But Megan, it's so darn expensive!
Oh my gosh, if I had $1 for every time I heard that excuse. I just love being a mythbuster and that's what we're going to do today. We're going to talk about the expense of going toxin free. I get this question a lot because so many people think that toxin-free products are more expensive.
So I broke out the numbers! I'm going to compare the prices of my favorite products that I happen to sell in my online store with products commonly (and mistakenly) considered clean and safe.
Going Non Toxic is Expensive. Breaking down the cost myths for going eco-friendly, natural, healthier, and toxin-free
The reason why I created my online store is because I remember how overwhelming it was to shop, spending hours in the aisle at Target trying to read ingredient labels while my toddler tugged on my pants and complained, “Mom, let's go home.” It was frustrating, overwhelming, and a lot of work. If I had a resource or somebody telling me, “Hey, Megan. Here are all the safe products, just buy these”, I would’ve been so happy and relieved. My store is there to make it super easy to find products that are safe, that come from companies that you trust and want to support with your money. Products that actually work. Because I've been there. I know sometimes you buy these products, and you think “this was so expensive”, and then it doesn’t actually work. I’ve tested all of the products I sell and use them in my own home with my own family.
Myth #1 If it’s more expensive, it must be safe
This is false for so many products out there. A perfect example is Dreft laundry detergent. It’s marketed for babies and newborns so it must be safe, right? Wrong! Dreft contains harmful ingredients like fragrance, which can contain thousands of different chemicals within the term “fragrance”. Because it’s marketed as being special for babies, it’s definitely more expensive than regular laundry detergent. You don’t need something specific for babies, just something that’s safe for your baby’s precious skin, like Meliora.
Before I learned about reading ingredient labels, I used Mrs. Meyers', geranium scent and I loved it. Little did I know that some of their ingredients are allergens. I always wondered why I had a cough after I used it. Hello! Not safe ingredients. Mrs. Meyers’ is a common greenwasher. They are not as safe as you think they are. It's not a small little company from some nice lady named Mrs. Meyers. Nope, it's from SC Johnson. Many people are commonly greenwashed by Mrs. Meyers. If you're using Mrs. Meyers, don’t worry, I was greewashed too. Now you know.
So let’s price compare this commonly used brand, Mrs. Meyers’ to actual safe products.
Countertop Spray- Mrs. Meyers’ is $4 for 16 ounces. I have a countertop spray product in my store that is a spray and it's actually an empty glass bottle and it has a small little tablet that you put in it. It comes with four separate refill tablets. So the bottle together with the refills is $13.50. So for $13.50 you get four 16 ounce bottles of spray cleaner. So a bottle of this spray is $3.37 in comparison to the Mrs. Meyers spray at $4. You can see right there that the healthier option is cheaper. It’s also a more eco-friendly option that comes in a glass bottle that you don't throw away. Instead you add a tablet and keep using the same glass bottle. Grab my favorite countertop spray here.
Dish Soap Mrs. Meyers dish soap is in a plastic container, it's 16 ounces, and it is $4. The dish soap that I have been using most recently, and have been encouraging others to try, is a bar dish soap instead of a liquid. We have fully embraced using a bar soap for dishes in our house and I am amazed at how long the bar dish soap lasts. I can estimate that it lasts three times as long but it might be even four times as long. The bar of dish soap is $10, but it will last three times as long as the bottle of Mrs. Meyers’. Four of the Mrs. Meyers dish soap bottles would cost $12. In comparison to the bar dish soap at $10, again the more eco-friendly and toxin free option is cheaper. Saving money AND plastic from entering our landfills, that’s a win win in my book. Grab my favorite bar dish soap here.
Hand Soap Again, we have switched to bar soap at our house to reduce the amount of plastic we use. But let’s compare apples to apples, or liquids to liquids. The Mrs. Meyers foaming soap bottle is $4. Here’s a tip for you. If you're already using a foaming hand soap, you can reuse that bottle and add a third of a cup of castile soap like Dr. Bronner's soap, and fill the rest of the foaming soap bottle with water. It’s that easy to make your own foaming hand soap and it's so much more affordable. And again, it's better for the environment because you're not buying so many of those foaming soap containers. A standard Dr. Bronner's bottle that costs $11 and makes four foaming soap containers. With the Mrs. Meyers at $4, four bottles of soap would cost $16. $16 versus $11 - so again, it is more affordable to choose the healthier, safer, and more eco friendly option.
Laundry Detergent Mrs. Meyer's laundry detergent is $16 for 64 loads and the laundry detergent that I have in my store is $16.50 for 64 loads - but this is for the initial canister purchase. The refills are only $13. I sell individual refills instead of having to get a new canister every time. Very eco-friendly! Your initial investment is going to be $16.50. But the refill for 64 loads is only $13. So again, cheaper. $13 versus $16. I can't make this up. Grab my favorite laundry detergent here.
Myth #2 You have to buy products for them to be safe and effective. You actually don't! There are so many recipes for homemade cleaners, and easy to use stuff that you have at home. Some of the best cleaners I've used are filled with vinegar and baking soda, or hydrogen peroxide, ingredients you might already have at home. Plus, they’re super affordable and cheap ingredients. And they come in big containers, so you rarely have to go back to the store.
Myths Busted!
I hope your mind is being blown right now and you have decided, Okay, it is time to really buckle down and start choosing safer products.
If you are ready to detox your home top to bottom without getting overwhelmed with me right there by your side, then you need to invest in Detox By Design: The Home Method. And when I say invest, it's not that expensive. You will save so much more time and money by working with me through this online program. It's super simple. With short and to the point videos and worksheets to keep you focus, you will go from feeling overwhelmed and like you are poisoning your family, to choosing safe and healthy products for your family every time you shop. I walk you through it all. And I know what it's like. I've been in that state of overwhelm. That's why I created this program so that you know exactly what to do and how to do it. You're not gonna procrastinate or put it off, you're gonna finally get it done. If you curious, go check out more <<HERE>>.
