Did you know that the Federal government doesn’t require cleaning product manufacturers disclose their ingredients?
That is unfortunate for many reasons, but especially because it makes it very difficult for consumers to try to pick a product that they feel comfortable with.
For many years I used to make my own cleaners with simple products around my home: vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, washing soda, castile soap, lemon oil, etc.
While they worked great when I heard the claims one company was making to replace every cleaner in your home with one concentrate I was intrigued. And better yet, they valued clean nontoxic ingredients and disclosed all of them. I gave it a shot, ordered my first bottle and have not turned back.
Introducing Branch Basics!
About the company:
They are a women owned business who believe choices like the food we put in our bodies, the paint we put on our walls, and the cleaners we use around our homes have power; the power to rob us of good health or to cultivate it. All three owners personally changed the trajectory of their lives by focusing on living a less toxic life
How it works:
Purchase a starter kit which comes with a bottle of the concentrate and multiple bottles premarked with how much concentrate and water to add to make the perfect solution. You will end up with a cleaner for glass, all purpose, bathroom, laundry and hand wash.
Another Option
I personally wanted to use glass bottles, so I opted to buy just the concentrate and then get my own bottles off Amazon and follow the below dilution ratio recommendations.
Dilution ratios:
- All Purpose – 1 part Branch Basics concentrate to 11 parts water
- Bathroom – 1 part Branch Basics concentrate to 5 parts water
- Streak Free – 1 drop Branch Basics concentrate to 24 oz. distilled water
- Hand Foamer – 1 part Branch Basics concentrate to 4 parts water
- Laundry – 1 part Branch Basics concentrate to 2 parts water
*It appears they now offer glass bottles in their shop which is a great improvement!
Safe surfaces:
This is likely not an exclusive list, and they always recommend testing a small space but point is it can be used on just about anything!
- Granite
- Plastic
- Stainless steel
- Glass
- Travertine
- Stove tops
- Sinks
- Tile
- Driveway
- Grills
- Baseboard
- Bricks
- Chrome
Here is a really thorough User Guide they have published that shares all the ways you can use their concentrate. My favorite replacement was for conventional carpet cleaner. That was one area I hadn’t found an upgraded option until Branch Basics.
If you are interested in checking out Branch Basics, they are offering my audience 10% off all Starter Kits but only for a short time. Use code embrace at checkout.
If you decide to give them a try, let me know what you think!
If you don’t want to try Branch Basics, no harm done by me. Here are five tips for you when selecting nontoxic cleaning products.
- Be cautious of catch phrases and green washing terms like eco-friendly, plant based, green, free and clear, etc. While these products are often an improvement, they may still contain harmful ingredients.
- Avoid products with the word fragrance as that is a global term that encompasses thousands of chemicals, which don’t have to be listed on the label. Scents using essential oils are the best bet.
- Skip products with terms on the label: caution, warning, danger. The EPA requires this label if it contains harmful products (keep in mind though there are plenty of other harmful ingredients that may not be as dangerous that don’t warrant this label)
- Say no to disinfectant and sanitizer products that aren’t alcohol based. These often contain EPA registered pesticides.
- Utilize the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning Database.They dig into the products for you and assign the products a rating (A-F) to help guide consumer choice.
Hope you found this helpful!
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