Baby-Safe Cleaning Products to Use Around Your Home
Cleaning Products Safe for Babies
Using the best non-toxic cleaning products can help to keep your house clean and healthy without having to worry about the safety of your baby.
Perhaps you are concerned that natural cleaning alternatives will not do as good a job as traditional products, but the latest products are being formulated with performance in mind. There are many natural, non-toxic cleaning products safe for babies.
Basic Guidelines for Baby-Friendly Cleaning Products
Check Family Health Issues and Allergies
Take into account allergies to common additives such as parabens or sulfates or to fragrances in soaps. Consider health issues, such as a compromised immune system. This information will help you when deciding what products are suitable and which ones you should avoid.
Use Trusted Sources to Check Product Safety
The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database uses a consumer-friendly scale that grades products from A to F. The letter A represents products with low toxicity to the environment and health.
Pay Attention to Safety Guidelines
Even when using non-toxic products, it is still important to keep household cleaning products out of sight and reach of children. Cleaning products are responsible for cases of toxic exposure and in many cases, they involve children under 6 years old who have ingested liquids left within full view or touch.
Use Plant-Based Products
The ingredients you opt for should be plant-based. It is possible for your baby to be allergic to some plant-based ingredients, but the chances are much smaller compared to products that contain harsh chemicals.
Ingredients to Avoid
Some of the products our mothers or grandmothers used are no longer considered to be safe, especially where babies are concerned. For example, chlorine bleach is now known to be harmful for adults and babies, although it was often the go-to cleaning product in years gone by. Chlorine does clean dirt effectively and kill germs, but it is also toxic.
Fragrances in cleaning products can cause headaches, sneezing, watery eyes and respiratory irritation in those with asthma, allergies or chemical sensitivities. It’s best to avoid them if you can.
Bacteria transmission is a real problem in certain situations, but overuse of anti-bacterial soaps and other cleaning solutions may interfere with the healthy development of the immune system.
Some of the other ingredients to avoid include those with names that include “ammonium chloride" or “triclosan" as well as those containing ethanolamines, ammonia or 2-butoxyethanol. Active ingredients like phosphates, sulfates and phthalates should also be avoided.
What Cleaning Products Are Safe for Babies?
When babies start crawling, they love to explore and come into contact with many different surfaces. Their fingers usually end up in their mouths, so you want to make sure you are not only keeping surfaces clean but using safe cleaning products that are not made using harsh chemicals.
Puracy All Purpose Cleaner
Puracy All Purpose Cleaner was developed by two moms who worked for years with doctors and chemists to create a product that was safe for their newborn daughters and worked better than harsh, chemical cleaners.
The plant-based formula is made from plants, water, green tea and lime. It can be used on all surfaces and effectively removes all kinds of spills, dirt, streaks and residues, from fingerprints to soda. All you need to do is spray the surface and wipe with a microfiber cloth. It is not only natural and non-toxic but is also biodegradable and hypoallergenic.
Babyganics All Purpose Surface Wipes
The most economical and environmentally-friendly cleaning wipe is probably a microfiber cloth and a non-toxic soap. That said, disposable travel options are important when going out with your baby to easily clean up spills and other messes.
The Babyganics wipes are fragrance-free and formulated without using ammonia, bleach, sulfates or phthalates. They are durable and suitable for use on multiple surfaces. Ingredients include purified water and decyl glucoside which is a sugar-derived cleanser.
Other plant-based ingredients are glycerin and malic acid, a pH adjuster, as well as various natural preservatives. The plant-based cleaning power is non-abrasive and convenient for wiping up messy fingerprints and grime. The wipes do not have a strong smell but they get the job done effectively. A pack of two contains 75 wipes in each pack.
Better Life Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner
The Better Life brand was created with safety and performance in mind. This product is free of synthetic fragrances but has the natural scent of tea tree and eucalyptus. It contains no alcohol, dyes, petroleum solvents, chlorine bleach or sulfates.
Other ingredients the product contains are purified water, decyl glucoside, various plant oils and natural preservatives. These ingredients give it the power to dissolve rust, hard water stains and soap scum without any harsh fumes. It is safe for use on acrylic, fiberglass, stainless steel, chrome, porcelain and ceramic surfaces.
Dapple Baby Bottle and Dish Soap
It is important to make sure we use non-toxic, safe products to wash baby bottles and pacifiers, as these items go into a baby’s mouth. Dapple Baby Bottle and Dish Soap is a highly recommended fragrance-free dish liquid that is plant-based and hypoallergenic.
Dapple was started by two moms who wanted to make sustainable, worry-free, effective products. The dish soap is multi-use and will effectively clean pacifiers, baby bottles and sippy cups. It removes any residue left behind by formula, as well as breast milk on breast pump components.
It is made without the use of any harmful ingredients such as synthetic dyes, fragrances, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, alcohol, chlorine or formaldehyde. Made instead with plant-based ingredients, it is dermatologist and pediatrician tested. Independent testing has shown that Dapple can remove up to 50% more milk odor and film than other brands.
A Final Word
The availability of non-toxic cleaning products is increasing, thanks to growing consumer awareness. There are many safe alternatives you can use to keep your baby and your whole family safe and clean. You do not have to sacrifice on performance when using any of these natural cleaning alternatives as they are designed to work as well or better than some traditional cleaning solutions.