Bleach for many of us means Chlorine Bleach. It has been used to disinfect surfaces and remove stains and whiten clothes. Chlorine bleach is typically a solution of sodium hydrochloride. There are so many reasons not to use it in your home and here is my take on the top 3.
- It is bad for your health. As reported in the Sydney Morning herald Passive exposure to Chlorine bleach has been linked to an increase in cases of Flu, tonsillitis and other infections in school aged children. This Research was published in the British Medical Journal’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine and was performed across 3 countries and included over 9000 children. Another study published by the American Journal of critical care medicine, concluded that Women cleaning at home or working as occupational cleaners had accelerated decline in lung function, suggesting that exposures related to cleaning activities may constitute a risk to long-term respiratory health(source). This is such a worry for many women and men who are the responsible party for cleaning their homes in addition to the cleaning workforce. Another potential problem of using Chlorine Bleach is that it can react with other Cleaning products producing toxic gases, chloramine.
- It is bad for the Environment. Chlorine is released into waterways via sewage. Once it reaches the water, chlorine reacts with other minerals and elements to form a host of dangerous toxins. These toxins, including dioxins, furams and PCDDs are often referred to as “persistent organic pollutants” because they linger in the water or soil and take many years to disappear. (source)
- There are other, safer alternatives. How do I whiten my clothes and clean my home? the answer is Hydrogen Peroxide or Sodium Percarbonate and plant based cleaners. Hydrogen peroxide available from your local Pharmacy, or the powdered form Sodium Percarbonate ( purchase here). Hydrogen peroxide is a double Hydrogen Oxygen compound that is used as an oxidiser, bleaching agent and antiseptic. Sodium Percarbonate breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and soda ash in water and in powdered form makes it an easy addition to laundry. Thieves household cleaner is my all time favourite plant based cleaner that actually works infused with a blend of essential oils that are perfect for cleaning your home.
For liquid bleach try this recipe I love sodium percarbonate as I can easily add a tsp to my washing detergent and my whites are brighter. A little bit goes a long way. You will also be avoiding synthetic fragrance as most supermarket products have synthetic fragrance included- I only use Essential oils as synthetic fragrance can have any number of chemicals and are known endocrine disruptors! (source)
Removing stains- try some bi-carb soda and half a lemon. One of the simplest low tox cleaners you can try and you probably have both ingredients in your kitchen. If you don’t have lemons try some Lemon Essential Oil. I use this frequently to clean my sink and it smells great.
Surface disinfection. I get it, you have been cooking, maybe with chicken or other meat (if you choose) and you want to make sure there are no nasties growing on your bench. For this I have a spray bottle with Thieves Household Cleaner. Do I need a study to verify it? Well actually there are many which show anti-microbial effects of essential oils, like this one. or watch here Did I ever check about Bleach or the health effects? No I did not, but I wish I did!
What is it? Thieves Household Cleaner is a plant based essential oil infused concentrate that I use to clean my bathroom, kitchen, dishwasher, car, washing machine, floors, everything. The other thing I like about it is it is biodegradable and complies with EPA standards. It is economical and it works. You can even clean your dog with it.

Check out my Thieves recipes here A versatile and affordable concentrate that you can use on all surfaces of your home. To get your hands on the Thieves household cleaner, simply purchase from Your Young Living account or open one here The Thieves healthy home starter kit will set you up!
I encourage you to re-think why you use what you use in your home.
Belinda

Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25838260
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29451393
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199909093411115
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide
https://sciencing.com/oxygen-bleach-vs-chlorine-bleach-6571838.html
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/toxic-perfumes-and-colognes/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26802522
https://www.livestrong.com/article/217675-the-effects-of-chlorine-bleach-on-the-environment/