Just when you thought it was safe to watch documentaries, you come across The Human Experiment and life is over as you knew it. Nightmares for DAYS, people. Damn it, Netflix, why do you do me like that? The basic synopsis of The Human Experiment is that we’re all going to die. Well, ok, more specifically, we are experiencing a chemical overload via the things we use daily, ranging from food to products. Households cleaning items are rarely tested for long term effects on animals, and what data we do is not looking good. After watching that documentary my first instinct was to pack up, pulling a Walden, and getting my Henry David Thoreau-self outta here!

But here’s the thing: I absolutely refuse to live my life in fear of all of the non-holistic things that go bump in the night. There’s a big difference between making smart, well-informed changes that positively impact your life verses being controlled by information that terrifies you. The point of educating ourselves about natural alternatives is to simplify, empower and protect our lives.

FYI, the documentary is actually very insightful and raises important questions, and I recommend it watching it. It did get me thinking about the ways that chemicals are introduced into my system via my everyday life and products. I fortunately don’t wear a great deal of make up or use chemical beauty products, but there still is a long list of items that are easy to change. My cleaning products are definitely not all natural, and the cleaner I used every day on my mat and gym equipment was in that category. This is extra disconcerting, because my bare hands and feet are all over that thing. We’re very vulnerable to chemicals when we work out, because we usually have direct skin to skin contact with equipment and mats cleaned with chemicals.

The gym is good for you, yea verily, great for you. If you use it that is, and if you don’t use the chemically laden wipes to clean your equipment. Remember, whatever touches the skin to some extent gets absorbed in our bodies, and the list of ingredients is scary. Remember, when products claim to be safe, it doesn’t necessarily mean that is safe in the long term. Very few products get tested over a long period of time. While we might form emotional attachments to our yoga mats, germs also get attached…super gross, right? But I don’t want to use chemical products to clean my mat!

So, I did some research and my yoga studio actually uses a very simple cleaner that’s perfect for cleaning your kitchen, your mat, gym equipment, and get this—even your kinda stinky gym clothes! The natural ingredients attack bacteria without hurting your body or fabric. In fact, the ingredients will only help your immune system if your skin absorbs them.

All you need for this awesome cleaner is:

You can add lavender, lemon or any other essential oil to the mix to make it smell oh so lovely, but these are the basics ingredients. Mix together and add to a spray bottle. For super grip mats like Lululemon or Manduka, this is the perfect cleaner to use when you first get the mats and need to get rid of that rubbery smell. Make sure you use a good amount of the solution and go by sections because high quality anti-slip mats quickly absorb liquids without giving you a chance to really scrub off the bacteria.

To use for gym clothes, pour 1/4 of a cup to 1/2 cup of this solution into the wash, and cycle through on warm. Make wipes for the gym by cutting paper towels and placing in a small baby wipes container, soaked with solution. Or, carry in a spray bottle and wipe down equipment with a dry paper towel. Hey, you carry a gym bag, how hard can it be to throw in a mini spray bottle and go? Right? Of course right. And just think, now you can blaze through your workout and stay chemical free while you get skinny-minny and even more fabulous!

This cleaner isn’t limited to yoga mats and such. It’s a great for kitchen surfaces and all manner of things. Another plus, no harmful fumes from using this as a cleaner. YAY! Give this cleaner a try and so goodbye to chemicals! Much love!