You know I am glad you bring up all those fragrances, including the candles that I didn’t mention and perfumes, as they alone are so toxic based on the ingredient “fragrance or parfum” that they contain.

I don’t know why and how we bought into this scheme of wasting money on masking odors, but a lot of people have. I think now through education we need to let people know as much as possible to stop using those products as they cause so much more harm than good.

As for bleach, if you check out the #2 resource – guide to less toxic products, there is an alternative they mention that is based on borax.

Thanks again Julie for sharing your thoughts and providing the feedback – I really appreciate it :)

By default (my husband’s allergies to “just about everything”) mean I’ve been doing the natural thing for more than 20 years, with five basic items you mention. As for refreshing the house? Nothing is better than a few minutes of fresh air breathing new life into a stale room! Fragrances (perfumes, candles, air fresheners) don’t clean the air, anyway, just mask the sources of odors and, over time, desensitize our sense of smell. One thing, though: I have used bleach, the regular old-fashioned plain version. The non-chlorine kind doesn’t help eliminate the dingy effects of our desert dirt. I look forward to reviewing the references and resources you’ve provided, hoping I’ll find something that works. All along, I’ve disliked polluting the groundwater with this stuff…