I’ve seen a lot online about how people who had previously chosen to take a more natural and non-toxic approach particularly with their cleaning supplies have done a 180 and started bleaching everything. I want to talk a bit about why I haven’t; I’m not going to let this current pandemic affect my long term thinking when it comes to what is safe for my household. This girl is sticking firmly in the frugal and non-toxic camp. Here is why I am still frugal and non-toxic even during a pandemic.
WHY I STILL CHOOSE TO BE FRUGAL & NON-TOXIC DURING THIS PANDEMIC
It appears COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere. I assume from now on we’ll just have cold, flu, and COVID-19 season every year. I can adjust to social distancing or even self-isolation if necessary on a seasonal basis.
What I won’t do is settle for conventional products that I KNOW are harmful for my family and the environment. Or, rather, I won’t purchase them out of fear. I’m more afraid of them than I am of what they can supposedly kill.
My children haven’t been in public since March 13th. They are healthy. They visit with grandparents from across the front porch or across the fence chats. They have face-timed their cousins on particularly lonely days. They get lots of outside time. I feel confident that the measures we’ve taken to keep them safe and healthy are effective.
Why would I compromise that by reintroducing toxic chemicals into our house? One look at the Material Safety Data Sheet for Clorox Bleach reaffirms my decision. Have you ever read the label on the household products you use? Googled the MSDS or long-term effects of the ingredients?
I have. And I don’t believe any short-term benefits or reassurance I would get from them can justify the long-term harm that can be done. I want to be clear that this is my personal opinion and experience.
THE TRUTH ABOUT BLEACH
Bleach is categorized as a hazardous chemical; it can it cause severe burns if it comes into contact with your skin and damage your eyes. I doubt you wear face and eye protection, protective clothing, and gloves when you clean house, but the manufacturer says you should.
The MSDS sheet also plainly states that bleach is, and I quote, “very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects.” It can also react with other household chemicals to produce hazardous irritating gases. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that in my house.
Bleach also expires one year from production and loses its efficacy after that point. I was not aware of that; when I used to use bleach one bottle hung around my house way more than a year. How old is the bleach you’re currently using in your home?
Here’s another fun fact; according to the Michigan State University Center for Research on Ingredient Safety, bleach solution needs to be in contact with a surface for a minimum of five minutes to disinfect. That same solution must also be discarded within 24 hours. So that bottle of bleach solution you mix up and use weeks or months on end? It’s probably doing very little if anything at all to clean your home.
And pouring the unused solution down the drain contributes to the demise of aquatic life and contamination of the water supply. Don’t just take my word for it; you can read their full post on COVID-19 Disinfecting With Bleach.
WHAT I USE INSTEAD TO CLEAN MY HOME
I have been using Thieves Household Cleaner just over a year in my home and continue to do so; it cleans well and doesn’t irritate our lungs. According to the Product Information Page it provides a “deep clean without the harsh or dangerous chemicals found in many traditional cleaning products.”
It is also plant-based and safe for septic systems. I downloaded an MSDS on Thieves from with a free trial subscription from www.chemmanagement.ehs.com. The only hazard warnings were from sensitivities to the oils (which can vary person to person) and the natural surfactants. If you are allergic or highly sensitive to clove I would be careful with the product.
No protective equipment is required. There is no relevant information available concerning toxicity, aquatic toxicity, or bioaccumulative potential. The Environmental Working Group gives Thieves a B+ rating. It does list some concern for skin allergies and irritation.
In comparison, the Clorox Bleach rated an F+. EWG lists moderate concern for asthma/respiratory issues, some concern with cancer and the environment, and a low concern for developmental and reproductive toxicity.
WHATEVER DECISION YOU MAKE, PLEASE MAKE IT AN INFORMED ONE
I am still frugal and non-toxic because I believe it is what’s best for my family long-term. I know the products I use get my house clean and we can breathe easily using it. I looked up the EPA’s List of Disinfectants for SARS-CoV-2. You can look up a product by the EPA registration number on the label to see if it is listed. Be sure to pay attention to the contact time. You can search by active ingredient as well.
I will note that Thieves Household cleaner is not on the list. Hydrogen peroxide however is. You can use the list to search ingredients/products you are comfortable using in your home. Whatever you choose, please follow the guidelines provided by the manufacturer for safe handling. Make your decisions informed ones and give yourself some peace of mind.
Until next time, stay frugal and healthy my friends!
I mean if you don’t come into contact with people then you can only get it from breathing it in or getting it in your eyes or touching something someone who has it has infected and then touching your face. What I don’t understand is people who go out for silly things into public spaces everyday wearing the same scarf over their face… I mean unless you medically or physically need crisps and sweets and things then why go into a place lots of people go into in the first place?
It baffles me too!
We loathe bleach, it smells disgusting, I prefer using an essential oils cleaner too (we use doTERRA as one of my clients is a Wellness Advocate) and that makes our home so much fresher and pleasanter. Can’t rate EOs highly enough either!
I did not know bleach expires. I can’t stand the smell– it’s really irritating. I mostly clean with vinegar and natural products like Seventh Generation. They do the job and we’re a pretty healthy bunch.
Right? Neither did I! I’d much rather go the natural, healthy route anyway!