5 Safe Cleaning Products For Use Around Kids

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When you have kids, one of the top priorities becomes keeping them safe. This means being careful about the products that you use in your home – especially when it comes to cleaning. There are many harsh chemicals in common household cleaners, and some of them can be dangerous for children. In this blog post, we will discuss 5 safe cleaning products that you can use around your kids!

1. White vinegar

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant that can be used to clean surfaces and kill germs. It’s also non-toxic, making it an ideal choice for cleaning up around kids.

One of my favorite ways to use white vinegar is diluting it in a spray bottle and letting my littles clean right along with me. Because white vinegar is a natural cleaner, I don’t have to worry about it getting on their skin or clothes, and they learn how to clean with Mom. They spray and wipe the chairs while I clean the table!

2. Baking soda

Another great natural cleaner is baking soda! It can be used to scrub surfaces and absorb odors, making it perfect for cleaning up spills and eliminating nasty smells.

To make a multi-purpose cleaner with baking soda, simply add 1/4 cup of baking soda to a quart of warm water. This natural cleaner can then be used on countertops and other surfaces to clean and freshen them up.

3. Castile soap

For tougher messes, castile soap is a great option. It’s made from natural ingredients and can cut through grease and grime without the use of harsh chemicals.

To make a multi-purpose cleaner with castile soap, add 1/2 cup of liquid castile soap to a gallon of warm water. This mixture can be used to clean sinks, countertops, and other areas of the home.

4. Lemon juice

Another natural cleaner that is great for around kids is lemon juice! It has a pleasant scent and can be used to remove tough stains from surfaces.

Simply squeeze some fresh lemon juice onto a surface and then scrub it with a sponge or cloth. The acidity of the lemon juice will help to lift stains, making it a great natural cleaner that’s safe around kids. You wouldn’t believe the stains I’ve lifted from my white quartz countertops with this everyday ingredient.

5. Essential oils

Essential oils are a great way to add scent and disinfectant properties to any cleaning mixture. Some of my favorite essential oils for cleaning are tea tree oil, lavender oil, and lemon oil.

When adding essential oils to a cleaning mixture, it’s important to use caution. Some oils can be very strong, so you should always dilute them in water before using them around kids. A few drops of your favorite essential oil added to a bottle of vinegar and water will make an all-purpose cleaner that smells great, too!

These are just a few of the safe cleaning products that you can use around your kids. By using natural, non-toxic cleaners in your home, you can keep your family safe while also taking care of messes and germs. What are some of your favorite safe cleaning products to use around kids? Share your secrets with us!

How to Teach Your Kid to Read at Home

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Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, and Phonological Awareness

Before learning how to teach your kids to read, let me first discuss some quick terminology. Have you heard to terms phonics, phonemic awareness, and/or phonological awareness? Likely, you have not unless you’re an elementary school teacher like me. These terms are often difficult to decipher from one another yet are critical for your success at teaching reading at home.

Let’s start with tackling each of these terms individually.

  • Phonics is simply understanding that each letter has a corresponding sound. For example, you definitely know that “tee” sounds like the letter “T”, right? Yup, right. That’s phonics.
  • Phonemic awareness takes the understanding of phonics and ups the ante a bit. It explains how we can discern that the /c/ at the beginning of the word “cat” is different from the /at/ that follows that sound. (Fun fact! There are 43 individual phonemes in the English language. But fear not, you won’t be quizzing your kiddo).
  • Phonological awareness is similar to phonemic awareness but is, again, a bit loftier. In the previous example, we highlighted the understanding of /c/ in “cat” sounding like a “K”, right? Well, phonological awareness is one’s ability to manipulate the various sound units in a word. So, placing the sound /ack/ with /p/ as the beginning makes a different word sound than if you put /b/ before /ack/.