Cleaning my home with my children has always been my number one priority. When they were babies this looked like using cleaning supplies that would be safe while they were in a baby carrier on me. As they were toddlers, it meant they could clean with me, and I wasn't worried about what they were touching. As they get older it means having materials I'm confident they can use safely by themselves.
But knowing that this is what I wanted and executing it were two different things. In this week's episode, I'm sharing all the things I've tried and what worked, what didn't work, and what we are doing now that has been the right fit for us.
I tried many things over the years. The first was to walk through the cleaning aisle at the store to find the products we needed. But due to overwhelm (the number of options, not knowing which products were actually safe, and calculating the expense of it all), I always walked out of there with nothing. This also meant that for years, the actual cleaning in our home was minimal because I was so worried about picking the wrong thing.
My friend Hannah (we were neighbors in grad student housing - true friendship is formed in not ideal living conditions) created a course called Simple Green Cleaning (not available right now) that taught me how to clean the majority of my house with a few basic ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. I thoroughly enjoyed feeling confident cleaning my house and mixing up what I needed when I needed it. But when I started teaching my kids how to do it, they were so inspired by the process that they created their own cleaning supplies by mixing soaps, shampoo, conditioner, and lotions, and it made a pretty big mess. This didn't quite work with my purpose of cleaning with my kids.
A few years ago, we decided to try Force of Nature, which is completely safe for skin, disinfects, and can be used on all surfaces. It has been a game-changer. We have ONE cleaning product we use on EVERYTHING.
It makes it simple to teach our children how to use it (plus they LOVE the process of making it and never complain when I ask them to clean) and I never have to worry about what they are breathing in or is touching their skin.
While I haven't done a petri dish test to confirm how well it disinfects surfaces, but it cleans well enough to remove all smells and clean surfaces, so that is good for me! When it comes to my main priority of cleaning with my kids, this one checks all of the boxes.
If you want to try Force of Nature yourself, you can get a discount with this link:
Force of Nature
Get 40% off bundles in April with code: PLANET40
Get 60% off Cleaning and Laundry Duo Bundles with PLANET60
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Being Converted to Your Vision of Motherhood with Katie Larsen [Episode 21]
Mothering Through Different Seasons Without Guilt with Linsey Jensen [Episode 20]
Parenting and Loving Children Who Are Different From You with Kristen Shaeffer [Episode 19]
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Reflections on Growth with Jessica Jackson [Episode 17]
Finding a New Way to Measure Growth with Elise Powell [Episode 16]
Becoming Your Best Self with Caitlin Spencer [Episode 15]
Choosing God's Plan with Phoebe Cook [Episode 14]
Enjoying the Present Moment with Meri Schuhmacher-Jackson [Episode 13]
Living Your Personal Mission with Rachel Garrett [Episode 12]
Nurturing Self and Family During Change with Jessica Jackson [Episode 11]
Navigating Motherhood as a Paraplegic with Faith and Optimism with Brittany Fisher [Episode 10]
Making My Own Happiest Place on Earth with Madeline Casey [Episode 09]
Creating a Culture of Unconditional Love with Kim Routsong [EPISODE 08]
Committed to the Small and Simple Things with Leslie Johnson [Episode 07]
Facing Motherhood with Bipolar Disorder with Sarah Machado [Episode 06]
Navigating a Mixed Faith Marriage with Chelsea Homer [Episode 05]
Growing Through Major Challenges [Episode 04]
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