Cleaning Out Your Kitchen: Clean, Safe Kitchenware

It's been so fun to be able to share these past few weeks about Jase and I's process of renovating and filling our home. While this process has been much longer than expected, it really began, not when we decided to renovate our home, but when I made the switch to Clean Living. When I think of how much we've changed over time, from products we use in our home, to practices and more, we really have been on this journey for a while! If I've learned anything it's that Clean Living isn't just a one time switch, it's really a lifestyle you adopt and constantly adapt to.As we've renovated our home, we've been so fortunate to use materials that are toxic-free and to fill it with clean, modern products and brands that we've come to love. This has inspired the current series we're in on the blog that we're calling Making a Home. For the past few weeks, I've been able to share with you just a few of these products and brands, and in the next couple weeks, I'll continue to share with you more about specific areas of our home, as well as a few before and afters of our renovation!I also love that I've been able to share with you so many things that I'm constantly getting questions about whether here on the blog or over social media – from clean mattresses that I love, to everyday clean products that I use in my own home. One of the other topics that I am always getting questions about is our kitchen! And of course, the kitchen is such an important topic in all our homes. It's where we prepare our meals, share time with family, and partake in practices and routines that bring us so much joy. I'm excited to share with you this week a  few clean products and brands that I love to use every day in my own kitchen, and really have become a staple in our own home.I love these pots and pans from Food52. They are absolutely the best when it comes to using nonstick, cookware that doesn't contain any added chemicals or toxins that cook into the food we eat or the air we breathe. They're actually made from sand with diamond-infused ceramic coating, and they promise to never peel or tear like other traditional nonstick pans – which is such a win-win!No kitchen is truly set without a cast-iron skillet, and I love this one! It's right on Amazon and super affordable when compared to other brands and competitors. I use mine for a variety of different recipes and dishes in my home and it's simply the best.I just love this kitchenware set that is made from natural wood. The spoons and spatulas not only work perfectly when cooking or serving up different dishes, but they're cute enough to leave on your kitchen counter or to use when hosting. They're handmade, along with a variety of other cute items from this brand that you can use in and throughout your kitchen!Rikumo is a brand that I've come to love for their kitchenware especially with a few items from them that I use in my kitchen on a regular basis! Again, I love a good cast iron, and while their cast iron pan is a just little more expensive than the skillet I listed above, it's definitely worth the investment. Other items from them that are on-hand in my kitchen is their copper graiter as well as their stainless steel kitchen tool set – All of which work just as great as they look!This is something I use absolutely every day in my kitchen, my Vitamix blender! It can seem like a bit of an investment for a blender, but when it's something you use every day, it's worth having an item that's durable and gets the job done! Seriously the best and available amazon – Need I say more?Lastly – I love having these towels on hand, especially because it cuts down on our paper waste. They're a great neutral color that works well in my kitchen, but they also have a few other color varieties to choose from!I hope you're enjoying following along with our Making A Home process and learning more about all the clean, safe steps we've taken along the way! If you're interested in learning more or making the switch to Clean Living, take a look The Clean Sweep, my 90-day program where I walk through practices, products, and food that create a clean lifestyle. And for more on specific clean products I'm loving right now, follow along at The Clean Stuff Instagram. x

Force of Nature: A Clean Alternative to Bleach

If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably heard me rave about my love for this natural all-purpose cleaning product that I recently discovered. During this time of a worldwide pandemic, I think so many have been tempted to use chemicals even with knowledge of the harmful effects. Did you know that bleach and other harmful cleaning products affect our respiratory system and our immune system, which is something we need to be extra strong right now!A sweet girl DM-ed me about a month ago telling me about Force of Nature and how much she loved this clean alternative to bleach. So I gave it a go! And oh. my. I am so giddy about it! Jase and I have been using alcohol as our disinfectant for products/mail/food deliveries, but we are trying to conserve it as much as possible, so we haven't been using it to kill germs on the surfaces in our home. I have been deep cleaning our house once a week (OCD in full affect!) and have used FON on our wood floors and surfaces two times already – I give it a major five stars!This solution is only 3 ingredients: salt, vinegar, and filtered water. They provide a beaker (that plugs in), a tube of the concentration. You fill the beaker with your own water and insert the solution, turn the beaker on and wait 9 minutes. It is converted to electrolyzed water when an electrical current changes the chemical composition of the solution into two new ingredients: hypochlorous acid, which is the same germ-killing substance our immune system makes, and sodium hydroxide, which gives this solution extra disinfecting power! Then you pour this into the spray bottle that they provide.This nontoxic disinfecting solution powers through odors, grease, grime, soap scum and sticky, icky messes as effectively as bleach. The best part: it cleans virtually any surface – sealed stone, glass, stainless steel, wood, laminate, porcelain, composite, grout, tile, plastic and rubber. Other things to use it on: baby gear like strollers, highchairs, car seats, kids serve wear and utensils, sports gear, rugs and furniture, makeup brushes, backpacks, lunch boxes, thermoses, straws, sippy cups, yoga mats, reusable bags, fresh-cut flowers, patio furniture, camping gear, diaper bags, front load washers, retainer cases, toothbrushes, children's toys, pet habitats, sponges, cars, the fridge, humidifiers, door handles, mail, and the list goes on!Also, many people have been asking me if it has a scent. It smells like a pool (not for long), but honestly, that smell makes me feel extra productive when it comes to cleaning. It smells so fresh and I love it!Extra Bonuses:

• This keeps toxic chemicals from going into our water systems.
• It reduces plastic waste from typical cleaners by 97%. It is Green Seal certified for environmental excellence.
• The shipping boxes and Activator Capsules are 100% recyclable.

What's not to love? DM me on Instagram or comment below to tell me how you like it! Stay safe and healthy everyone! xx