Health and Sustainability Around the House Post #1

On the left is my spray bottle with a squirt of Castile soap (just to the right of the bottle) and water. I use this everywhere for dusting, but in the kitchen I use it on the countertops. I've been known to wash my kids' hands with it in a pinch - it's soap! It disinfects and is nontoxic. Castile soap is often used when camping out, as it does not hurt the ecosystem.

Under my spray bottle is my microfiber cloth. I know these can be used with just water, but I like my soap! These cloths have saved rolls and rolls of paper towels. Think of it! Anyone who tries to use a paper towel for something other than cat puke gets a dirty look in my house.
Next up is baking soda, vinegar and the books. When I first started the process of getting toxic chemicals out of my cleaning regimen, the book Clean House Clean Planet was my bible. I used the baking soda and vinegar recipe books as a place to compare notes. The CHCP book has a ton of homemade cleaner recipes for all around the house. I have no idea if it's still in print, but I highly recommend it!

To the right I have my Method dishwasher pods and dish soap. Method is a certified B Corporation (check it out if you're not familiar https://bcorporation.net/).
Front right are my cleaning utensils. Nothing magical about the dark gray scrubber, but this is safe on non-stick (if you still have those in your house). Do not scrub your nonstick pans with the back of the sponge or steel wool! The scraper is pretty simple, but a great tool to have. And my "sponge" is this white net you see. It's a sustainable alternative to disposable sponges. Cleans up great in the dishwasher and lasts a really long time.
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I forgot to include my essential oil in the pic, so here it is. I'm sure there are better brands, like Young Living. This is what I could find in my old neighborhood. 
I'm probably not the best person to talk about essential oils because I really don't enjoy the smell of almost anything. I can deal peppermint though, so that's what I have. I put a few drops in a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of water and vinegar into a spritzer bottle as an air freshener. Or, as I mentioned, a few drops in some baking soda - sprinkle on the carpet and vacuum.