Keeping your humble abode spotless might be rightfully high on your agenda, especially at the moment with coronavirus forcing us all to spend most of our day indoors, but next time you think of re-stocking your cleaning cupboard, take a quick glance at your go-to antibacterial sprays and the ingredients they contain. One that has found particular fame for all the wrong reasons is a group of chemicals called phthalates. Added to cleaning products, plastic packaging and cosmetics for their ability to bind other ingredients together and sometimes for fragrance too, these damaging toxins are easily absorbed into your skin and have been linked to asthma, infertility, diabetes and many more health conditions. Some other cleaning product offenders include chlorine which can affect the lungs and respiratory system and the throat irritant butoxyethanol.

In reality, there’s no need for harmful additives! Natural options work just as well and play zero havoc with your health. Below we’re sharing our go-to brands for effective natural cleaning products. 

One of the best we’ve found is Kinn Living: a British mother-and-daughter brand that creates non-toxic and plant-based products for body and home. Their fantastic antibacterial household cleaning range is enriched with essential oils for delightful fragrances while you clean and has a neutral pH that’s gentle on your skin. Their formulas are ECO-certified and free from all the nasties you don’t want to think about (read: petrochemicals).

A new discovery for us is Tincture. With their sleek outer packaging design, they’re an aesthetic-lovers dream! Cleaning products don’t usually look all that exciting but we’d be proud to display these on our shelves! Born out of a need for non-toxic cleaning products that didn’t exasperate her children’s asthma and eczema, founder Angelika, wanted to utilise the power of nature to clean, protect, restore and uplift homes without the use of artificial or synthetic ingredients.

Another brand we love is Method. Available in most supermarkets, their naturally-derived antibacterial formula uses lactic acid and biodegradable ingredients. Each product in their line (which includes laundry detergent, hand wash and washing-up liquid as well as surface cleaners) is clinically tested for allergy and irritation concerns before landing on your supermarket shelf. The year of 2012 saw this innovative brand join forces with Ecover, resulting in the largest green cleaning company in the world – not something to be scoffed at! 

The people at Bower Collective are passionate about minimising waste by providing effective cleaning solutions that are not only good for the planet but good for you too. Their reuse and refill method is really brilliant. You can either buy their reusable containers or simply keep your old bottles and use those. The cleaning products are then sent out in pouches for you to top up and once you’ve got 4 empty pouches, you can send them back for free so they can be washed and reused again. 

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