Making Clean Changes

Sometimes, contrary to what I'd prefer, things have to change. We get older and grayer, yet we continue to find ways to stay the same even though we are no longer that same person anymore. It makes sense to hold on to those things that make us happy or make us feel good about ourselves, but fighting the never-ending battle to deny inevitable change is tiresome.

I made a pact with myself on New Year's Eve this year that I would change my life for the better. So far, I have changed my job and I quit smoking. Two big accomplishments and we are only at the end of March. I have the rest of the year to make changes. It hasn't been an easy task, but it has certainly been well worth it.

My new goal is to eliminate as many harsh chemicals as possible from our home. You see, in the man cave it's a constant challenge to keep things clean. With the dominant male hormone pervading every corner of the cave it is vital to my sanity to maintain a sense of clean. Whether it be through "girly" smell-goods or harsh, abrasive cleaning products that really eat away at that male stank!

In my quest to eliminate the chemical cloud from the cave I have done a lot of research. I have read books, blogs, and product reviews trying to find that perfect fit for my family. It has not been easy, nor has it been boring. I have learned so many useful tricks for making my home safer and naturally clean. Of course that's the trick to this change, you have to try a lot of different approaches in order to find what works.

The first change I made to my cleaning routine was my all-purpose cleaner. I am a sucker for Clorox wipes. I loved em! I always had them in my home for easy go-to cleaning. After some research (and an MS diagnosis) I realized that I probably shouldn't be using things that I do not understand. I mean really, I can pronounce all of the chemicals which make up the toxic concoctions we call cleaning supplies, but I can't begin to tell you where they all come from or what they can do to the human body after long-term use. That's a scary thing to think about (I mean really, think about it). It doesn't really seem like a wise decision to subject our families to chemical warfare just so we can say our homes are clean. The same thing can be accomplished by working with natural, healthier ingredients.

Every single aspect of the cleaner I now use in my home is safe and I can explain every single ingredient and its origin. That makes sense! Oh, and it's much cheaper than those chemical warfare cleaning products.  This is also a plus for my oldest son who suffers from asthma. I used to clean the house when he was at school or outside, because those harsh cleaning products can really wreak havoc on compromised lungs like his.

The one ingredient I have learned about that is a must for this home detox is Castille soap. After lots of reading, I have found Dr. Bronner's line of products. I purchased a big bottle of Dr. Bronner's Unscented Baby-Mild Pure Castille soap (you can buy this straight from their website or from stores like Target - I got mine through Amazon). I went for the unscented option, because I have started purchasing essential oils (I purchase these on Ebay from a seller by the name of Sleeping Dragon), this way I can create the scent I prefer. Not only that, but essential oils add to the whole process and each scent offers it's own medicinal, holistic benefit. These oils do not make it difficult to breath or cause a house-wide evacuation. They actually work as aromatherapy. It's nice!

If you are interested in changing your home to a 'greener' place then maybe look into eliminating harsh chemicals from your home one at a time. I started with the cleaner, then moved to my laundry soap and air fresheners. Now, I'm working on making shampoo and body wash. I tried my shampoo today. It wasn't bad, just needs a little tweaking.  If you would like some tips feel free to comment or send me a message at womaninthemancave@yahoo.com.

Good luck with whatever changes you decided to make. I know it sucks having to face the unfamiliar, but it's worth it in the long run.

NB