This is a love letter to a product that I have used, religiously, for over 6 years now. A company that is rooted in clean, sustainable, living, and a product that is just too easy – and too effective to not use.
I am talking about Branch Basics. If you take nothing else from my website, please, please follow this company. They singlehandedly have transformed the way I clean.
How It Works
The concept is simple. One product, “The Concentrate” that gets diluted into specific formulations 
depending on where you need the product. They have fill lines on each bottle telling you the exact proportions of water vs. concentrate. It makes for a fun (and ridiculously easy) science experiment.
There are two options for bottles – plastic or glass. While we have both, I will be honest the plastic version seems to work a little better. This might be the only time I support plastic > glass, but in using both products, I have just found the 
nozzles on the plastic bottles to be more effective.
Knowing that the products used in our home are toxin-free provides me an additional sense of security. My home is my safe haven. I want anyone who enters through our front door to feel like they are in a protected space. Branch Basics provides that ease of mind as their products really are that clean – and effective! My husband and I feel so strongly about Branch Basics that we travel with a travel sized All-Purpose bottle so that we can clean our daughter’s items, wash our hands, treat any stains, etc.
Additionally products that we love are the wool balls (which we use in our dryer instead of dryer sheets. They work like a charm and are environmentally friendly!
Also, if you find you have a tricky stain on clothing, or food that just will not come off the plate, then check out Oxygen Boost (think a healthier version of OxyClean).
Fragrance
The Concentrate is made without any harmful chemicals. It is “human safe”, organic, non-GMO, no harmful preservatives, and fragrance free. Full disclosure, I was gifted a starter set to Branch Basics almost a decade ago by a dear friend. I liked the product, but as a scent driven individual, I could not get past the product being fragrance free. I wanted my house to “smell” clean, and in my opinion (at that stage of life) “clean” meant there was a fragrance. Boy, was I wrong.
It took years of learning, through education and osmosis, that most fragrances are actually laden with chemicals. Harmful chemicals that can impact, and even destroy, your immune system. According to the International Fragrance Association there are ~3,200 fragrance ingredients used for odor or malodor coverage. Think about that, almost 3000 chemicals used in fragrance … from everything from laundry soap, to candles, to trash bags, to sanitary napkins, to cleaning products … the list is exhaustive. Not to mention perfumes, perfumed deodorants, hair products, etc.
Removing fragrance from your body, and home, can actually help to reduce your toxic load. When you body is not encumbered by a toxins it can function as it is mean to – in a healthy, holistic state.
Once I removed all fragrance, including my favorite smelling candles, from my house I noticed an immediate shift in my mood. I felt lighter and my head more clear. Now, when I walk in an area that is laden with scent I am even more aware (and perhaps sensitive) to what those smells (i.e. chemicals) are doing to both my body and the environment where they live. Fortunately, I have never suffered from allergies, however if you are someone who does, perhaps consider this article one more reason to purge your house of chemicals, and toxins.
“Fragrant” Chemicals
One note, it is important to learn to read labels. However, even if a product says it is “natural” or “organic” you still need to read the label further and do your homework. Most chemicals are not listed on an ingredient list – they do not have to be. “Fragrance” and “perfume” are catch phrases for chemicals that companies do not want to list. If you are curious as to how your favorite products “line-up” in a toxic-free world, check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Guide.
Dishwasher 
Ok, so you have cleaned your counters and your dishes, but have you stopped to think about what chemicals are being used in your dishwasher? Branch Basics has you covered here. No gel coating, no plastic, just a tablet that 100% works, even on tough food stains. They truly have thought of all areas of your life which is one more reason I am grateful for this company. They simplify life by providing non-toxic and necessary products.
Want to Save?
Finally, if I have piqued you interest to try Branch Basics, which I hope you will do, then please enjoy $10 off with this link: Branch Basics.
Here’s to clean living, and purging your life of chemicals, one toxin at a time!
