A lot of us try to make healthier choices in the new year. Something about a fresh start makes it easier to leave behind things we know aren’t good for us. So, whether you’re just starting your journey, or you’re looking for practical information and product swaps, we’re here to help. Here are just a few of the ways that Force of Nature can help you achieve the eco-friendly home of your dreams this year.
3 Ways Force Of Nature Can Help You Keep Your Eco-Friendly Home Sparkling Clean
- Deodorizing pretty much anything, but especially the athletic duds you’ve been rocking in your pursuit of a healthy 2019!
Let’s start with the basics and make sure you know the 4 stink-causing laundry mistakes you need to stop making (cheat sheet: are you using too much soap? Too much heat? Fabric softener? Or, you could be waiting too long between loads!) When it comes to athletic gear, keeping stink at bay requires just a few tweaks to your routine. The top priority? Stop what’s causing the odor. Whether you’re hitting the road for a run, or your yoga mat for some chaturanga, your athletic gear creates the perfect environment for stink-causing funk to set up shop, thanks to sweat, natural oils and dead skin. Force of Nature to the rescue, with a solution free from toxic chemicals that is as effective as bleach, but gentle enough to spray on your yoga mat.
Our top tip: make sure you’re fully saturating the clothing or equipment and letting it sit for 2 minutes.
For extra credit, here’s how to take de-stinking to the next level:
Clothing
For your washable gym clothes and team uniforms, spray with Force of Nature to saturate, focusing on areas where sweat concentrates like armpits and seams. Wait 2 minutes and then wash as normal. If you get in the habit of doing this when you get back from the gym, you’ll be able to eliminate that set-in stink issue for good. Remember to do a test in an inconspicuous spot the first time to be sure the dyes used in the fabric are truly colorfast.
Toxic air fresheners (we’re looking at you, Febreze) and dryer sheets simply mask odors instead of eliminating them. They’re also filled with chemicals that you really don’t want leaching into your skin and respiratory system. With already stinky shoes and cleats, the best strategy is to fully saturate the interior (until totally soaked) and allow them to dry completely. Don’t rinse. Once you’ve done this, you can give them a quick spray and allow it to set for 30 seconds after each wearing.
Gloves, Pads, Guards & Helmets
These are undoubtedly the worst offenders, but the treatment plan is the same (and will work!). The first time, you’ll fully saturate them and allow them to dry. After that, a preemptive spray after each use (including straps, foam, etc!) will help keep that stink at bay for good.
Bags/Carriers: Don’t forget to give your yoga mat bag or gym bag a routine spray down with a natural deodorizer like Force of Nature. A lot of gym bags are awkward to wash in a machine, so this is an easy and convenient way to ward off odors without creating a complicated cleaning situation.
2. Avoiding toxic chemicals in the kitchen, particularly on food prep surfaces, and (gasp!) on your produce itself!
If you’re ready to chop, juice and smoothie your way to getting more delicious, organic veggies into your diet, make sure you check for “hitchhikers” in the form of pesticides and bacteria.
Produce Tip: Confused on which produce to buy organic or conventional? Brush up on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Guides).
It may surprise you, but Force of Nature makes an awesome fruit and veggie wash! Rinse off any visible dirt, give the produce a spray, wait 30 seconds, then give it a quick rinse with cool water to remove any trace flavor.
One fruit that’s important to clean first: melons, particularly cantaloupe, as their rinds can harbor bacteria. While you don’t eat the rind, when you slice through it, your knife is distributing the bacteria into the fruit itself. Ick!
Don’t forget to keep your cooking surfaces (including cutting boards – especially wooden ones like these gorgeous, eco-friendly ones!) safe by spraying them down with Force of Nature before and after use, especially when you’re preparing raw meat or fish.
Extra Credit: Here are six ways to dramatically transform your kitchen with one cleaner and 5 Steps To A Chemical Free Kitchen.
3. Kicking toxic cleaners to the curb!
Swapping out your toxic cleaning products for safer ones is a huge step towards an eco-friendly home. Toxic chemicals in our cleaning products aren’t just bad for ourselves, our families and our pets, but they have terrible consequences for our natural environment, too.
Even so-called “natural” cleaners are not as safe as you may think, containing a surprising number of toxic chemicals due to the poor regulation of this product category in the US. Did you know that out of over 62,000 chemicals approved for use in the US, only about 300 have actually been tested for safety?
Even worse, cleaning product manufacturers aren’t required to show their full ingredient lists on their labels, and there are no federal standards dictating criteria for what cleaning products can be labeled as “natural.”
Bottom line: this means even “natural” cleaning products can and do contain toxic chemicals linked to hormone disruption, organ and neurotoxicity, respiratory & skin irritation.
Check out resources like the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning Database by product category to identify products and brands that receive high safety ratings.
Another great resource are our eco-friendly, chemical-free Product Guides which include tons of information on how to identify safe products or create safer alternatives right in your eco-friendly home.
And, of course, Force of Nature is a powerhouse cleaning system that can replace your cabinet full of household cleaners from countertop, kitchen and bathroom sprays to glass and floor cleaners, deodorizers and bleach.
And, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, check out these 20 unexpected uses for Force of Nature!
Learn More
If you’re committed to an eco-friendly home, our revolutionary cleaning system, Force of Nature, will become the star of your cleaning product cupboard (which you’ll no longer need to put a lock on!). It’s family-friendly and gentle enough to use around your kids and dogs, while being just as effective as bleach. And, we’re always here with our blog and resources to help you learn how to make keeping an eco-friendly home easy.