6 Non-Toxic Cleaning Products to Buy Now

by Kate CartiaAugust 29, 2023

Not all non-toxic cleaning products are created equal

Some of us clean like Marie Kondo (that’s still a thing, right?), while others of us shove toys in the closet and call it a day. Whatever your style, turn to these non-toxic cleaning products that help make all that tidying, wiping and washing just a tad bit more bearable. These cleaning brands are all sustainable, effective, and have packaging that you actually won’t want to hide under the sink. Oh, and they don’t require a hazmat suit to use or leave that funky bleach smell on your fingers.

Why go out of your way to stick with non-toxic cleaning products? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the chemicals found in some cleaning products can cause health problems, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, as well as headaches. Leaning on green(er) formulas can help prevent asthma, upper respiratory inflammation, fatigue, nasal congestion, nausea, and dizziness. Of course, we all want to avoid all that. Plus, many non-toxic cleaning products are safer to use around your little ones (always read package labels to make sure, though). Read on for our picks.

Grove Co's Traditions Aglow Collection

grove collective non-toxic cleaning products with sponges and cleaning bucket — Grove Collaborative

You'll actually want to do the dishes when you smell the Spiced Pumpkin or Harvest Apple scent of the Traditions Aglow collection from Grove Co ('tis the season!). Get the kids doing their own laundry with the dissolvable laundry sheets and show them how to be better Earth stewards with the cleaning concentrate and reusable spray bottle. Everything from Grove Co is sustainable, cruelty-free, and made with 100% natural fragrances so you can feel good having it in your home.

Grove Co Traditions Aglow Collection ($103.84)—Buy Here!

L’AVANT Collective

flat lay of grey, white, and black non-toxic cleaning products — L'AVANT Collective

With L’AVANT Collective, you can now have effective non-toxic cleaning products that you’ll actually be proud to display on the counter. Their line, with packaging design that's downright dreamy, is sustainable (they have refillable and glass options) and plant-based (they tell us that their dish soap is the first plant-based soap to beat the performance of a conventional soap in third party testing). Choose from dish soap, multi-purpose cleaner, hand soap, biodegradable wipes, and bundles. They also offer a subscription service so you can set it and forget it.

L'AVANT Collective—Shop Here!

HealthyBaby

If you consult EWG before making purchases, you’ll love HealthyBaby. Their cleaning and laundry systems are both EWG-verified. Their cleaning system is a concentrate and with each 34 oz. bottle you can make up to 16 bottles of hand soap, 16 bottles of baby dish soap, or 16 bottles of surface spray, which saves so many plastic bottles per year (it comes with a reusable stainless steel container). HealthyBaby's laundry system also comes in a 34 oz. bottle, which makes up to 170 loads of laundry (you simply pump once or twice directly into your washer). Both are free of toxins and harsh chemicals typically found in common household products and detergent. Bonus: HealthyBaby also offers diapers, wipes and a skincare line, all EWG-approved and healthy and effective for your littlest littles.

HealthyBaby Cleaning System ($60.00)—Buy Here!

MomRemedy

The name of this brand pretty much says it all. This mom-approved remedy was created by New Hampshire mama, Jen Cosco, who created her line of sustainable cleaning sprays and wipes after finding it challenging to find cleaning products she felt comfortable using around her own kids and pets. MomRemedy’s line includes zero waste reusable wipes in glass jars and cleaning spray and stain remover bottles. The brand also has reusable glass bottles to help reduce environmental impact even further. Expect to find effective, non-toxic and a biodegradable formula that is dye-, sulfate- and paraben-free.

MomRemedy—Shop Here!

TrulyFree Clean Start Cleaning Kit

TrulyFree offers non-toxic, fragrance-free cleaning products that come in minimally-packaged refills so your environmental impact is greatly reduced. Your first shipment comes with the bottles, jugs, and cleaning solution, so all you need are the refill concentrates in future orders. They offer products for all over your home, too. Laundry, kitchen, bathroom, and more.

TrulyFree Clean Start Cleaning Kit ($49.00)—Buy Here!

arbOUR

arbOUR’s formulas are the best of both worlds: stronger than standard eco-friendly cleaners and naturally safe for everyone and everything important to you—your kids, pets, plants, and the environment. They work to adapt the latest professional innovations for household use to create cleaning products that are eco-effective (not just eco-friendly) because cleaners that don’t work just make more work and more waste for everyone, right?

arbOUR Everyday Spray ($9.00)—Buy Here!

All the products listed are independently & personally selected by our shopping editors.

If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.

All images courtesy of retailers.

Little Tikes New FOAMO Machine Is Soapy Family Fun

by Erica LoopFebruary 9, 2021

While FOMO may seem like it’s a thing of the past, FOAMO is definitely something you’ll want in your family’s future.

You don’t need to rent special equipment or pay a company to provide entertainment for a fun-filled day. Whether your kiddos need a break from cyber schooling, have a special birthday in the near-future, or just want to get outside and play, Little Tikes has a soapy solution. FOAMO may sound like the latest social media acronym, but it’s actually the name of Little Tikes’ new at-home foam machine.

All you need to do is add water and like magic—you’ll have mounds of cloud-like foam in your yard. When the foam party is done, just pack FOAMO up and store it for your next day of family fun.

Little Tikes FOAMO is made for children ages two and up (with plenty of adult supervision of course) and retails for $179.99. FOAMO comes with a foam machine, foam machine mount, storage container, and .75 gallons of concentrated FOAMO solution. After it’s mixed with water, the solution should last for a full hour to two-hour party. If you want to extend the foamy fun or throw another bubbly bash, you can pick up a refill.

Find Little Tikes FOAMO online and in stores at Amazon, Target and Walmart next week!

—Erica Loop

Photos courtesy of Little Tikes

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The Honest Company’s New Launch Will Make You Enjoy Cleaning (Sorta)

by Jennifer SwartvagherJanuary 12, 2021

Parents looking for cleaning products with naturally derived ingredients may already be familiar with Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company. Now the company is offering a new and more sustainable way to clean. The Conscious Cleaning Collection features reusable bottles that can last up to a lifetime and lightweight, easy-to-use refill pods to help reduce single-use plastic & lower your carbon footprint.

Honest Company Conscious Cleaning Collection

The Clean Vibes Kit ($39.99) includes three reusable spray bottles, one Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner Refill (two pods per refill), one Glass Concentrated Cleaner Refill (two pods per refill), one Bathroom Concentrated Cleaner Refill (two pods per refill), one Palo Santo Stick and one Reusable Microfiber Cloth.

The collection is also available in Single Starter Kits ($16.99) and Refills ($9.99/pack of two pods).

The Honest Company Conscious Cleaning Collection is made without Parabens, Phthalates, Synthetic Fragrances, Bleach, Ammonia and Chlorine.

The collection is available now on Honest.com and Amazon.com

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Honest Company

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Jennifer Garner’s Once Upon a Farm Baby Food Releases New Products with a Special Ingredient

by Shahrzad WarkentinJanuary 10, 2020

Jennifer Garner’s baby food line Once Upon a Farm just got a brand new flavor that’s sure to please your mini gourmand.

In collaboration with Row 7, Garner’s Once Upon a Farm just released Farmer Jen and the Giant Squash, a stage 2 baby food pouch made with Row 7’s Koginut squash. This unique squash is also special because it was raised on Garner’s own family farm in Locust, Oklahoma.

Row 7 has built a global network of chefs working together with plant breeders to create new varieties of high-quality, flavorful seeds that make an impact in the soil and at the table, like the new Koginut squash. This special variety combines two squash types, “one prized for its high dry matter, the other for its concentrated sweetness.”

The squash, which is cultivated on the farm where her mom, Patricia, grew up, is combined with chewy oats, cinnamon spice and apple for a fall harvest flavor tiny foodies will love.

The special flavor is only available for a limited time at onceuponafarmorganics.com and in Erewhon Markets in Southern California.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Once Upon a Farm

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This Is Why You Should Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 24, 2019

It might sound weird to wash that pile of fresh back-to-school clothes before they have a chance to collect ketchup and grass stains, but according to experts you should always wash newly purchased clothes before you wear them the first time.

Wearing new clothes without washing them could put you at risk for developing allergic contact dermatitis, according to Dr. Susan Nedorost, a professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University and director of the dermatitis program at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “When we see allergic contact dermatitis from clothing, it’s usually from disperse dyes,” says Dr. Nedorost explained to TIME.

photo: stevepb via Pixabay

The allergic reaction can be delayed and cause a rash that can last for weeks, says Nedorost. The disperse dyes are used in synthetic fabrics, like polyester and nylon, and are often concentrated at higher levels in the fabric prior to being washed for the first time. If you’ve ever washed your new clothes only to be dismayed by the color fading, you can understand how the process works.

Sweating, combined with the friction caused by regular bodily movement, can cause the dye that would be minimized through washing to disperse onto your skin and cause a reaction. This is often the case with workout wear according to Nodorost. “If a patient comes in and has a rash around the back of the neck and along their sides around their armpits, the first question I ask is what they wear when they work out,” she told TIME.

There isn’t enough data to determine how common this type of allergy actually is, however, there are other reasons to avoid wearing your clothes before washing them. A 2014 study conducted by Stockholm University in Sweden found that, when tested, a majority of retail clothing items off the rack contained a type of chemical compound called “quinoline” which is used in clothing dyes and is listed as a probable human carcinogen by the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ulrika Nilsson, a member of the Stockholm University group, explains that washing new clothes “reduces the content of chemicals,” especially those like quinoline that may be residual from the manufacturing process.

Ultimately, a quick wash cycle isn’t much in the grand scheme of the mountains of laundry you’ll do over your parental career, so better safe than sorry.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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These Are the Best Bug Repellents According to the EWG

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 12, 2019

Keeping your family protected against biting mosquitoes and other bugs is important, but not at the cost of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Luckily there are safe bug repellents for kids that do the job without leaving you worrying about what you’re exposing your little ones to.

The Environmental Working Group has just released its recommendations for the best bug repellents for kids. Keep reading to find out the products you should be shopping for this summer.

photo: 41330 via Pixabay

The top three EWG recommendations are DEET, Picaridin and IR3535. Yes, you read that right––DEET is included in the EWG’s list. The important factor to note is the concentration level of DEET and the other two ingredients, in any bug repellent product.

According to the EWG, DEET is safe to use as long as you avoid products that are 100 percent concentrated and only use bug repellent with a maximum of 10 percent DEET. The only exception to this limit is if you’re using DEET to protect kids in an area known for ticks’ carrying Lyme disease bacteria or for Zika outbreaks. Then the EWG recommends a DEET concentration of 20 percent to 30 percent.

If you choose products containing Picaridin and IR3535, you should look for bug repellents containing no more than 20 percent of either. The EWG says that Picaridin is a great alternative to DEET because it is less likely to irritate eyes and skin.

The EWG does not recommend the use of “natural repellents” like castor, cedar, citronella, clove, geraniol, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary and/or soybean oils because research indicates they are not the best choice.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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FDA Expands Recall of Infant Ibuprofen Sold at CVS, Walgreens & More Stores

by Erica LoopFebruary 1, 2019

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently expanded its infant ibuprofen recall. Tris Pharma issued a voluntary recall of its Infants’ Ibuprofen Concentrated Oral Suspension, USP (NSAID) 50 mg per 1.25 mL initially in December 2018. Representatives from Tris Pharma referred to its statement online about the recall when reached for comment.

The recall expansion, announced Jan. 30, 2019, includes three additional lots of Ibuprofen Oral Suspension Drops, USP, 50 mg per 1.25 mL. The infant ibuprofen, sold by CVS, Family Dollar and Walmart, may contain up to 700 percent higher concentrations of ibuprofen than the recommended dose, posing a serious health risk. Potential adverse effects from taking this over-the-counter medication could include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache or ringing in the ears.

Recalled Infants’ Ibuprofen Description

The current recall includes three lots of Infants’ Ibuprofen Concentrated Oral Suspension, USP (NSAID) 50 mg per 1.25 mL, packaged in 0.5 oz. bottles. Again, the affected products were sold at CVS, Family Dollar and Walmart stores. Visit the FDA’s website for a full list of the initially and currently recalled products, lot numbers and expiration dates here.

The brand names that the ibuprofen was sold under include Equate (at Walmart stores), CVS Health (at CVS) and Family Wellness (at Dollar General). You can also see the label and packaging scans below.

Photos: PRNewsfoto/Tris Pharma, Inc.

Why the Ibuprofen Was Recalled

The ibuprofen oral suspension may contain concentrations of the medication that are dangerous to infants. Along with GI symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding, the potentially dangerous concentration of ibuprofen may also cause headaches and ringing in the ears.

It’s also possible that infants who are more susceptible to the higher potency may experience permanent NSAID-associated renal injury. Currently, no illnesses or injuries have been reported.

How To Tell If Your Ibuprofen Is Part of the Recall

Review the lot number, expiration date, description and seller name at the FDA”s website here.

What Parents Can Do

If you have the affected product, don’t use it. Return it to the place of purchase or dispose of it responsibly. Never leave medication in an open trash can. This poses a safety to risk to your child, wildlife/pets and other people. Direct questions or concerns to Tris Customer Service at 732-940-0358, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Pacific.

Parents who have concerns about their children’s health should contact their pediatrician or other qualified healthcare provider immediately.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Colin Maynard via Unsplash

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“Big Bang Theory” Actress Mayim Bialik: “I Feel Mom Guilt All the Time”

by Shahrzad WarkentinDecember 11, 2018

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or an Emmy-nominated actress, at one point or another, every mom has felt that aching feeling that can only be described as mom guilt. The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik shared her own thoughts on dealing with mom guilt and we can all relate.

Bialik revealed her thoughts on balancing motherhood with a career in a recent interview with US Weekly. “I feel mom guilt all the time,” she said. “Especially with the societal emphasis on women being able to do it all. I would love to be able to do it all, but I can’t physically be in more than one place at once.”

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A post shared by mayim bialik (@missmayim)

The actress, who shares two sons Miles, 13, and Frederick, 10, with ex-husband Michael Stone, revealed that having a mom tribe to lean on is a big help in getting through the tough moments. “Talking to others moms who are in similar situations is really helpful,” she explained. “Sometimes it may just mean that you need to be hugged.”

Bialik also shared how she tries to make the time she spends with her kids more meaningful. “I’ve been making more and more of an effort to put my phone down, so that they can have concentrated time with me, and honestly that helps,” she said. “I’m not just saying it helps me cope, but it helps me feel more connected when I’m with them, so that when I’m not with them, I’m not feeling like I’m never present.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Mayim Bialik via Instagram

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Do Your Household Cleaners Have This Label? Here’s What You Need to Know.

by Red TricycleMay 12, 2016

Video: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency via YouTube

If your house is anything like ours, the cupboard under your sink is filled to the brim with a pile of half-used cleaning products. We may see things that read “Ultra Concentrated” or “10x the cleaning power compared to other leading brands,” but without a lot of research, it’s hard to know if these products actually doing more harm than good.

There is growing evidence that certain chemicals in common products can harm our health, and our growing kids are especially at risk. That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency is making it easier for us to choose and use the safest products available.

The EPA’s Safer Choice program brings consumer awareness to products that are leading the way when it comes to safer ingredients. The Safer Choice label means every single ingredient in the product was reviewed by the EPA scientists and cleared as being safer for the environment and public health.

Currently, shoppers can choose from more than 2,500 Safer Choice products from retailers such as Safeway, Staples, Office Depot, Wegman’s and Costco.

Get Fit Now: 10 Apps for Quick Workouts & Healthy Eating Tips

by Claire SchillingsOctober 1, 2013

For even the most health-conscious parents, it can be tough finding time to exercise between endless soccer practices, piano lessons, and school carpools. But fitness doesn’t always have to come second. Check out these easy-to-use smartphone apps, featuring quick workouts, healthy eating tips, and exercise trackers, and download your way to being the most fit parent on the block.

Fitness Express

Perfect for the busiest parents, this essential app by Fitness Magazine offers short routines with step-by-step instructions and images (and videos!) detailing each move. With categories including abs, upper body, lower body, total body, and cardio, you can target your workout to fit your jam-packed schedule and conquer one area of your body at a time for a more concentrated workout.

Why We Love It: These resistance-based exercises are super quick (just 15 minutes) and effective, so you can even do them on your lunch break! Plus, the instructions are clear and easy to understand, so you won't waste any time learning the moves.

Available at the App Store for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
Cost: $0.99

What apps do you use to keep fit? Tell us below!

— Claire Schillings

App photos courtesy of iTunes Preview and featured photo courtesy of Be Grand Fitness.

ML Interest Tag: concentrate

6 Non-Toxic Cleaning Products to Buy Now

Not all non-toxic cleaning products are created equal

Grove Co's Traditions Aglow Collection

L’AVANT Collective

HealthyBaby

MomRemedy

TrulyFree Clean Start Cleaning Kit

arbOUR

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