I always stress to clients, a non-toxic home is just as important as a clean diet. Your body won’t benefit from a clean diet if its surrounded by environmental toxins on a daily basis. This was a key element in me maintaining remission from Lupus for the last 7 years. After 5 months of use, I’m sharing our honest thoughts about non-toxic-plant based cleaning brand, Branch Basics.
The Dirty Truth Behind “Clean”
With so much green-washing, it’s hard to decipher which brands are legit from who’s profiting off concerned consumers.
To add insult to injury, the FDA currently doesn’t regulate home cleaning products. This means that American brands aren’t required to disclose all chemicals in their products. We are all being exposed to hazardous chemicals in what’s supposed to be the safest place for us, our homes. Who’s at the greatest risk? Those with compromised immune systems, pregnant women and children.
Studies have continued to prove that exposure to hazardous chemicals in cleaning supplies can cause health issues. The American Lung Association found that it is associated with higher asthma rates, and the Environmental Working Group has linked it to respiratory damage and wheezing. This is something our family has experienced firsthand.
Our Why
I knew the importance of a non-toxic home after my diagnosis with Lupus but navigating that space was a whole different story. I had to do extensive research on chemicals that were known carcinogens, endocrine distruptors and triggers for my specific illness. I thought I did a pretty good job with the information I had on hand.
However, once my husband and I became parents, we got the biggest reality check. Our oldest child was diagnosed with asthma and the situation became dire. After so many hospitalizations and medications all before the age of 1, we realized that we needed to look at where our son spent most of his time..in our home. Learning about the links between asthma, respiratory issues and hazardous cleaning products only confirmed we made the right decision.
We relied on good ol’ distilled white vinegar, baking soda and essential oils and a select few brands of non-toxic cleaning products to clean our home. We would just rely on additional help from the vinegar and baking soda to get certain stubborn areas really clean like our bathroom and tiles. Within 1 month we noticed a huge improvement in his symptoms and decreased asthmatic episodes.
Our final confirmation came with our middle child. He developed severe eczema as an infant. It was so bad that his skin was raw, exposed and bleeding in multiple spots. It pained us as parents to see our 5 week old so miserable.
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Although eczema is largely gut-related, there are certain environmental triggers that can contribute to flare-ups. In addition to learning about food triggers, we becaume conscious of the detergent, bath soaps, lotions, etc, that we were using on a daily/weekly basis. He now rarely experiences flare ups.
About Branch Basics
Branch Basics is a non-toxic plant-based cleaning brand. The company’s mission is to educate and help others take back their health by making their homes non-toxic through clean, safe and transparent cleaning products.
The founders personal whys are remarkable and I implore you all to read their stories here.
How Branch Basics Works
Normally, I would purchase the following monthly and sometimes even bi-weekly:
- All-Purpose spray for daily cleaning of kitchen (countertops, stove, floor, etc.)
- Disinfecting Wipes
- Disinfectant Spray
- Glass Cleaner
- Tub & Tile Cleaner
- Toilet Cleaner
- Laundry Detergent (2 Bottles)
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar (to be combined with baking soda to scrub tub and other stubborn stains)
- Hand-Soap (At least 3-4 bottles to last 30 days -2 months at minimum)
- Dish Soap
- Essential Oils (additional disinfecting and fragrance for our home)
This would normally cost us an estimated $120-$130 monthly. I stress, this was before we became a family of 5 and we weren’t doing laundry 2-3 times a week nor chasing around a toddler.
Branch Basics eliminates the need for us to purchase every single item for household cleaning listed above. All you need is their multi-purpose concentrate and water. THAT’S IT! You will use this concentrate in place of every single cleaner you see listed above. When you place your 1st order, you’ll receive the following:
- One 32 oz Concentrate,
- Three empty spray bottles
- One Foaming Wash bottle
- One Laundry bottle
- One Oxygen Boost (if you order a starter kit + Oxygen Boost)
You fill the provided spray bottles with water to the “water line”. Next you add in the required amount Multi-Purpose Concentrate. Everything is pre-measured for you so there’s no crazy math or algorithms to follow. Just pour and shake!
It still blows my mind that the same concentrate I use in my kitchen and bathroom can clean my dishes and clothes all the same! No fuss or hassle attached. Just simple, affordable and effective cleaning in one bottle, even when diluted!
When we need an added boost for stubborn stains like tile grout or spaghetti sauce on our white comforter (I know, what were we thinking..lol), we just used Branch Basics Oxygen Boost to make them non-existent. Think Comet or Ajax without the toxic ingredients or fumes. Oxygen Boost has worked wonders on tough food stains and odors out of our 5 year-old’s lunch thermos. Just to give you an idea, West-Indian curry and pasta dishes are his fave. You can’t smell or see a trace of either after it’s been cleaned!
The Deal Breaker
So how much are we spending on cleaning products now? Well, since switching to Branch Basics we only purchase their Multi-Purpose Concentrate and Oxygen Boost Formulas. This cuts our monthly down to $59 every 2 months. That’s right! We’re spending half the money and getting more use out of our products.
Branch Basics Oxygen Boost is what sold my husband on their line of products. It got our all-white bathroom looking as it did the 1st day it was renovated. This stuff removes grime and grout like an eraser! You can check us out on my Instagram highlights cleaning our bathroom with real time results if you’re curious.
Personally, I was sold on Branch Basics after the Oxygen Boost got the spaghetti sauce out of our white comforter without a trace.
Our 2 year-old recently wrote on our off-white living room walls with both pencil and crayon. My husband used the All-Purpose spray to clean our kiddo’s “art” off our walls. Everything came off extremely easily with no residue left behind.
We also don’t have to worry about ventilation while cleaning because Branch Basics products are fragrance-free! This was huge because our bathroom is windowless and between 2 children with asthma and eczema plus a newborn we have one less thing to worry about. Their products also don’t dry out the skin so you don’t have to worry yourself with wearing gloves (I low-key hate wearing gloves while cleaning and rarely wear them).
Our kids love the Foaming Hand Soap. We’ve had to tell our oldest a few times that the foaming bubbles are not a toy..lol. Honestly, can you blame him? My kids have never had a problem washing their hands. In fact, they’re obsessed! So anything that keeps them consistently doing so is a win-win for all of us.
The Streak-Free Glass Cleaner is also pretty tough on fingerprints and mirror stains. Our 5 year old likes to leave messages & “art” via fingerprint on the bathroom mirror and living room windows. C’mon, we all did it as a kid..lol. 
We used the laundry detergent to prep our infant daughter’s clothes and bedding. It’s magically erased every last blowout stain from her onesies!
She recently developed eczema like her big brother. It gives me a huge peace of mind knowing that we’re using something safe and effective. The detergent solution works great on its own but for deep stains we just add a bit of Oxygen Boost during the pre-wash cycle.
A few great tips:
- The Foaming Wash & All Purpose spray can both be used to clean dishes in place of traditional dish detergent.
- The Foaming Wash can be used on both hands and body as a cleanser.
- The Multi-Purpose Concentrate can be used on laundry without being diluted.
- Use the Oxygen Boost to break-up and remove stubborn grease, gunk and stains from pots, dishes and clothes all the same. Just rinse really well, especially if hand-washing clothing items.
- Use the All-Purpose spray in a pinch to get oil out of clothing. I’ve done it twice and it works! No residue left behind! I’d only recommend doing this on cotton fabric.
- You can use the All Puprose spray or Foaming wash to clean your fruits and veggies. Just rinse well!
Final Thoughts
Since receiving our initial starter kit from Branch Basics 5 months ago, we’ve only had to refill our Multi-Purpose Concentrate and Oxygen Boost twice. We run through the All-Purpose cleaner pretty often since we use it everyday, multiple times a day. Second for often use is the Foaming Hand Soap, then the laundry detergent. Ultimately, the low cost, effectiveness and ingredients we can trust are why we are 100% team Branch Basics. We no longer purchase cleaning products or detergent from the store.
Shipping is fast and only 3 days pass from order to doorstep. That’s not a bad turn around time at all!
Although we were gifted these products from the company, we can’t recommend this brand or their products enough. As you all know, I only share products and brands that I use and love. Branch Basics has truly transformed our home and lives for the better. We will continue purchasing their products as needed.
You can learn more about the brand and their products here. Let me know if you try them out!
