Do you know what you are cleaning with?

After doing a little research, it was easy to make the choice to green clean (I am still using Tide, that is going to be a hard one to let go of friends, but I will get there). 

Did you know - 

Some oven cleaners contain sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, which are extremely corrosive strong bases. These chemicals can be deadly if swallowed. They can cause chemical burns on the skin or in the lungs if the fumes are inhaled.

Household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, a chemical that can cause irritation and damage to the skin and respiratory system if inhaled or spilled on the skin. 

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found that one-third of the substances used in the fragrance industry are toxic. As the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren't required to list their ingredients but only label them as containing "fragrance."

The average household contains about 62 toxic chemicals, say environmental experts. We’re exposed to them routinely — from the phthalates in synthetic fragrances to the noxious fumes in oven cleaners. Ingredients in common household products have been linked to asthma, cancer, reproductive disorders, hormone disruption and neurotoxicity.

I also hear that long exposure to chemicals may cause you to be a Yankees fan. Just Kidding. But seriously, isn't it easy to see this is scary stuff? And this is just the tip, very very tip, of the iceberg. 

We are going to be trying out some homemade cleaners over the next few weeks and posting the recipes and results right here. Yep right here in River City. Not really. We're in Oklahoma. So, posting where the wind comes sweeping down the plains. 

Start here - do not pass go do not collect 200 dollars =)

Here we are! The first week of a family of 5's transition to Green and Chemical Free. Why? Well, simply because I am more and more concerned about what I am seeing on labels and more and more concerned about chemicals and what we don't know.

Now don't get me wrong, this won't happen overnight. We're going to have to do this as cheaply frugally as possible. Who am I kidding, cheaply! My family is going to LOVE this....I keep telling myself.

I think it's going to be a rewarding and fun adventure! I'm hoping more successful than when we were starting to eat healthy and I substituted spaghetti noodles with spaghetti squash and my then 8 year old ran crying from the table. Oh the drama. And she is now 11 and still verifies I have indeed given her spaghetti noodles to this day. They'll never notice said the recipe. Ummm yeah.

I hope I can pass on helpful information and reviews for others and share some fun along the way. It's go time! =)