It's been a long time since I last dropped a piece of food onto a surface in my kitchen (table, stovetop, counter) and didn't immediately then dispose of it as if it were radioactive. The reason for my paranoia? The cleaning supplies I use, (even the "non-toxic" versions) contain chemicals I don't necessarily want to eat for dinner, but that's about to change.
Saje, a family business which brought plant-based wellness to mainstream audiences way back in the 1990s and now offers everything from essential oils to a health-focused podcast, is hoping to change the way I feel about my "clean" tabletops moving forward. As of today, they're launching a line of 100% natural cleaning products, which will include a dish soap, a multi-purpose cleaner, a glass cleaner, a tub and tile cleaner, biodegradable cleaning cloths, dryer balls, and a laundry blend.
Kiara LeBlanc, the company's VP of Brand Creative, tells me she first dreamt up the line after hearing of sobering studies that showed that stay-at-home parents who handle the household cleaning have a higher risk of cancer than the general population. Her shock at these statistics led her to a deep dive into research around what she calls "the sneaky synthetics" populating the lives of most consumers. "[Brands] can call themselves natural or green [because of ineffective regulations], and they're not," she says of her findings. There had to be, she thought, a safer way to clean the home.
From this aha moment to this one, five years passed, two of which were spent developing innovative ingredients that would allow Saje's new products to remain actually synthetics-free while still enabling them to do their job as cleaners. "I didn't want this to be a 'good-for-natural' cleaning line," she says. "I wanted it to be effective."
Most "clean" products, she tells me by way of an example, will still include synthetic surfactants (AKA the ingredients that help to loosen and trap soil in cleaning products); however, Saje's version is derived from fruits and vegetables and has been certified by the Natural Products Association. “It’s quite expensive, so I understand why it’s not more on the market,” she says. “However, it’s fantastic.”
Another unusual ingredient in the line's products goes back to the company's roots; all are infused with essential oils. This touch, says LeBlanc, eliminates the need for synthetic fragrance while creating products that smell so delicious they might also enable other healthy behaviors. "DishSwish [the dish soap] makes me like doing the dishes," she says, to which I respond that if the same happens for me, I will give Saje *all* my money.
Want to get next-level healthy in your cleaning efforts? Try these bacteria-killing, under-the-cabinet LED lights. Plus, these are the germiest spots in your work place, in case your office manager needs some incentive to (green) clean.
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