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Eat Thrive Glow

Why You Shouldn’t Use Toxic Household Cleaners + DIY Homemade Shower Cleaner Recipe

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Homemade Shower Cleaner - Eat Thrive Glow

It’s time for some spring cleaning! The first place that I needed to tackle was the bathroom, so I looked inside the storage area underneath my sink last weekend for some heavy-duty shower cleaner. As soon as I opened the cupboard, scents of pine and bleach from a dozen different cleaning products greeted me. Perfect! Just what I needed to get the cleaning job done, right? Not so fast.

Did you know that under US law, the manufacturers of cleaning products are allowed to use almost any ingredient in the products? These ingredients include those that can harm fetal and infant development, lead to asthma, disrupt hormones, and cause cancer. Some of these ingredients are also neurotoxins that can affect brain function in children, leading to ADHD, autism, and lower IQ according to research published in the prestigious journal The Lancet. To make matters worse, the manufacturers of cleaners are not required to label all of the toxic ingredients used in their products. Even products that claim to be “green” may contain harmful contaminants.


Some argue that these ingredients are only harmful in large doses in the lab, and may be safe at the lower doses that people are exposed to in real life. Although this may hold some truth, let’s take a look at the history of lead poisoning. The CDC initially felt that 60 mcg/dL of blood was acceptable in1970 and has since lowered the dose to 5 mcg/DL in 2012 as more research showed that even low levels of lead affected developing brains. It would take many years and millions of dollars to test all of the available chemicals today, and unfortunately, time and money are scarce commodities nowadays.

You can look for either Green Seal or EcoLogo certification of the product, as these certified green products have fewer harmful chemicals when tested. You can also vote with your dollars by refusing to purchase commercial cleaners until there is more transparency from the manufacturers of these products.

Homemade Shower Cleaner - Eat Thrive Glow

The research was convincing enough for me to start making my own homemade shower cleaner! It’s a simple recipe made with just two ingredients: vinegar and water. Why risk your health when you can make your own cleaner for a cheaper price?

Please share this post with others who may be unaware of the dangers of commercial cleaning products.

Homemade Shower Cleaner notes:

– If you are going to make a big batch of this for long term use, I would recommend storing it in a glass container

Homemade Shower Cleaner
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup white vinegar
Instructions
  1. Combine the two ingredients together and microwave for 30 seconds.
  2. Let cool and then pour into a spray bottle.
  3. Spray on surfaces of shower and let it sit for approximately 5 minutes.
  4. Wipe clean with cotton towel.

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Comments

  2. I clean with vinegar a lot. I prefer the natural stuff to chemicals any day!

  4. Thanks so much for sharing this! I hate using store bought cleaners. They’re so full of really bad chemicals!

  5. Thanks so much for this great cleaner recipe. I try to only use either home made or organic cleaners. I used to use a store bought cleaner on our floors, and it irritated my dogs’ paws.

  7. We don’t have kids, yet, but I am already in mommy mode with the pets. They scare me just as much as kids, touching surfaces and then LICKING themselves. Making our own cleaners is always a great option!

  8. When we moved in we paid a company a lot of money to clean, regrout and paint grout where needed. The first thing they told us was to not use commercial cleaners in the shower and not to use bar soaps. Thanks for the recipe.

    • If commercial cleaners are too rough for tile and grout, it’s scary to think what they might be doing to our bodies, right?

  9. We went chemical free with our cleaners about 6 years ago and never looked back. WE are a much happier home without the scary chemicals and our lung irritation has dramatically reduced too!

  10. This is nice and easy. I always have vinegar around the house, so I can totally make this. I hate the strong chemical smell and have switched to Mrs. Meyers, but this is definitely more affordable.

  11. I use vinegar and lemon for 90% of my cleaning. I still use bleach for my weekly clean but I need to lay off of it!

  12. I used to use a shower cleaner that smelled so awful that I worried about it being around my kids. This sounds like a much better option! Thanks so much for this helpful post.

  13. This is a great way to reduce the chemicals in your home. I have been trying to find alternatives to my cleaning products.

  14. I’m going to have to try this. With three (soon to be 4) little ones in my home, I’ve been trying to make everything more natural and this sounds like the perfect, easy solution!

  15. I love using vinegar on everything. It does a great job on windows, showers, and kitchens 🙂

  18. My sister cleans everything with vinegar because it is healthier for her young children and pets. I cant use it because my husband is so repelled by the smell so I have to use other methods but I 100% believe like you do in using it to clean and disinfect.

    • Vinegar does have a strong smell, but you can mask it with essential oils! 🙂 I love orange essential oil in particular!

  21. that looks awesome! i’m going to have to try this really soon! bookmarking it now.