*I forgot I had this scheduled to share with you all! We will be back with more love in action ideas tomorrow!
Over the past few years we have begun to use more and more cleaning products that list their ingredients right on the product label. When ingredients are listed right on the label you can know, and most importantly decide!, what to use around your home and family. It makes it so much easier on us when you have companies you trust that are fighting for ingredient disclosure and safe ingredients for families. Seventh Generation is one of those that I have used ever since Rocco was a baby. (The only diapers that my sensitive skinned babies don’t react too!) I always expect back to back sickness when our little ones head to school. If one gets something it seems they all catch it within days. This is the first year however (knock on wood), that we have steered clear of colds and flu thus far! This is a combination of eliminating sugar in our diet, taking probiotics and vitamins on a regular basis, and being consistent with washing hands. We have also started a routine of disinfecting the hard surfaces around our home, especially those that are often touched by little hands, to help kill household germs.
(When I ask her to help clean the door, and she can’t figure out how the rag works…)
(….and then gives up altogether.)
Our usual cleaning routine looks something like this:
Mondays – Laundry + Linens (although I’m folding all week long!)
Thursdays – Wipe down and disinfect doors, knobs, chairs, and commonly used hard surfaces.
Saturdays – Bathrooms, vacuuming, mopping
Sundays – Wipe down windows of front and back doors
Monthly: Organize drawers and clothes; wipe down lamps, shelves, and blinds.
With the amount of people in our home, some of the above have to be done more frequently than others, and some things need to be done daily (like disinfecting the kitchen, sweeping, organizing toys, etc.). Having some set aside time on the weekends for the weekly cleaning routine really helps feel like we get a fresh start to the week! We even have the kids pitch in by keeping their things picked up.
One of the products I use regularly to kill household germs is the Seventh Generation botanical disinfectant spray. It’s a no-rinse spray that can be used on food contact surfaces and children’s toys. It contains an active ingredient called Thymol (a component of Thyme oil), and kills 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, including cold and flu viruses* on hard, non-porous surfaces. So I often get a little overzealous with wiping down finger prints on white surfaces and disinfecting doorknobs around this time of year.
I’ll also use a diffuser in the main areas of the home for getting essential oils in the air that leave a fresh clean smell behind as well.
Some weeks are so crazy I completely let everything go, but sure is nice when you can keep on top of what comes in the door and home from school! What are some helpful habits you create in your home for keeping things clean and germ free?
*Kills over 99.99% of household germs, specifically: Influenza A virus, H1N1, Rhinovirus type 37, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli.
This post is sponsored by Seventh Generation. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.
