After replacing conventional cleaning products in the home with non-toxic alternatives, many people are pleased to discover that they feel better physically and experience fewer headaches, skin rashes and brain fog, breathe better and suffer less sneezing and coughing. This is due in part to the fact that unlike commercial brands, Mother Nature’s ingredients aren’t harmful to a home’s two-legged or four-legged inhabitants. 

Many store-bought cleaning products contain chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, reproductive damage, depression of the central nervous system, skin irritation, asthma and thyroid disruption, as well as liver and kidney damage. Few ingredients are evaluated for safety before entering the marketplace, and companies are not required to list them all on product labels.

Spring is a good time to clear out leftover cleaning products in the storage cabinet, but with little knowledge of product claims about being green or non-toxic, replacing them with botanically based products can be confusing. Researching third-party green certifications such as those from EcoLogo, Green Seal and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on labels can be confusing and even overwhelming. So turning to a reliable source for guidance is an alternative, especially if they have given the products a trial run in their own household kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, floors and windows. Rather than purchasing online, consumers might want to consult helpful and knowledgeable associates at Food & Thought, in Naples, or at Ada’s Natural Market, in Fort Myers, to elicit the most satisfying results. 

At Food & Thought, Jill Acker keeps up to date with industry education on environmentally friendly products such as Seventh Generation, Clean Well, CitraSolv, Safe Hands, Granite Gloss and Glass Gloss. She talks enthusiastically about the safe cleaning power of these botanically based products that she uses in her own home. “Seventh Generation, Clean Well products and CitraSolv are effective. I like supporting the local economy, so I use Granite Gloss and Glass Gloss, which are concentrates produced by the Cleanzing Company, based in Naples,” says Acker, who notes that Barbara Sabran, from the Cleanzing Company, will be demonstrating the company’s housecleaning products for interested customers in the store from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 24. 

Ada’s Natural Market customer service associates advise that customers reach for Aunt Fannie’s All Purpose Cleaning Vinegar, a multipurpose surface spray with the scent of sweet mandarin. Pet- and people-friendly, it’s formulated to tackle a variety of household surfaces, including the kitchen and bathroom.

While making up a shopping list for spring housecleaning items, it may be wise to consider adding a few spring space clearing items, as well. Local proprietors such as Laurie Barraco, owner of Mystical Moon’s two locations in Bonita Springs and Ft. Myers, as well as Beth Brown Rinella, owner of Goddess I AM Healing & Meditation Center, in Naples, have a lot of experience in the area of metaphysics, energetics and conscious living. 

“After cleaning your house, Smokeless Sage Spray can clear spaces in the home, around your body and your personal belongings. Sage has long been an herb preferred by indigenous peoples to clear energy in any space. The spray is an alternative to burning the sacred plant. We carry the spray, which is great for places where the traditional burning of sage is not possible. I spray it generously around any area I want to cleanse. It’s made with 100% percent essential oils and gives the same effect without the smoke. We also carry sage wands,” says Barraco.

Rinella also clears her home and store with sage, as well as sweetgrass and other items such as a bell, crystals, bowls of blessed water and singing bowls, which she uses to break up stagnant energies that are not in her highest and best interest. She sells all these items and more in her store. “I love water as a blessing and protection. I put water in a pretty bowl, hold it my hands and say over it, ‘I ask that this water be blessed with the light of source and hold protective energies here.’ I leave the bowl in the room or I use a small paintbrush to symbolically wash all the doorways, creating a clearing for anyone entering or leaving the rooms,” explains Rinella.

The cleansing of space assists in clearing the mind and allowing connection to spirit. Physically cleaning and symbolically clearing a space allows for a natural energetic cleansing to occur, making any space ready to receive.

Ada’s Natural Market & Green Leaf Café, 7070 College Pkwy., Fort Myers. 239-939-9600. AdasMarket.com.

Food & Thought Organic General Store and Café, 2132 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. 239-213-2222. FoodAndThought.com.

Goddess I Am Healing & Art Center, 600 Goodlette Rd., Naples. 239-228-6949. GoddessIAm.com.

Mystical Moon, 8890 Salrose Ln., Ste. 107, Ft. Myers. 239-939-3339; 8951 Bonita Beach Rd., Ste. 255, Bonita Springs. 239-301-0655. TheMysticalMoon.com.