Branch Basics - Household Cleaner Even Your Fur Baby Will Love

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In my continuing pursuit for cleaner living, I decided to start making my own household cleaners using apple cider vinegar and water. It worked for some things -- not so much for others. I found the smell of apple cider vinegar to be a bit very overwhelming. Even when I added essential oils to the mixture, the strong vinegar scent remained. The performance of my homemade household cleaning products was marginal at best, but it was great for my windows and mirrors!

I quickly moved on from my experiment with homemade household cleaners to looking for household products that were truly cleaner and free of toxic ingredients or added fragrances. What I found in my research was a bit disturbing. Even if a product is labeled “environmentally friendly” it is not necessarily free of toxic ingredients. I also came across other terms like “Green”, “Organic”, “Pure”, or “Natural,” which are also very misleading. More companies are incorporating these terms into their advertising in an effort to capture a larger market of more savvy consumers. The term “Green Washing” comes to my mind, which I will touch on more at a later time.

It seems like there is a never-ending stream of advertisements on TV promoting a “fragrance” that will elicit some positive, romantic sediment as an enticement to using their product. Their efforts with fragrance promotions must be working to drive a lot of consumers to buy. Can we say “subliminal messages?” How about statements like: “…experience the power of great smelling clothes,” or “…picture yourself in a field of lavender” – Does that make you want to go and buy that product? Again, going back to the fact that there are no FDA requirements for ingredient disclosure as it relates to fragrance, let the buyer beware.

I decided to look up a particular (unnamed) laundry product that uses fragrance as their top promoter before soliciting on their cleaning effectiveness. EWG rated this product with an “F” -- meaning this product poses a significant health or environmental concern due to poor ingredient disclosure.

Branch Basics – “Create a Healthy Home”

My search for cleaner, toxic free household products brought me to Branch Basics. They offer a plant and mineral based, multi-purpose biodegradable, concentrate that is safe for the environment and, “…designed to replace virtually every cleaner in your home.”

Branch Basics is rated “1” on the EGW.org website, and is “Certified Organic." Their products do not contain parabens, phthalates, synthetic preservatives, synthetic fragrances, alcohols, ethoxylates, or SLS. It is also gluten-free, hypoallergenic, and contains no nuts or tree nuts. Branch Basics is also third-party test verified to ensure there are no GMOs from corn or corn DNA detectable in their concentrate. However, if you have an allergy to corn, they suggest ordering a 2 oz. All-Purpose product as a test first to make sure you have no adverse reactions.

I purchased their starter kit for $59, which includes:

1 - 33 oz concentrate

3 - empty spray bottles

1 - laundry bottle

1 - foaming wash bottle

I followed the Branch Basic product instructions and mixed all the bottles with distilled water (common tap water has a lot of contaminants), and added the recommended level of concentrate. Even after making up five different bottles I still have over 50% of the concentrate left. The price for the different products works out to be between $2.90 and $5.80 per bottle, with the cost for each load of laundry at about $.24 per load.

I decided to first try the “Streak-Free” bottle, putting it to the test on my stainless-steel appliances. All I have to say is “AMAZING.” After years of using another product on my stainless-steel I am excited that this product is only a two-step process - spray and wipe. And, it is really STREAK FREE! I no longer have to polish my appliances.

I use the “All-Purpose” bottle on my dishes, my cast iron pans, my counters and the microwave to dissolve the grease. The “Foaming Wash” bottle is great for washing hands and I also use it as a de-greaser and pre-treater on my clothes before I wash them.

Branch Basics Concentrate contains only: Purified Water; Coco Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside (sugar-based cleansers); Chamomile; Sodium Citrate (food-grade emulsifier); Sodium Bicarbonate (food-grade baking soda); Sodium Phytate (plant-based antioxidant), and Soapberry extract. Regarding the issue of fragrance, even while some of the natural products used in making Branch Basic might have a slight smell, their products are considered fragrance-free.

While Branch Basics cannot claim their product is "antibacterial," the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends Branch Basics as part of an overall approach to getting rid of germs -- that is washing your hands for 20 seconds with a pure soap designed for hand washing.

Check out the link to this CDC article.: "Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives" for more information.

For more information on common household chemicals to avoid check out the article here. The more you know about what these are and why they are bad to use

Branch Basics is Animal Friendly!

Branch Basics DOES NOT test on animals, but they do “…recommend using it on animals.” Be sure to check out their post, “Feeling Frisky: How to Wash Your Pet with Branch Basics.”

I recommend starting with the Branch Basics starter set. Shipping is free for purchases over $39. To get started with Branch Basics products click here to save $10 on your order of your very own starter set!