Bubby and Bean ::: Living Creatively: 5 Tips for Disinfecting Your Home Without Harsh Chemicals

This post is in partnership with The Honest Company®.

I was raised in a home that was consistently spotless and germ-free. But just like I sadly did not receive my mom's green thumb (so many dead plants), I did not receive her incredible passion for cleanliness. I've never been a complete slob (if you don't count my twenties, anyway), but I've never been a "germophobe" either.

Welp, like most of us, that changed this year. Now I don't even leave a room without hand sanitizer, and I basically walk around the house with a bottle of disinfecting spray (Honest Disinfecting Spray from Costco, to be exact; but more on that in a minute) in hand at all times.

While it is extremely important to me to keep my home disinfected these days, I am, as you guys know, not a fan of harsh chemicals. Just like I do my best to eat and feed my kids organic food, I try to clean my home in ways that don't require toxic ingredients. If you can relate to the desire to keep a germ-free house without the nasty stuff, I think these tips could be as helpful for you as they have been for me!

1. Wash your hands.

We are told to do this so often it becomes annoying, but let's face it - it's one of the most important and effective ways to help stop the spread of germs. And while reminding you to wash your hands isn't a cleaning tip, I felt compelled to list it because it really is an incredibly easy way to keep germs to a minimum in your home. My kids touch every surface in our house; knowing their hands are clean gives me peace of mind that our home is clean (or cleaner, anyway) as well.

2. Use Honest Disinfecting Spray to clean, deodorize, and disinfect.

This is my secret weapon, you guys! The Honest Company Disinfecting Spray is a powerful antibacterial spray that kills 99.9% of the germs we all come in contact with every day - without chlorine bleach, harsh abrasives, phosphates, fumes, or harsh chemicals. It also kills cold and flu viruses, which is crucial right now! Its fragrance-free formula cleans, deodorizes, and disinfects in one, and I use it everywhere. From door handles to countertops to toilet surfaces to sinks to my cell phone, a spray or two gives me the peace of mind that the power of hydrogen peroxide is doing its job and keeping things germ-free, without covering the home where my little ones play in unnecessary hazards. If you're a Costco member like I am, I highly recommend purchasing the Honest Company Disinfecting 3-Pack available in-store or online. You will use it!

3. Sanitize laundry - without bleach.

I find myself washing bathroom hand towels, throw blankets, pillow covers, curtains, and other types of fabric-based home decor items a lot more often these days. Just like with other surfaces in our home, dirt-free does not equal disinfected, and fabrics that are used daily are full of germs. I don't like using bleach to sanitize laundry because its such a harsh chemical, so I opt for gentler methods. Our washer and dryer actually have sanitizing settings, which is helpful. But you can also add vinegar or peroxide to the wash cycle to help disinfect. Drying on high for at least 45 minutes also helps to sanitize.

4. Keep bottles of Honest Disinfecting Spray throughout the house.

This is a tip (keeping cleaners in more than one room) that I learned from my mom growing up, but admittedly didn't actually utilize until recently. (I used to keep them all under the kitchen sink.) It's actually quite helpful because while I may be genuinely devoted to keeping my house void of germs these days, I still need reminders to do it. This is why I love the Honest Company's Disinfecting 3-Pack from Costco. I keep one bottle in the kitchen, one in the downstairs bathroom, and one upstairs for easy access. When I see it, it reminds me to use it. And since we can't keep surfaces truly germ-free without sanitizing them daily, it's important to do it consistently (and without harsh chemicals, please!).

5. Regularly take the trash out (and disinfect the containers!).

It might seem obvious to take the trash and recycling out when they're full, but we have a habit of pushing in as much as possible until the containers are bursting at the seams. There is something to be said for this, because it's less wasteful to get as much as possible into one trash bag, but it's not the most sanitary way to go about things. When garbage and things like used tissues (yuck!) are piled up (and repeatedly touched each time we pushed them down), germs are spread. I take the garbage and recycling outside much more frequently these days, and also clean and disinfect the garbage containers with Honest Disinfecting Spray every time, right before I put in a new trash bag.

I hope these tips prove useful for those of you looking to keep your house as germ-free as possible without having to use hazardous chemicals to make it that way. And if I haven't hinted about it enough yet, head to your local Costco (or the Costco website) and get yourself the Honest Company's Disinfecting 3-Pack now! I'm telling you guys, it is a game-changer for not only disinfecting but also cleaning and deodorizing too. (Who doesn't love a multi-tasking cleaning time saver?) I am also such a big fan of The Honest Company in general and have been since my daughter was born in 2013. Their products are made with love and care, and with safety in mind - from baby, personal care, and beauty items to household products like their Disinfecting spray about which I cannot stop gushing. The Honest Company also partners with organizations like Baby2Baby to help ensure all families have access to basic necessities and health information for safe growth and development, which is pretty wonderful.

Do you have any other tips for keeping your home sanitized without the use of harsh chemicals? I'd love to hear them if so!