I’m due to have a baby tomorrow. And well, I’m still pregnant. Yesterday my nesting instincts really kicked in and what started as me only cleaning the toilets resulted in me cleaning the ENTIRE house. I have barely been able to keep the kitchen clean this entire pregnancy and today I was able to mop, dust, scrub, vacuum, and polish practically everything in my two-story house. There is surely a baby on the way soon!

When you’re treating your cancer naturally, it is essential that you detox not only your body, but also the chemicals you keep in your house and clean with. When I began treating my cancer naturally 6 years ago, I did this immediately knowing the strong ties that chemical exposure has to a lymphoma diagnosis. And although I started with buying “green” cleaning supplies from Whole Foods, I now make all of my cleaning supplies at home. Here’s a rundown of my non-toxic cleaning routine.

My Non-Toxic Cleaning Routine:

***Update 2017: I have since learned a MUCH EASIER way to get my home clean. Check out that post HERE.

My (former) cleaning ingredients:

water

white vinegar

Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Castile Soap

baking soda

a scrub brush (I like the ones that are normally for scrubbing dishes such as THIS ONE.)

cornstarch

alcohol

paper towels

hydrogen peroxide

And here’s how I use these ingredients…

***Before getting started, you will need to make a spray bottle mixture of 1/2 water, 1/2 white vinegar. I used an old All-Purpose Cleaner bottle. This is the basic mixture I use for ALL disinfecting in my house. If you hate vinegar smell like I did at first, give it a try. Now the smell of vinegar makes me think “aaah, so clean!”***

Toilets- Pour 1/2 cup vinegar in toilet and let soak for 5 minutes (I do this to all of my home’s toilets at the same time.) Then, I sprinkle baking soda onto the inside of the bowl just above the water line. Scrub with the toilet brush and it removes almost ANYTHING.

Sinks/ Counters- Using a spray bottle of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar, I spray down all of my counters at the same time and let sit for a few minutes. Wipe clean with a paper towel. Use baking soda for scrubbing if you have stubborn stains.

Shower/ Tub- First, wet shower by turning on water for 5 seconds and wetting all areas, including walls. Spray down extremely well with 1/2 water/ 1/2 vinegar mixture. Then squirt Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap all over the floor and walls, probably using about an 1/8 of a cup of soap total. Then, sprinkle with as much baking soda as you need. I’m guessing I use about 1/4 cup each cleaning. Scrub like crazy with your favorite sponge or scrub brush. It’s a workout, but it gets your shower so clean!

For really stubborn black mold, I spray on 75% hydrogen peroxide mixed with 25% water and leave it on the shower walls for an hour or so. Then, I spray again to wet them and scrub with baking soda and a firm brush.

Dusting- I use a simple Swiffer, no polish to dust my home. But if you’re looking for a non-toxic polish, Crunchy Betty has you covered with her own homemade recipe.

Wood/ Tile Floors- I use warm water with about a cup of vinegar in a bucket to mop my wood floors. For a long time I just used my bottle of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar and a towel to “mop” my floors by hand and that worked, too- although I find using warm water gets my floors cleaner.

Glass/ Mirrors- Make and use this fantastic recipe from CrunchyBetty.com. I’ve used it for years now. Wipe glass or mirror with a paper towel after spraying.

That’s it! Super simple, the way I like life to be.

Stay tuned to the Anti-Cancer Mom Facebook Page for updates on Baby #3!