Squeaky Clean: The Ultimate Guide to Cleansing Your Home

Dangerous Detergent

While clean laundry means fresh clothing and crisp linens, conventional laundry care products often contain chemicals and irritants with negative health effects. So, is your laundry detergent toxic? According to Dr. Ellen Frankel, chief of dermatology at Kent Hospital, toxins found in laundry soap can cause an allergic reaction, irritation and more.

Toxic chemicals may include: 
Phosphates and EDTA: Used to make detergents more effective in water. They are also needed to help break down dirt particles.

Bleach (sodium hypochlorite): Can cause severe toxicity, chemical burns and eye damage. An asthmatic who inhales the bleach fumes can have a severe allergic reaction and flare of asthma.

Fragrances: Used in products to mask the odor of the cleaning products and may stay in the clothing after it has been washed. Because the fragrances are derived from petroleum and coal tar, the chemicals can pass through
the skin and cause a localized reaction (irritation or contact dermatitis) and may cause respiratory issues.

Phthalates: Can also be present in laundry detergents but are usually not listed in the ingredients. It is best to avoid products with recycling codes three and seven to avoid phthalates.

Sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfates (sles): Both have been linked to contact and allergic skin and eye irritation.

Brighteners: Chemicals that are added to the detergents to enhance the brightness and whiteness of our clothes. They remain in the clothing and absorb UV light. So, yellow is minimalized and clothes appear brighter. These can cause skin irritation.

Quarternium-15: A chemical that is a formaldehyde releaser. It can cause severe allergic dermatitis and can trigger asthma and/or damage the respiratory system.

There are many dye-free products and fragrance-free products, but the latter might (and usually will) contain masking fragrances. However, there are several “healthy” detergents on the market:

Purex Liquid Natural Elements: Hypoallergenic and dye-free. It does have a light scent so if you are fragrance sensitive this should be avoided.

Grab Green: Natural three-in-one laundry pods with vanilla and lavender scent and essential oils. This product is plant-based and claims to be free of harmful toxins and carcinogens but does have a fragrance.

Charlie’s Soap: This laundry powder is fragrance-free and is a biodegradable hypoallergenic detergent. It does not contain fragrances, brighteners or fillers.

Puracy: A natural liquid detergent that is plant-based, hypoallergenic and biodegradable. It claims to be 99.5 percent natural. It is SLS- and SLES-free and does not contain bleach, phosphates, sulfates, petrochemicals, chlorine or perfumes. It is also tree nut-free.

Dishwasher Duties

20 surprising things you can clean in your dishwasher. (Spoiler alert: it’s not just dirty dishes and glassware!)

Your dishwasher can do a whole lot more than just clean those dirty dishes after a big Sunday supper. Look around your home; you’ll find plastic, glass and metal items that could use a rinse, too.

Microwave Turntable
This one may be obvious, but the spillage could use some suds!

Kitchen Sponge 
Toss it on the top rack or in the utensil holder to kill the bacteria while washed on high heat.

Exhaust Fan Cover 
Dirt and grime are trapped no more — put it in for a thorough degreasing.

Vase 
Glass vases are like cups and can harbor green grime. Place a delicate vase on the top rack.

Cabinet Hardware 
Yup! If it’s not hand-painted, put it in.

Toothbrush Holder 
Tame your toothbrush and kill off bacteria to limit the transfer from one toothbrush to another. (Gross!)

Light Switch Cover 
How many times per day do you turn the light on and off? Place the cover on the top rack to remove fingerprints and the germs you can’t see.

Rubber Mat 
Whether in the shower or in the sink, it needs a good, clean rinse — sans feet and dirty dishes.

Comb
Toss it in the utensil basket and you’re good to go.

Shower Pouf
Not only does it harbor dead skin and lots of bacteria, it removes your body oil too, so give it a bath of its own.

Bath Toys
Rubber ducks, LEGO men: you name it and they can be de-germified.

Nail Tools 
Toss in the mani and pedi tools to kill bacteria and any lingering fungus.

Rubber Boots/Flip Flops 
Yes, they can be cleaned here too, but we suggest running the dishwasher on an empty cycle before loading up the dishes again.

Flower Pots 
Plastic on top, ceramic on bottom, but rinse off excess dirt first. This helps get rid of plant diseases that may linger.

Pacifier 
Place the paci in the utensil holder for easy cleaning. (We sure hope you’ve got an extra on hand for your crying baby.)

Pet Toys 
Remove slobber and doggie dirt from your furry friends’ favorite toy.

Pet Bowls 
Fido deserves to eat off a clean plate, too.

Refrigerator Shelf 
These shelves might be bulky, but make them as fresh as the food they store.

Vacuum Attachments 
It may do a good job at cleaning up dust bunnies, but dirt can be left behind in the cracks and crevices.

Contact Lens Case or Pill Box 
You touch it daily and have probably never thought twice about cleaning it off. Toss it on the top rack and it’s as good as new.

When Life Hands You Lemons

How lemons can be used when cleaning your home.

Clean the microwave. Measure ¹/2 cup of water into a bowl, squeeze lemon juice into the water and drop two lemon halves into the bowl. Microwave for three minutes. The steam trapped inside will help loosen the food gunk. Let it stand for five minutes, then easily wipe the inside of the microwave clean.

Freshen up the disposal. Pour vinegar into an ice cube tray and place small chunks of lemon in each pocket. Grind the frozen cubes to clean and sanitize your garbage disposal. It will smell fresh, too.

Getty Images.

Kitchen Confusion

You may guess that the bathroom is the dirtiest room in your house, but the kitchen, in fact, beats out the bathroom in this downright dirty fight.

NSF International, an American product testing inspection and certification organization, conducted a “germiest places in your home study” in 2011 to identify germ hotspots. NSF swabbed for coliform bacteria, a family of bacteria that includes E. coli and salmonella, and according to the study results, more than 75 percent of coliform was found on dish sponges, 45 percent on the kitchen sink, 38 percent on countertops and 18 percent on cutting boards. This compares to the bathroom where 27 percent of coliform was identified on toothbrush holders and 9 percent on faucet handles. This just in: The analysis revealed that the areas where food is prepped contain more bacteria and fecal contamination than any other place in the home — gross!

Sponge
Yuck: In an effort to reduce the use of paper towels, many people have switched to sponges, scrubbing brushes or dish towels. These porous products harbor more bacteria (including salmonella and E. coli) than anywhere else in a home.
The fix: Zap your wet sponge in the microwave for two minutes after each use or let the dishwasher do the dirty work.

Refrigerator 
Yuck: Your fridge can be host to bacteria in ice and water dispensers, meat and veggie drawers and door seals.
The fix: Remove produce, deli meat and other products from the bins and wash them in warm, soapy water. Wipe down the fridge with a non-toxic disinfectant and do a white vinegar flush of the water dispenser.

Coffee Maker 
Yuck: Water that lingers behind in a warm, moist environment creates a perfect home for mold, bacteria, yeast and more to grow.
The fix:Simply pour in equal parts water and vinegar and let it sit for about thirty minutes. Then, turn
on the machine and let the solution drip out. Follow with a few cycles of water to flush everything out.

Can Opener 
Yuck: Whether handheld or machine operated, salmonella, E. coli, mold and yeast can be left behind.
The fix:Clean it well by tossing it in the dishwasher or wash it with warm, soapy water and let it air dry.

Cutting Board
Yuck: A hotbed for germs, the nooks and crannies in cutting boards can hold bacteria from raw meat and dirty produce.
The fix:Wash the board after each use with hot water, place it in the dishwasher if you are able to or, if it is a wooden board, scrub the surface with baking soda and coarse salt for a deep clean.

Sink
Yuck: Everything but the kitchen sink? No! Raw meat, dirty dishes, cooking prep remains and other ick factors make this a spot for growing bacteria.
The fix:Give it a good scrub with baking soda, then apply a white vinegar soak. Rinse it out with water and repeat weekly. Baking soda followed by white vinegar is also a great drain cleaner.