The origins of consumerism can be traced back hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that it started taking root in the United States. The values of leading a simple way of life decreased and people became more and more interested in buying and owning more things.
Today we have evolved into a hyper-consumerist society, and we believe ads that promise to solve all of our problems and allow ourselves to be enticed by pretty packaging. This standard of living takes us away from the reality that we are negatively impacting the Earth as well as our own bodies, and it has created the false impression that we need more things in order to be happy.
With Earth Day coming up on April 22nd, we felt that it was important to address this problem head-on and dedicate our April blog posts to celebrating Mother Nature as well as give you Green Goddesses some tips and insight into how you can be more environmentally responsible. As you all know, Maxim Hygiene products are made of 100% certified organic and natural cotton so it is our goal to protect not only you but also the planet.
We want to kick off this “going green adventure” by discussing cleaning products used in another intimate place other than the one we’re so used to talking about, your home. Our guess is that if you are like most people, you use big name brand cleaning products that contain ingredients you can’t even pronounce because you have been under the impression that they clean “better” than organic or DIY products. However, this impression is a false one, and there is no reason that you should pollute your sanctuary with things you do not even know the origin of.
In 2012 the Environmental Defense Fund did a study on toxic chemicals found in homes, and what we personally find the most alarming is that 232 toxic chemicals alone were found in the umbilical cord blood of U.S. newborns. Not only are we negatively affecting ourselves, but we are harming our innocent unborn loved ones.
Image courtesy of edf.orgMany of your cleaning products are main culprits of this toxicity, and the chemicals that are contained in them are even known to alter our hormones. However, the good news is that this issue can be remedied in two ways: By purchasing cleaning products from trustworthy eco-friendly companies that do not use any harsh chemicals or toxic ingredients in their products, as can be seen in this TreeHugger slideshow, or by creating your own at home. Personally, we prefer the latter because it saves you money, limits your waste by reusing bottles, and protects your health because you know exactly what you are putting into your environment and in the air.
Take a look below to see our top 5 personal favorite DIY Cleaning products:
Image courtesy of lushsg.com
All-Purpose Cleaner:
Mix 9 parts water + 1 part white vinegar in a spray bottle and shake. Feel free to add a few drops of essential oil to make the mixture smell more pleasant.
Air Freshener:
Combine 1 tablespoon of baking soda + 15-20 drops of essential oil (choose your favorite scent) in a bowl and mix well. Next add two cups of water to the mixture and stir together until the baking soda is dissolved. Pour the whole mixture in a spray bottle and spritz around the house, as needed.
Antibacterial Spray (great for Kitchen Bathroom):
An antibacterial spray is great and goes beyond our favorite all-purpose cleaner DIY. Fill a spray bottle with ¼ cup of water + ¾ cup hydrogen peroxide + 40 drops of tea-tree oil + 10 drops of another essential oil like orange or lemon and shake together to combine.
Laundry Powder:
Combine ½ cup of soap flakes (can be grated from a bar of soap you have on hand) + ½ cup of borax and ½ cup washing soda, and place them in a jar that has an airtight lid. When you wash your clothes only use ½ to 1 tablespoon per load, and keep in mind that this laundry powder was created for warm-water loads, so we are not positive of the effectiveness of it for cold-water washes.
Window Cleaner:
Mix ¼ cup of vinegar + 2 cups of water + ½ teaspoon of all natural liquid soap in a spray bottle and shake well. Spritz the mixture onto windows as needed, but try to avoid cleaning your windows on extremely hot days, as it can leave streaks.
Let us know if you are able to try any of the above DIY ideas out and tell us what you think! Also, check out this great DIY infographic for even more do it yourself cleaning product ideas. Huffington Post also created a great infographic about 4 products you should always have in your home, but we cut one of them out of the diagram as can be seen below (petroleum jelly) as it is not an eco-friendly nor a sustainable resource, and we don’t think you should be smearing yourself in something that blocks toxins from getting out of your skin anyway. The other three ingredients in this infographic are great to have around the home. They are so versatile we don’t know why you wouldn’t want to have them around and make as much use of them as possible.
Happy Spring cleaning little green fairies and let’s thank Mother Nature by showing her some tender loving care starting at home sweet home!