Safe Cleaning With Kids

I hate to clean. There, I've admitted it. I love to organize and straighten and get a great sense of accomplishment from those activities. But, when it comes to really cleaning stuff, like with a scrub brush and cleaner, I hate it. Over the past couple of years I've read many magazine articles and seen things on TV about the dangers of most cleansers we use in our homes and workplaces. There are many nasty chemicals in them that have the potential to create all sorts of health problems. I felt vindicated in my hatred of cleaning because I could tell myself, "See - it can make a person sick!" Well, I can no longer use that as an excuse. With the new wave of environmentally-friendly everything has come a new generation of cleaning products. And they are completely non-toxic, leaving me to come up with another excuse for why I don't like to clean.

On a recent Target outing (the place you run into for a "few necessities" and leave with $80 worth of assorted items you never knew you needed but suddenly do) I found a newer brand of cleaners called Method. I recognized them, as I'd seen them advertised on the Today show and in some magazines. What struck me initially was the interesting scents listed on the bottles - pink grapefruit, eucalyptus mint, and cucumber. Hmmm...sounds more like a spa than a bathroom cleaner...we may be onto something here. As I read the containers I found that all the products were made of natural ingredients, and the containers are all made from 100% recycled materials. The cleaning clothes are particularly interesting as they are made from bamboo (a renewable resource) and are flushable. They had an assortment of cleaners in many different scents. Since they were on sale 3 for $8 I decided to throw a few in my cart to see how they worked.

I've been using the products in my kitchen and bathrooms for the past week, and I have to say I love them! Don't get that confused with the actual cleaning - that I still hate. Yet, I somehow find it a bit easier to tolerate now that I get to smell things like ylang ylang while doing it. And, my house smells great when I'm done. I also don't have to inhale all kinds of nasty chemicals while cleaning or worry about getting everything off my hands, keeping the stuff away from the kids, etc. I know that many of you are like us and have your kids help you with chores around the house. These cleaners are great for involving the kids because you don't have to worry about exposing them to toxic chemicals. And they actually work, which is, of course, not a minor detail when you're putting the effort into scrubbing stuff!

I went online and found the Method website here. Hopefully you can find some places near you that carry these items and check them out for yourself. Let me know what you think, and if you have any other fabulous cleaning products or strategies feel free to share! If you need cleaning ideas to inspire you and your kiddos, check out our Do Something Daily calendar.

Until next week,
Nicole