Yesterday something happened in my own home that completely blindsided me.

When I walked into the house yesterday, I immediately noticed a smell. That sharp, chemical smell that hits the back of your throat. I followed it into the kitchen and saw a Dawn scrub product being used on my countertops. I was honestly stunned. Then I found out she had been using Mrs. Meyers products as well.

Mrs. Meyers is often marketed as “natural,” but when you read the ingredient list closely, it contains synthetic fragrance and other components that do not align with a truly chemical-free home. The Dawn scrub she was using was the most concerning, though. I really could not believe was was even ok using that as the fumes themselves are ultra toxic. It contains surfactants, toxic chemicals and additives that are not something I want on the surfaces where I have food or on surfaces where my animals walk, eat, and live.

I was blindsided. Not because mistakes can’t happen, but because I believed we were aligned from the beginning. That experience made it clear to me that this wasn’t just a misunderstanding. It was about alignment. I was very upset by this and totally dismayed.

If I teach natural living, sell natural products, and advocate for reducing toxic load in our animals, then my own home must reflect that standard. Our pets live low to the ground. They absorb chemicals through their paws. They groom themselves. They breathe in residues. What seems like “just a little cleaner” to a human can be a constant low-grade exposure to a dog or cat.

This has pushed me to go deeper into reviewing exactly what is truly safe, simple, and aligned for a chemical-free home.

Here is the approved products list I now use and recommend for a genuinely natural household. These are simple, time-tested, plant and mineral-based options that do not rely on synthetic fragrance or harsh additives.

• White vinegar diluted with water for glass, stainless steel, and general surface cleaning.
• Colliodal silver spray 
• Baking soda for scrubbing sinks, tubs, and deodorizing.
• Hydrogen peroxide at 3 percent for natural disinfecting. It breaks down into water and oxygen and leaves no toxic residue.
• Lemon juice for cutting grease and removing mineral buildup.
• Unscented Castile soap made from plant oils for multipurpose cleaning.
• Sal Suds for heavier duty cleaning when needed.
• Steam cleaning with plain water or silver for floors, grout, and bathrooms. Steam is one of the purest ways to sanitize because it uses nothing but heated water.
• Branch Basics concentrate diluted for various uses.
• Meliora Cleaning Products with simple, transparent ingredient lists.
• Etee concentrates that avoid synthetic fragrance and unnecessary additives.
• Molly’s Suds for laundry and basic household cleaning.
• Biokleen in fragrance-free versions only.

What I avoid completely are synthetic fragrances, perfumes, ammonia, bleach, phosphates, quats, glycol ethers, and anything that leaves a lingering chemical smell. If it smells “strong and clean,” that is usually a red flag.

I also keep simple homemade recipes on hand. A basic all-purpose spray is half vinegar and half colloidal silver in a glass bottle. For scrubbing, baking soda with a splash of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide works beautifully. For floors, a small amount of unscented Castile soap in warm water is more than enough.

The deeper lesson here is this. Alignment matters. Especially in your home. Especially when you share your life with sensitive animals. I learned a big lesson on this first day of the Fire Horse Year. True ALIGNMENT with those in your space is important! Clear communication and understand of ones' principles and lifestyle being shared with those close to you and that work in your space so that everyone is on the same page for the sake of our health and our our fur family. 

We often assume that if someone says they are natural, they are using the same definition we are. But labels can be misleading. Marketing can blur lines. And unless we are very specific, things can drift.

This experience reminded me that being holistic is not a trend or an aesthetic. It is a standard. It is consistency. It is choosing the simplest ingredients possible and reducing interference in the body and environment.

Our pets deserve air that is clean. Surfaces that are safe. Floors free from chemical residues. When we remove the unnecessary, vitality follows.

That is why I am recommitting, even more deeply, to a truly clean home environment. Not just for myself, but for every animal that walks across my floors.