Safe, Green Holiday Cleaning

House cleaning isn't our favorite task, but it is an important part of maintaining a healthy, clear-minded attitude throughout the long, cold Boston winter. Unfortunately, many cleaning products and home accessories are made with synthetic chemicals and emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into our indoor air. Since our windows are shut during this time of year, these potentially hazardous VOCs have nowhere to go, so we end up breathing them in and filtering them through our bodies.

How can we clean in a healthy, environmentally-minded way? Here are our JUGs-approved green cleaning products of the moment. 

NatureZway "Paper" Towels

A better alternative to paper towels, bamboo perforated NatureZway towels a great for cleaning up even the messiest of kitchens. They are more durable than paper and can be rinsed and reused 100 times each. They are a great happy medium between conventional paper towels and rags. Reusable rags are the most eco-friendly, but the fact that they need to be laundered after a few uses is a deterrent for many well-intended cleaners. NatureZway provides a compromise. 

Organic Bath Co. Stress Less Soy Candle

Soy wax is a healthy alternative to paraffin (petroleum) wax from which most candles are made. Plus, Organic Bath is a hyper-local company with a strong social mission: to provide safe, natural products with luxurious high-quality ingredients, ethically sourced. This candle is makes any home smell light and stress-free with Bulgarian lavender essential oils. 

The Optimist Co. Time to Shine Surface Spray

The Optimist Co. is another wonderful Massachusetts-based company. They make home cleaning and laundry products from non-toxic ingredients, scented with high-quality essential oils that also boast aromatherapeutic benefits. If your kitchen is a complete mess after a marathon of Thanksgiving or Christmas cookie baking, give the whole place a spritz down with The Optimist Co. Time to Shine Spray. Tea tree oil kills harmful bacteria while club soda and castile soap get to work on stains and grit.