Going Green: All Natural Household Cleaners
June 27, 2023
Dryer sheets were always just part of laundry for me. They sat beside the detergent, went into the cart automatically, and ended up in nearly every load in my house growing up. Washer, dryer, dryer sheet. I never stopped to think about it.
That is the thing about habits we inherit early: they stop feeling like choices. They just feel normal. Lately, though, I have been thinking more about the products I use without ever really asking why. Which ones do I actually need, and which ones have just been passed down as routine?
When “Fresh” Air Didn’t Feel Fresh
As the weather warms up in Philly, I’ve been craving fresh air and spending more time outside. But on walks through my neighborhood, I keep catching strong, familiar scents drifting through the air—those unmistakable laundry fragrances coming from dryer vents. Scents like Sea Breeze or April Fresh that once felt comforting now stop me in my tracks.
What surprises me most is not just how strong they are, but where they end up: outside, in the air we all share. That was the moment I really started to question dryer sheets. Why had I always assumed they were necessary? And what were they actually doing?
Rethinking What “Clean” Means
In looking into it more, one point really stayed with me: dryer sheets do not actually soften clothes in the way many of us think. According to laundry expert Patric Richardson, they coat fabric with a chemical solution during the dryer cycle, which creates the feeling of softness rather than truly making the fabric softer.
That made me think about how often we confuse fragrance with cleanliness, or familiarity with necessity. Sometimes a product feels essential simply because it has always been there. But sometimes all it takes is one deep breath, one walk outside, or one small moment of awareness to start seeing an old habit differently.
References: Kelsey Borresen, “Why You Should Stop Using Dryer Sheets Immediately,” BuzzFeed. Includes reporting and comments from Patric Richardson, author of Laundry Love: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kelseyborresen/dryer-sheets-bad-laundry-environment-sc
Steeped in the fertile lands of Pennsylvania, the locally grown lavender adds an element of botanical power in the realm of sustainable cleaning products. Cultivated with care by dedicated local farmers, the lavender flowers bring with them a unique purifying potency and a fragrant charm. The flowers undergo a distillation process to extract a pure and highly effective lavender essential oil. This essential oil lends a soothing aroma to the cleaning products, transforming an everyday chore into a calming, sensory experience. In addition to providing a natural fragrance, lavender essential oil also presents antiseptic properties, augmenting the cleaning power of the products. By using locally sourced lavender from Pennsylvania, the cleaning product manufacturers not only support regional agriculture but also ensure their products are imbued with a touch of nature’s best for a clean that’s both effective and wholesome.
Spain, a country renowned for its rich agricultural heritage, offers an excellent source of beets for eco-friendly cleaning products. Grown in fertile soil and nourished by a Mediterranean climate, Spanish beets are known for their exceptional quality that can be attributed to the careful cultivation practices followed by local farmers. This outstanding quality plays a pivotal role in the production of beet-based vinegar, which serves as a key ingredient in sustainable cleaning products. The vinegar made from these Spanish beets not only boasts a potent cleaning power but also offers a gentle, natural alternative to harsh, chemically-derived cleansers. By incorporating beet-based vinegar sourced from Spain in their formulations, cleaning product manufacturers demonstrate their commitment to offering consumers environmentally friendly solutions that are both effective and safe to use.
Kansas, with its expansive landscapes and robust agricultural output, is a premier source of corn that is used in sustainable cleaning products. The corn is grown in the fertile heartlands by experienced farmers who are deeply attuned to the rhythm of the seasons. Once harvested, this corn is transformed into ethanol, a key ingredient in eco-friendly cleaning products. The ethanol derived from Kansas corn offers a potent, renewable solution for powerful cleaning, all the while eliminating the need for harsh, artificial cleaning agents. By harnessing Kansas corn's potential and transforming it into ethanol, manufacturers are providing users with a naturally-derived, effective cleaning alternative, reinforcing their dedication towards creating products that protect both the environment and their consumers.