You’re probably used to reading the ingredient list on all your food by now.  It’s pretty much a habit.  And you know exactly what words to look for so you know whether to avoid that particular product. But what about the ingredients in your household cleaners?

If you don’t pay attention to the back of your multipurpose cleaner, you might be using chemicals that are dangerous to you, your family, and even your pet’s health.  Not exactly what you want when you are just trying to clean your kitchen.  If you do read the labels on your cleaners, it might feel like you need a degree in chemistry to understand what’s really in there.

Don’t worry, we’ll cover some of the most dangerous toxins that are lurking in your cabinets, so you know to avoid them as well as give you some simple and natural alternatives.  You won’t have to go out and buy new expensive products because you probably already have the ingredients for a clean kitchen in your house!

1. Chlorine

We’ll start with a relatively easy one, chlorine.  This is the chemical that is usually found in pools, but you can also find it in toilet bowl cleaners, stain removers, and household tap water. We are exposed to chlorine pretty much every day and we don’t even know it.  City water generally uses chlorine to help get rid of bacteria, which is a good reason to use a filter on your tap. But because it’s in our water, we run the risk of overexposure when it’s in our cleaners.  It can cause respiratory problems and even disrupt thyroid function.

What to use instead: Two big natural products for all home cleaning are going to be vinegar and baking soda.  You can use vinegar to clean your toilet and as a whitener for your laundry.  You could also use borax in your laundry or find a cleaner that is chlorine free.  Install a filter on both your tap and your showers so you can reduce your exposure to chlorine even more.