You just finished cleaning the kitchen, but what if the air you’re breathing — and the surfaces your kids and pets touch — is actually harmful?

Many everyday cleaning products contain hidden toxins that affect both humans and pets.

In this post, you’ll learn which cleaners to check, where they hide in your home, why they’re harmful, and what safe alternatives exist.

Common Household Cleaners to Check

• Multi-surface sprays – often contain ammonia, phthalates, or bleach.

• Dish soap & dishwasher detergent – some have triclosan or sulfates.

• Bathroom cleaners – mildew removers, toilet bowl cleaners, and shower sprays can contain harsh acids or VOCs.

• Laundry products – scents and detergents may have synthetic fragrances and formaldehyde releasers.

• Air fresheners & fabric sprays – often “masking” chemicals that are neurotoxins or irritants.

Grab just one product and research every ingredient on the list. You may be shocked at your discoveries. I remember how horrified I was over a decade ago when I did some research. 

Where Hidden Toxins Lurk in Your Home

• Kitchen: think - under the sink, pantry, at the sink

• Bathroom: cabinets, showers, at the sink, in toilet water

• Laundry area: fabric softener, detergent

• Living spaces: sprays, candles, air fresheners, wipes

• Pet areas: floor cleaners, sprays, wipes

The first ingredient that we completely cut out was fragrance. It was in almost everything, so it was quite a process, believe me! Fragrance is a loophole that companies can use to mask dozens or even hundreds of chemicals. The fragrance is considered their "trade secret" so they aren't required to list everything in it. Read more about fragrances here.

Here's some more info on toxin-free cleaning and a bit about how we got started:

How Toxic Cleaners Affect People and Pets

Toxic cleaners come with both short-term and long-term effects—most of which don’t show up in obvious ways. The hardest part? You often don’t realize how much something is affecting your body until it’s gone.

When we finally ditched all the candles and air fresheners, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. The air felt lighter. I could breathe easier. My home actually felt safe again—for us and our pets.

Some short-term effects you may notice are: irritation of skin, eyes, and lungs, headaches, and  nausea.

Some long-term effects you may notice are: hormonal disruption, respiratory issues, allergies, and chronic illness.

With pets and little ones, the floor is basically their world. Kids crawl, play, and roll around down there—and with their developing bodies, even small amounts of toxins can create big disruptions. Pets spend hours sleeping on the floor, absorbing whatever is there through their paws, skin, and airways.

When the surfaces they live on aren’t truly clean, their bodies pay the price.

When we first started our toxin-free journey, I was still teaching in public school. After summer break, when I went back to set up my classroom, I noticed something strange—my face felt a little swollen, and my skin was itchy. At first, I brushed it off… but the discomfort kept showing up every time I walked into my room.

I finally asked the custodian to stop spraying the usual cleaners in my classroom. Instead, I brought in my own natural products and cleaned everything myself. It took about a week, but the swelling and itching slowly disappeared. That was my wake-up call.

And those candle stores I used to love wandering through? Now I have to hold my breath when I walk by or I’ll get a headache. It’s wild how quickly our bodies adapt and how clearly they speak once the noise of toxins is gone.

Swap for Safe, Toxin-Free Alternatives

The good news is that there is an easy button for cleaners without all the harmful yucky ingredients. Enter Young Living! They have an entire line of Thieves products that help me clean my entire home. My favorite - and what I suggest you start with - is the Thieves household cleaner. This concentrated goodness is what I use to clean the counters, floors, toilets, and more. Talk about simplifying! After discovering this cleaner, I was able to toss all of my other cleaners. You know how it is; we have cleaners for every surface: counters, floors, glass, etc. Now, one bottle cleans everything. And as a bonus, the smell reminds me of fall with all of its herbaceous loveliness.

The best part? It's safe for all members of the family. My kids can help me clean and I don't have to worry about them getting harmful chemicals on their skin. It's safe for pets too. 

Simple. Effective. Safe. What I needed like yesterday. Haha. It was such a light bulb moment when I discovered this cleaner. I just can't say enough about it! Could ya tell?!

Next Steps

Need a checklist? I got you. Click on the image below for more ideas of how to reduce toxins in your home! 

• Grab my toxin-free bundle for hands-on, safe cleaning solutions and strategies.

• Ready to jump right into the deep end? You're my kind of person! Go big, or go home, right? You can create a free account with Young Living to get access to premium and safe household products. We have been using these products for over a decade!

You don’t have to overhaul your home overnight — small swaps today protect your family tomorrow. 

Every cleaner you replace is a win for your family and pets! Remember, you're choosing peace over poison.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20