I’m happy to say that I’ve started my last semester of college today, and this final “first day of school” has brought with it a lot of thinking about things that are important to me. As I’ve started thinking about what I want to do with my life after being a student, I’ve considered things that are important to me more and more, and have started to really focus on those things as a way to sort out the chaos that feels like my future.
One such thing that is high on my priority list is something I didn’t even realize was important until I came back to school yesterday. I was chatting with one of my housemates (I live with four guys, just to put this story in context), and we were talking about how I left for my winter break about a week earlier than everyone else in the house because my exams finished early. He mentioned that the entire house got noticeably messier and dirtier after I left, and I was astonished. I always knew I was cleaner than the guys, but I didn’t know it was by that much!
Once my housemate described to me just how dirty things got without me around, I realized how important cleanliness is to me. It’s something I always thought I defaulted too doing rather than prioritizing it, but in it’s own way, doing something just because you feel that it needs to be done is a method of prioritization!
There are a lot of cleaning products out there, I’ve found, that work wonders but have a lot of negative health effects associated with them. I’ve been working on a bathroom floor or a kitchen counter and suddenly had to stop due to headaches from the chemicals in the products I was exposing myself to. So, here are some suggestions for how to keep your space nice and clean without sacrificing your health.
Pets and Pests
Pets can bring so much joy and love to a household, but also a lot of dirt and bugs. To keep a space clean while living with a pet, it’s important to pick out cleaning products that are healthy for them and for you, while also helping to get rid of pesky insects and dirt that might be harmful to your furry friend. Wondercide makes lots of plant-based pet-cleaning products that will make sure your pets are clean and healthy without exposing them to chemicals that may end up harming them in the long run.
Fresh Floors
It’s basic, but I have to talk about how much I appreciate Swiffer as a brand. I was hesitant to buy a Swiffer because I figured for a product to work so well on all different types of floors, it had to be full of terrible things that would make our bodies feel terrible too. However, I’m pleased to admit I was completely wrong. I use a Swiffer for all the floors in my house and it’s never once made me feel sick, and it’s super effective in a house full of guys who walk around with dirty snow on their boots!
As an alternative to Swiffer, though, I also like to use Aunt Fannie’s products for floor cleaning, since they’re also very effective and smell absolutely incredible! And, the foundations this company was built on was creating cleaning products safe for families, excluding harsh cleaning agents that can have adverse effects on child development.
Spotless Sheets
Really what should have revealed to me that cleanliness was important to me was how much I enjoy clean sheets. I love the smell of clean sheets, and the way it feels to get into bed when you have freshly washed sheets. Honest is a company that makes mostly baby products, but I have no shame in admitting that I use the detergent they make because it’s not too fragrant, and it’s gentle for skin (obviously, it’s made for babies!).
Clear Counters
Clean counters include not only the counter tops themselves, but the things that get placed on them often like dishes and appliances. For all of these things, Mrs. Meyers cleaning products are tough on stains and not on skin. I tend to forget to put gloves on before I take on a cleaning endeavor, and lots of products for countertops will leave you with dry, aching skin without a little protection. With Mrs. Meyers, that definitely isn’t the case. The smells are also nice and light, so no worries about headaches or harsh scents with this brand!