I am so excited to be partnering up today with Maggie Mohs and the folks at simplyneutral!

As many of you know, we been talking the past few weeks about green cleaning. Maggie is co-owner of simplyneutral, a non-toxic cleaning  products company she started with her sister-in-law Sara after realizing that “regular” cleaning products were causing health problems for her and her daughter.

simplyneutral’s products are safe for your family, the environment, and they are really affordable! And for one lucky reader, they are free!! Sign up for our simplyneutral give-away below and we’ll announce a winner in Saturday’s post!!

TVNT: So first, you have a really personal story about how your business came about. Why was it important to you to create a brand of products that other people could use?

Maggie: The reason it was important to me was because I was clueless to my own health problem until I accidentally stumbled upon the reason. I felt there had to be many people out there like myself. And, many people out there are still using conventional cleaners that think it’s OK, because they do not have any reactions/problems yet…

We felt it was our job to spread the simplyneutral story. Let people know that the body can only detoxify so many chemicals before it starts storing them in their fatty cells. And, that our homes are built so air tight that if a chemical is sprayed today, it could still be polluting our indoor air 2 weeks later.

Above all, Sara and I believe individual change can impact the world.

TVNT: What was the process of creating your products like? What was important to you as you were going through that process?

Maggie: We started with a list of do not use chemicals. These chemicals were known to cause hormone disruption, cause cancer, not break down in the environment, or were skin irritants. Our chemist understood there was no compromise with this list.

The cleaners had to accomplish two main things:
1. They had to be safe enough for people with asthma, allergies, and multiple chemical sensitivities. This meant almost anyone should be able to use our cleaners.
2. They had to work as well as conventional cleaners.

This was not an easy task. We spent months testing. Our houses were so clean, we called neighbors to test the cleaners in their homes!

TVNT: What do you tell people who have always used chemical-based cleaners and are hesitant to switch?

Maggie: First I tell them I understand their hesitancy. I also tried green cleaners that did not work, or that were not as green as they claimed to be.

Then I explain to them about toxins and our bodies ability to detoxify. They can only detoxify so much before we start storing those chemicals. Just because you do not have any problems with chemicals now, does not mean they are not causing problems you will deal with later in life.

Or, I explain how the cleaners they are using now leave a toxic film on our counter tops, tables, floors, and bathtubs that our children later eat off of, crawl around on, or bathe in. Skin is the largest organ of our body. We absorb the chemicals placed or rubbed on our skin.

Last, I tell them that our products really work!

TVNT: I think having a good, safe cleaning products and the right tools makes cleaning a little less of a chore. What cleaning gear do you have in your home at this moment?

Maggie: I agree the right tools make cleaning less of a chore.

• I have a good quality, light weight vacuum cleaner with HEPA filtration. (Very Bad Back)
• A good microfiber mop makes cleaning floors (both dry and wet) much faster and easier.
• A Pumie brand pumice stone for the calcium/lime ring where the water sits in my toilet. Keep the pumice stone wet at all times. It will take that ring right off!
• My favorite microfiber sponge. It has a no scratch scrubby side and is as big as my hand, great for cleaning my shower.

I hate to tell you the best way to make cleaning less of a chore is prevention. I spray my shower with our after shower spray. I hardly have soap scum and it has helped to keep the mold and mildew under control. I keep my bathroom fan on for an additional 15 minutes to suck up the excess moisture in my bathroom to prevent mold and mildew.

I try to vacuum more often so that I need to dust less as I hate dusting! Carpets and hard floors hold a lot of dirt and dust. When we move around, we kick that dirt and dust up to settle on our surfaces.

I cover my food in the microwave with a towel. I hardly have to clean the inside of my microwave.

My stove has a flat cook top. If we have a boil over or burnt on food, I spray the top with our all-purpose cleaner before cleaning up the dishes. By the time I have my dishwasher loaded and pans scrubbed, it pretty much wipes right off.

TVNT: I’ve enjoyed catching up on your blog and hearing your thoughts about lots of natural topics. How has starting this company changed things for your family and your household? What other aspects of being green do you embrace most?

Maggie: Starting simplyneutral opened my eyes to the many challenges humans and the planet will face. I believe if we live in a manner that is safest for the earth, it will also be the healthiest for humans.

For example, I do not use chemicals in my garden. Therefore, my family eats produce that is free of chemicals. The ground will not have to filter out chemicals. Therefore, the ground water we drink will also not have chemicals.

The bees that pollinate our plants in the garden will not be exposed to chemicals. Right now bees across the world are experiencing colony collapse disorder. If we do not figure out what is causing this, agriculture could change as we know it.

Another issue I embrace due to simplyneutral is water. What we pay for water, how much water we use and waste. An example of this is the water in cleaners. Cleaners only require a very small amount of cleaning agent to really work. As consumers we purchase these big, heavy bottles of cleaner. How much did that bottle of cleaner cost you to arrive at your local store. Manufacturers and consumers pay many times over to ship that water all over, it is heavy. We try to encourage our customers to purchase concentrates or ship the products “waterless”. This cost is less to humans and to mother nature. Less fossil fuels were used because heavy water was not shipped around the country.

simplyneutral is generously offering an awesome package including 16-ounce sizes of  Strut Your Shine, Sreak No More, and Scrub So Fine to one Very Next Thing Reader!

You can enter by commenting below and telling us your favorite aspect of living green!

The winner will be announced in Saturday’s post!! Good luck! And than you so much to Maggie and the folks at simplyneutral!!