Part of creating a happy and comfortable home for yourself, your guests, and your loved ones is keeping everything fresh and clean. Naturally, this requires the use of cleaning products. Unfortunately, many cleaning products are packed with chemicals that are harmful to our health and to the environment. Fortunately, many consumers have made their desire for organic and non-toxic cleaning products known, and companies have started putting better products out there. Here are a few ways to keep clean up your cleaning routine:

Online and Brick-and-Mortar Resources

The website Vine Market carries a variety of products that meet certain standards, such as products that are mainly plant-based and derived from natural ingredients. Of course, you’ll still want to evaluate these products independently to determine if you’re comfortable with the ingredients, but online resources like Vine Market are a great place to start when it comes to finding non-toxic cleaning products. Vine has a “banned ingredients” list (which includes BPA, parabens, formaldehyde, and more), which means you won’t find these ingredients in any of the products that they carry. In addition to cleaning and household products, Vine sells organic food, too.

If you prefer shopping in person, NYC’s Whole Foods locations carry many “green” products for cleaning and household use.

Companies That Sell Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

By shopping for non-toxic cleaning products, you’ll come across brands that you like and trust. A few companies that are striving for more “green” products include Method, Seventh Generation, and Dr. Bronner’s.

Method has a list of conventional cleaning product ingredients that they do not use in their products, as well as a “dirty fragrance” list. They use colorants that, as they explain on their website, are evaluated for safety by independent third-party companies. Again, you must use your judgment and do your own research to determine what you’re comfortable with, but these are likely to be made of better ingredients than conventional cleaning products — and the company’s transparency is a positive step in the right direction.

Seventh Generation is also very transparent about the ingredients used in their products, allowing consumers to make informed choices about what cleaning products they bring into their households. They clearly spell out on their website the definitions of such terms as “plant-based,” “natural,” “synthetic,” and more, to help you evaluate the products you’re buying.

Dr. Bronner’s soaps are great products that you can feel good about using. Their soaps use ingredients that are both fair-trade and organic, and they don’t use synthetic fragrances. Their soaps are super-concentrated, environmentally friendly, and suitable for a variety of uses.

DIY: Do Your Own Research, Make Your Own Products

When it comes to finding non-toxic cleaning products, it’s all about doing your research, finding companies that you trust, and figuring out what types of ingredients you personally feel comfortable having in the products that you use in your home. It’s important to do your own research and not just blindly believe marketing claims like the words “all-natural,” as this term is not regulated by the FDA. In addition to finding better products, there are also a lot of ways to make your own non-toxic cleaning products with ingredients like baking soda and vinegar, so if you’re willing to make the extra effort, that can be a great option as well!

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