I kneeled on the floor of our son’s nursery, my big belly resting on my thighs, as I folded tiny onesies and sweatpants, lifting up each piece to inspect it and sniff it, breathing in that sweet Dreft mixture of baby powder and potential. Each pile was arranged by size and type, and I was pleased with myself—for my organization, and for my forethought. Our baby would be the best dressed baby on the block and his small, cool guy clothes would be laundered with their own special products and process. Only the best for my man!
By the time our daughter arrived two years later, I was buying baby-specific bath and laundry products for them and many bulk cleaning supplies from Costco. That is, until our daughter started getting car sick.
At least once a week, even on a ten minute drive to the freeway entrance, our daughter would throw up her latest meal, all over herself and her car seat. My husband would strip the seat and hose down the inner plastic, his nose scrunched as he investigated to ensure he didn’t miss a drop of puke. We’d wash the cover and pads in our Kirkland detergent and hang it all to dry. As soon as I’d climb into the car, I’d feel a pounding headache begin to form right above my eyebrows. I’d drive with the windows down to help the air circulate, knowing I had to make some big changes.
I am a fan of The Bachelor franchise, so I jokingly started talking about my “Clean Product Journey” on Instagram. I had already converted to Tubby Todd for everything kid bath-related and was slowly working through my beauty products, but I hadn’t considered our dishwasher pods or Clorox wipes or detergents—not even my beloved Dreft. From our daughter’s 4th or 5th car barf, it was on: my journey would end in—at minimum—a new long-term relationship with products that were both clean and not overly crunchy. I would become a hippie, a fancy one—a fancy hippie who likes light smells and decent price points.
The items you see here have been deeply and lovingly researched, often with support from the Environmental Working Group website, which rates products on their toxicity. I’m pleased with where I am on my journey and glad I get to share my progress, but I’m far from done. Hope they help!
1
Aspen Clean Natural Laundry Detergent Lavender & Lemongrass
A non-toxic detergent that is SCENTED. It exists!
$21.99This is one of the few EWG-verified laundry detergents that has any scent, and it smells like a lavender and lemongrass wafting in to your window on a warm afternoon. I get it on Subscribe and Save from the company, along with their dishwasher pods.
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Tubby Todd The Regulars Bundle
Tubby Todd has a cult following for good, clean reasons!
$40Any mommy Facebook group will tell you we swear by Tubby Todd's All Over Ointment (AOO) for all things eczema and dry skin-related. Their bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner, detangler, body lotion and thicker Dream Cream are daily go-tos at our house. I even got a bottle of bubble bath for myself so I wouldn't have to keep taking one out of our kids's bathroom!
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L'Avant Collective Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes
Who knew cleaning wipes could be this pretty?
$8I learned from the L'Avant ladies (two moms from Seattle with six kids between them) that most cleaning wipes are made of plastic. Their Multipurpose Wipes are not only powered by plants, but also 100% biodegradable. Score one for us, and one for the environment!
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Puracy All Purpose Spray (Two-Pack)
An All Purpose spray that's endorsed by Bravo? Okay!
$14.49I've tried a lot of sprays, you guys. Like, so many sprays. I keep coming back to this one. It leaves NO streaks, doesn't give me headaches, and has a nice scent that I don't mind smelling all over the house, even in the kitchen where I prefer citrus. It's also nice that I can get it with a quick trigger finger Amazon Subscribe & Save, but I've seen it at Target too.
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Raw Sugar Simply Hand Wash Raw Coconut + Mango
A cold-pressed hand soap that doesn't strip your skin.
$4.99We're all washing our hands a lot more these days and that can strip out moisture. Raw Sugar makes the only soaps I've found that don't dry out my hands. Plus, they look and smell great! The Coconut + Mango is my go-to, but I love all the scents they have and keep Lemon Sugar in the kitchen.
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Parasol Clear+Pure Baby Wipes (600-ct)
Better for babies than Honest or Water Wipes.
$40.98Honest and Water Wipes are marketed as super pure, but they're actually not as pure as these wipes are. This is another Amazon Subscribe & Save item I get for us that's a little pricier than the others, but worth it for sensitive baby booties. Plus, I use them on their faces, too, and haven't seen any little rashes like I did wiping with the others. The price goes way down if you subscribe.
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Tubby Todd Dream Cream
Your antidote to dry hands!
$16Dream Cream deserves its own spotlight because it is so deliciously moisturizing. I get a weird patch of dry skin on my right pointer finger every year when the weather gets colder and Dream Cream, with its shea base, is one of the few lotions that can combat it. We love it so much that I got an extra tube for husband to lather on his dry hands throughout the day. The scent is light and very gender-neutral.
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Wool Dryer Balls Laundry 6-Pack-100% Organic New Zealand Wool
Time to get on the dryer ball bandwagon!
$19.99I've been using dryer balls for a handful of years and I love knowing that I'm not burning chemicals into our clothes with dryer sheets. I put a drop of essential oils on them (I like Saje blends) in the dryer and let them do their thang. They do get caught up in our clothes when we take loads out, and I like to huck them back into the laundry room and see how successful I am at making my shots. Our kids have fun throwing them back, too!
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Ecos, Dish Mate Bamboo Lemon
Nice suds, fights grime, and plant-based—oh, yeah!
$3.99My first deep product research journey was for dish soap. I spent at least a year looking for something that smelled citrus-y, was clean, had good bubbles, fought grime, and didn't dry out my hands. Ecos has been the far and away clear winner so far. I find it on Amazon (fulfilled by Whole Foods) and at other similar fancy grocery stores. When I can't find it, my backup is the dish soap from Trader Joe's.
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Tubby Todd Bubble Bath
The only bubble bath my husband says isn't whack.
$15If you're like me, at the end of a long day, you might want to grab a glass of wine and soak in the tub while you watch bad TV on the iPad. It's important that when you take those baths, the bubbles are nice and fluffy and stick around. Enter: Tubby Todd. I tried a bunch of bubble baths at various price points when our toddlers were smaller and nothing compared to this stuff. It's also hydrating and great for sensitive skin! Treat yourself to this—it'll change your baths for good.
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