Naturally Clean

As a child, my parents and especially my grandmother emphasized keeping clean to keep healthy. I carried that with me as I grew. I currently work for an environmentally-safe cleaning company (Healthy Homes Cleaning). It was not until I became an adult, that realized that the products my family were using were toxic. The bleach, window spray, grease spray, bath tub scrub, all contained ingredients that have been linked to cancer, asthma, allergies etc. Through my boss and my own research, I discovered that there was a better way to clean. With so many reports linking chemicals in household products to major diseases as well as multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome, hormonal disruption, reproductive and developmental disorders, and other conditions, I knew we had to change our way. I became a a natural cleaner when I was experiencing infertility, and then finally got pregnant. I have never looked back.


New Society Publishers, bring you Naturally Clean, The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning by Jefferey Hollender, Geoff Davis, Meika Hollender and Reed Doyle. This book appealed to me for many reasons, not least of which that it is written by the president of Seventh Generation products (my faves) with the editor of the Seventh Generation consumer newsletter, and a Seventh Generation researcher in product analysis. I have been using Seventh Generation products for years, and I always sing their praise.

Naturally Clean, The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning explains the dangers of traditional cleaners and provides illuminating statistics that illustrate how the chemicals found in almost every home are known or likely to cause a host of serious health problems. The book's easy-to-understand introduction discusses basic household chemistry, concepts of toxicity and types of toxic exposure, and the difference between natural, organic, and synthetic chemicals.
A Room by Room Guide provides tips for:

• a healthier kitchen
• keeping your bedrooms safe
• mold, mildew and soap scum: spotless bathrooms, and
• special precautions for cleaning children's rooms. 

• Naturally Clean also features a comprehensive Product Selection Guide that analyses over 300 natural and traditional cleaners: everything from laundry products through oven cleaners, disinfectants, spot removers, carpet cleaners and bathroom cleaners. This handy, easy-to-use reference rates the household cleaning products found on the shelves of natural food and grocery stores providing Seventh Generation's pick of your healthiest and safest options. A resource guide tells readers where to find additional information, and an at-a-glance glossary helps understand key terms.

Even better, the royalties from the sale of Naturally Clean will benefit Healthy Child Healthy World (www.healthychild.org) in their efforts to educate parents about environmental toxins that can affect children’s health. What is not to love about this book? I love the tips on using Olive Oil as a natural wood polisher, and natural oils to deodorize and offer anti-bacterial properties.

Change begins with education and Naturally Clean can teach you how to make the difference in your home and your life by going natural.