Dish Soap Alternatives

I don’t know about you, but it seems the dishes are constantly piling up, and we are forever cleaning a pot or pan that didn’t fit in the dishwasher. For the longest, we used a mainstream dish soap with harmful ingredients.

Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, C10-16 Alkyldime-Thylamine Oxide, Alcohol Denat, PPG-26, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, PEI-14 Peg-24/PPG-16 Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrances, Methylisothiazo-Linone, Colorants (Blue 1, Yellow 5, Red 33), C9-11 Pareth-8, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Chloroxylenol, Phenoxy-Isopropanol, Glycerin, Sodium Cumene-Sulfonate, Propylene Glycol, And Terpineol (7).

I still cannot believe I was using this to clean my dishes. There are only two ingredients on this list I would use today—water and glycerin. Let’s be real: most of us can’t pronounce majority of these ingredients; they’re obviously chemicals that, of course, will leach into our food. It’s a hard pass for me.

Thankfully, there is an all-natural, toxin-free alternative I use and trust – Simply Pineapple Dish Soap. This all-natural and plant-based liquid soap is much easier to use and more cost-effective than the dish bar I previously used, which also had a thing for accumulating a mildew-like smell.

Laundry Detergent Alternatives

Have you ever looked at mainstream laundry detergent? Have you ever noticed the ingredients aren’t on the bottle? Ironically, laundry detergent companies are not required to list the ingredients on their product. When I was researching to write The Truth About Mainstream Laundry Detergent, I quickly learned most companies didn’t list their ingredients on their websites either; I had to use third-party websites to gather the information.

You’d think these companies would be proud of their products, but when you look at the ingredient lists, you will understand why they don’t disclose them directly on the packaging. Some alarming ingredients include formaldehyde, fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate/sodium lauryl ether sulfate, and phosphates, to name a few.

I am working on formulating my own laundry tablets (recipe coming soon). Thankfully, there are a few premade, effective, natural alternatives you can choose from in the meantime; here are some of my top recommendations:

• Molly’s Suds Laundry Pods
• Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder
• Washing berries (I always have these in the house)

Oven Cleaner Alternatives

Did you know it’s recommended to deep clean your oven at least every three months? No?

Me either! Honestly, you’re lucky if I get to that once a year. Thankfully, I predominantly cook in my air fryer (which also doesn’t get cleaned frequently enough). Why? Well, who wants to clean the surface their food touches with ingredients like:

Water, Butane, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol Propyl Ether, Ethanolamine, Benzyl Alcohol, Smectite Clay, Paraffin Wax, Fragrance/Parfum, Butylphenyl Ethylpropional, Dipropylene Glycol, Eugenol, Propylene Glycol, and Triethanolamine (8).

Thankfully, all-purpose cleaners, like the ones mentioned above, are great for cleaning ovens, too. If you’d like something specific for oven cleaning, I’ve heard many add ½ cup each of white vinegar and water to an oven-safe bowl or pot, put it in the oven, and turn it on to the oven’s highest temperature for 20 to 60 minutes. Supposedly, the steam melts away dirt and grime, but full disclosure: I have never tested this myself as an all-purpose cleaner has always been enough for us.

Stain Remover Alternatives

Stains are inevitable, no matter how careful we are. Although it doesn’t work very well, optical brighteners/UV brighteners are what mainstream laundry detergent companies use to treat stains. Instead of removing stains, this ingredient reflects visible light, so you can’t see the stain, making it more of a bandaid for the problem than an actual solution. This ingredient has been linked to eye, skin, and lung irritation and is a potent toxin for aquatic life (9).

I don’t know about you, but I am the type of person who doesn’t own white clothing because I stain it before I even put it on. Seriously, the number of shirts I own with tincture and oil stains is ridiculous, but I have a solution. Now, I just need time to utilize the solution on dozens of articles of clothing, but who has the time?

Whether you’re removing stains from clothing, carpet, or car seats, rub baking soda into the stain and leave for a few days before washing normally. This solution works great for most oil-based stains. I have also used an all-purpose cleaner for spot treatments. Another option is Molly’s Suds Stain Remover.

Side note: I find that regular vinegar soaks (1 cup of white vinegar) in the drum of the washing machine on the soak setting help minimize buildup and keep our clothing soft without toxic, fragrance-filled fabric softeners.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner Alternatives

I swear, my husband spends more time in the bathroom than in any other room of our home. Let’s be realistic; let’s say he poops once daily for 10 minutes (he’s in there more frequently and much longer than that); that’s 3,650 minutes or roughly 61 hours per year. The average life expectancy is 76 years old, so multiply 61 hours by 76 years to get 4,636 hours. No wonder we are supposed to clean our toilets weekly.

So what can be done when you don’t want to clean your toilet with ingredients like sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, peg-2 hydrogenated tallow amine, peg-8 tallow amine, alcohol ethoxylates (C12-15), methyl salicylate, benzenesulfonic acid, ((4-(bis(4-((sulfophenyl)amino)phenyl)methylene)-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-, alcohol ethoxylates (C12-16), and water (10)?

Well, you can use your favorite all-purpose spray! When cleaning my toilets, I spray the toilet down completely with the cleaning spray and let it sit while I clean the rest of the bathroom. When everything is done, I come back around and clean the toilet. Sparkling clean.

I hope these cleaning swaps were beneficial and that you found a few toxin-free options you can use in your home. As you can see, we do not need a dozen different cleaning supplies. In my home, I have a handful of products we use to clean everything because so many are multi-purpose. Sometimes, less is best. And remember, clean doesn’t have a smell!

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