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Ahh, sweet spring! The flowers start to bloom, the birds chirp and the air gets that crisp, clean smell of newness. It's the season of new growth and fresh starts! It's also the perfect time for cleaning and organizing to start the summer off fresh.
Did I loose you there? No? Great, let's talk about spring cleaning! While I do love a good spring cleaning of my home, I'm actually talking about a different kind of cleaning here. This is a 30 day challenge to go through your home and replace all of the toxic chemicals and potential pollutants that hide in plain sight. From window cleaners to shower curtains, follow this 30 guide to cleaning out your home from top to bottom!
Why ditch the chemicals?
Throughout our day to day lives, we are exposed to toxins through our cleaners, water, clothes, personal care products, food, environment, and even the air etc. Some estimates say that we are exposed to 700,000 toxins in JUST ONE DAY! These chemicals and toxins can lead to numerous health issues and unpleasant side effects that can disrupt your normal life. To learn more on the topic of how chemicals can effect your health, check out the EPA's website and read up on the effects of endocrine disruptors. Needless to say, switching to safer versions of products or ditching harmful toxins all together is good for overall health and wellness!
How do you ditch and switch?
The phrase ditch and switch refers to throwing out, recycling or donating an item or product that you find toxic and replacing it with a cleaner alternative. It is really that simple! By breaking it up into a 30 day challenge, it makes the cleaning up process more manageable and less overwhelming. Not to mention, it is a little easier on the wallet to replace an item(s) each day instead of all at once! However, if you would like to take this calendar and tweak it to fit your needs (say in a week instead of a month) than go for it! The goal of a ditch and switch is to research, replace and learn--so it doesn't really matter if you do it in 5 days or 30.
Step 1: Preparation for your 30 days
This is actually not a terribly long step, in fact, it should only take a few minutes to prepare! All you need to do is find one or two medium sized cardboard boxes. Label one box donate and the other box recycle (you can just use one box for both as well). As you decide whether or not to donate or recycle an item, you can simply place them in the appropriate box and empty the box weekly. When I did a ditch and switch in October, it really helped to have everything ready to go in a box so that I could just swing by the thrift store or recycling center while I was out running errands! It also ensured that these products didn't sneak back into our home by mistake.
While there are some great books on the topic of our chemical exposures in our lives, the best resource is Google, honestly. So please don't feel like you need an arsenal of books to get started on cleaning your home! Google will get you where you need to be. However, if you would like to read up further on green living and eliminating toxins in your life, here are some of the books that I absolutely love!
Step 2: Start the Challenge
Are you excited to start the freeing process of eliminating the toxins in your home? Great! Let's get started! Go ahead and print out the calendar (link below) or save it on your desktop and get ready to detoxify!
How does it work?
Each day, there is an item(s) listed for you to do independent research into the ingredients, potential off-gasing or if it is a known endocrine disruptor. The best part about the challenge is that you are responsible for determining what you get rid of and what you do not. Make sure that you are objective about the information that you find and use reputable sources. For example, if you are researching certain body products like shampoo, you will want to find an article or study done by a reputable third party instead of an article by a company that makes those certain products.
When you determine that a product or item needs to go, you can decided whether or not it can be thrown away, donated to charity/given away, or recycled (make sure to check your local recycling programs). Be sure to read all directions and disclaimers for the product as well! There are also different ways to reuse products as well, like using plastic food containers to organize nuts, bolts and screws. It's up to you to figure out the best option for the product.
Once you have determined that an item or product needs to be ditched, you then determine whether or not you will replace this item with a cleaner version or just live without it. If you decided to get some of the above books, they are filled with lots of great recipes. However, if you would prefer to utilize free resources, Pinterest is a great place to find non-toxic recipes! You can also join me for the month of March 2021 to go over what to ditch and see some of the ways that I have replaced toxins in my home. Head over to my Instagram and follow me! I'll highlight each day in my stories. I believe that you will be very surprised at home many items you can replace with simple, and inexpensive ingredients!
Does this cost a lot?
The short answer to this question is, No! Thankfully, there are lots of alternatives to toxic chemicals that you can use in your home that will actually save you money! For example, distilled white vinegar can replace quite a few cleaning products in your home with just as much effectiveness. Just add some essential oils or infuse it with orange peels for a great smelling and inexpensive green cleaner! So, please do not let the thought of spending a fortune on greener items scare you away from making changes in your home! You probably already have lots of great alternatives in your pantry.
So, without further adieu, you can find the free download for the challenge below. Now, let's get cleaning!
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