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So, most of the products you see here probably look very familiar to you. They've been heavily advertised to all of us for decades and really the only options we've had for most of our lives. I personally used every single product you see in front of me for years. But, as I started learning about how many of these everyday kitchen items can be toxic to our health, bad for the environment, and just plain wasteful, I slowly started switching them out for much better options. So today I'm going to show you the 10 products that I've permanently swapped out for more eco-friendly, safer, and more effective alternatives that have made a huge difference in my daily operations as a home cook. All right, so
coming in at number one on this list is a product that if you keep a clean kitchen, you pretty much use every single time you cook, which is swapping your traditional all-purpose cleaner for a more eco-friendly and less wasteful all-purpose cleaner. Now, there are many brands that have emerged over the last few years that do a similar thing. The one I personally love is Branch Basics, which is a non-toxic mineral-based cleaning concentrate. Concentrate being the key word here. And many years ago, I switched from the more popular cleaning brands, which are filled with all types of potential harmful ingredients, to more organic cleaner options. But these products still weren't as clean as I
thought they were, and they were also single-use bottles. And this all-purpose concentrate is made of plant-based minerals, completely free of synthetic cleaning chemicals. And depending on if you need a bathroom window or all-purpose cleaner, there are different ratios on the bottles for the amount of concentrate you use. And I can get around 30 bottles of all-purpose cleaner from this one concentrate, which is just a huge amount of waste eliminated from your household. But of course, it still has to work well for it to be an effective product. And let me tell you, this stuff kicks ass. Now, it's very important to note that it's a soap style surface cleaner. It's not a disinfectant, which would be used to
remove all the bacteria and germs from your kitchen. But 99% of the time, that's what I'm using in my kitchen to remove the dirt, grease, food, whatever kitchen mess there is. So, my kitchen is nice and clean and looking good. But the reason I think it has made such a big difference in my kitchen is because it's 100% non-toxic. I don't have to worry about crosscontamination with my food surfaces. And of course, you can make homemade versions at home, vinegar and lemon juice, but I've never had the best success with those homemade versions. whereas this all-purpose cleaner is just so effective at doing its job. All right, number two on this list, we're replacing the old Swiffer. Now, if you
live outside of the US, I have no idea if Swiffers exist for you, but I can bet there is some brand that is capitalizing off single-use style floor cleaners like a Swiffer. And this has to be one of the biggest scams in the entire cleaning industry, which I personally fell for many years until I finally made the switch. And for a more intensive clean of my floor, I'll use a regular mop. But for a daily cleaning for years, I just used a Swiffer, which not only have a ton of potential toxic ingredients, but of course, the pads are single use and you need to keep replacing the cleaning fluid bottles every single time you run out. Not to mention, anyone who's ever had a Swiffer knows they're kind of a
piece of break fairly easily. So, I finally found this thing right here. This is the VA spray mop and it works exactly the same as a Swiffer, but just like the all-purpose cleaner, you fill it up yourself with your own concentrate. And they sell different concentrates directly through the brand depending on the floor surface that you're cleaning. But I actually just use the standard Branch Basics allpurpose cleaner, which works well if you just follow the proper ratios for cleaning floors. And then they come with these microfiber mop pads. And what you do is you get a few of them. So when they're dirty, you can just throw them in the laundry just like you would a dish towel. You get a really nice even wide
spray from the actual mop without the use of any electronics. So nothing's going to break on you. And the mop head is bigger, so it covers a larger surface area than your classic Swiffer head. So really, it's just a great option for daily or weekly smaller floor cleans in your kitchen. And again, for me with children, I can't keep anything clean, so I'm using this thing pretty much every single day. All right, moving on to number three, and we're switching the category from cleaning supplies to food storage. And all of you know that I take meal prep very seriously. I've put out many videos on the subject. But in all of those videos, I've never really nailed down the perfect food storage solution. You've
probably seen me use a lot of different options, all different shapes and sizes and materials. And specifically, one that I used a lot and have suggested was a good option were these plastic food containers. And in the comments of those videos, there were a lot of people that chimed in saying to not put hot food in those plastic food containers. And I saw those comments and I always wanted to really clean up my food storage solution. So, I finally invested in a new system that is less toxic and more efficient. These are from Rubbermaid. I ordered them from Amazon. They had great reviews. People seem to really love the different size options for the containers as well as how well the lids
work to create a leak-free system. And since they're glass, you can add hot food to the containers and even pop them right into the microwave without any worries that you're heating up plastic. Now, the tops are still made of plastic, which makes them lighter and less fragile than a glass top. Personally, I'm fine with this because the food doesn't ever touch the top, and I can take off that top when I'm heating them up in the microwave. And those containers take care of most of the meal prep I'm doing, but I haven't completely eliminated plastic yet from my meal prep. I still use these BPA free deli containers for freezing food because glass just isn't a good option for
freezing since it can expand and break. And since glass is more expensive than plastic, it's a bit of a waste of money with the amount of frozen food storage that I'm doing. But there's a few flaws with these containers that always pissed me off. And it wasn't until I saw my friend Ian's video that I actually realized there was a solution. I've bought the highest quality BPA free deli containers online. They still break, they snap, they chip. And since there's different manufacturers, they have differentiz lid dimensions. So the lids don't always fit together, especially if you're recycling them from different takeout places. That brings me to number four in this list, which is replacing these cheaper deli containers with more
higher quality camro style containers. I've been using these containers and pushing them for years for things like dough making, but I also like to store things like baked goods in them. And historically, I've just had two larger sizes, the 4Q and the two court, which both had the same lid. What I didn't know was that Camro made smaller 16 and 32 oz ones that can replace the deli containers. And what's great about them is they're higher quality, more durable, still BPA free. They're microwave and dishwasher safe. And since it's one manufacturer, they have the same lid size, so they're always going to fit. And of course, since they're higher quality, they're more expensive. But the
goal is that they will last much longer than these things which break all the time. Now, being more intentional with the products in my kitchen goes handinhand with being more intentional with my overall health, which brings me to the sponsor of today's video, C, which is really the only supplement company that I have trusted and consistently used over the years. I've taken their daily symbiotic along with eating a ton of other fermented foods to improve my gut health. But now CE just launched something new and very exciting, which is their new DM O2 daily multivitamin. Now, most multivitamins either flood your system with a mega dose of vitamins, or the actual vitamins break down before your body can even absorb them. But DMO2 is different. It's
powered by Seed's proprietary capsule and capsule delivery system designed for targeted release and precision dosing of 20 essential vitamins and minerals delivered right to your microbiome. And this is why seed products have always stuck with me because I actually feel a difference when I take them. And of course, if you watch my videos, you know I try to eat as clean as possible and live a healthy lifestyle. But I'm certainly not perfect. Especially right now with a 5-month-old, I can use whatever help I can get. And I found this multivitamin has helped me feel just a little sharper and more balanced throughout the day. So, if you're interested, check out the link
below and use code word MikeG20 at checkout for 20% off your first order of seeds. DM O2 daily multivitamin. All right, so I've come to the sink to talk about a few products related to cleaning your dishes. First up, we have dish soap. And most of the classic brands are definitely singleuse, and a lot of them use harsher ingredients to clean your dishes. And now there's tons of allnatural dish soap brands. I like the brand Attitude, which has very clean ingredients, still works very well for actually cleaning my dishes, but you buy the soap in these larger refill boxes, so I can fill up my soap dispenser multiple times before needing a new box. And this is more of an efficiency thing, but I've used this
soap dispenser by Simple Human for many years. This thing teamed up with a pedal sink. Makes the dishwashing experience a lot more hands-off. And for my sponges, I'm actually growing a new batch of lofer right now. It's not quite ready yet. This is the most natural sponge you can use, but there are tons of natural sponge brands out there. They're not made with plastic. They have no smell. And then finally, for running my dishwasher, I use this brand right here, Dirty Labs. It's a twoin- one bioenzyme dishwasher detergent and booster. It's a powder, so you don't have to worry about any plastic from a pod. And it works great for sparkly clean dishes. [snorts] All right, moving on to number six. A
big topic in the kitchen, pots and pans, which has been quite a journey for me over the years to really understand what are the best pots and pans for my health, for the environment that are still very effective. Now, historically, all pots and pans were created out of materials that would last you a lifetime. But over the last say 50 years or so, due to new materials introduced and lower quality manufacturing, people are throwing out pots and pans. They've become like single use really for the first time ever. But really, you should be investing in higher quality pans that will last you a lifetime where the materials aren't going to break down. So, you don't actually have to buy new
pans and waste money over time. And the first obvious move is to remove those tefloncoated pans. And yes, I have used plenty of teflon pans over the years. As far as non-stick technology goes, it really was the most effective option for decades, which was very tempting. It was hard to beat making scrambled eggs or frying up an egg on a brand new non-stick teflon pan. But of course, the coatings on these pans would chip, they would scrape, and they would wear off over time. Generally giving you about a year before they became pretty ineffective at doing their non-stick job before you had to toss them in the trash. And now we know, of course, that Teflon coating as it chips and wears off
can leech into your food, which is not ideal and honestly completely unnecessary with all of the options available and some of the new technology available. But there are so many great options for pots and pans that will last you a lifetime. Of course, you have stainless steel pans, probably the most allpurpose material. You really can't go wrong. The only downside is you just need a little bit more skill and effort to create that nonstick coating. mainly just preheating the pan before you add your fat and your food. For a higher price point, I love anything by Hen. These pans are absolutely insane. For a slightly lower price point, you can't go wrong with Sardell, Made Inen, or Misen.
I've had multiple pans from them that have held up great over the years. I also love carbon steel as a natural non-stick cooking pan. Again, it takes some time to understand how these pans work and how to properly maintain them. But once you get it, the patina and coating actually builds over time and you get this wonderfully natural non-stick pan. And one of the most fun materials to cook with, especially for searing foods. The main downsides to these pans is that you can't use any acidic foods on them, which will remove that coating you work so hard to build up on. Like this is not dirty. Actually, there is a little bit of rust because I haven't used it in a while, and it's just naturally rusting, which is not a
problem. I'll just oil it up. This is by Sardell. I love this pan. You got heavier cast iron pans. You can't go wrong with those. Very allpurpose. And finally, a shout out to some new technology by Our Place. This is their titanium line pan. Super heavy duty, but still has this natural nonstick technology in there that works great. So, the key is avoiding Teflon. Avoid anything that will break down on you that you have to throw out. Invest in highquality, good material pans that will last you a lifetime. And you might be asking yourself, "Well, Mike, what about the nonstick coating in there?" And you're right. This is something I haven't quite moved on from because no one has created better materials for an
air fryer basket. And I know this because I've consulted with multiple air fryer brands over the years and it's one of the first things I bring up. I always suggest making a stainless steel or carbon steel air fryer basket. And there are the countertop air fryers like from our place that have the steel racks, but I think the basket style air fryers are so much more effective. And for some reason, no one has created a more natural basket. So, when that does come to market, hopefully I had something to do with it. [clears throat] So, stay tuned. So, now that we've covered pots and pans, the next obvious place to go are your utensils for those pots and pans. And for years, I used plastic
utensils, which really exploded in popularity, right along with those non-stick teflon pans because they required a more gentle utensil that wouldn't scrape off the teflon coating. But like I just mentioned, there are so many different options that you can use to replace those Teflon pans, which makes those plastic utensils completely unnecessary, which is a great thing because when we cook with plastic utensils and heat them up, they can release harmful chemicals. So, I've replaced them with three main options. One, you have wood utensils, which I love. My dad actually liddles these things for me. Very allpurpose utensil. Actually, a company called Earlywood just sent me a bunch that are really cool. Kind of flat edge spatula type
utensil. I still use silicone utensils as well. You just want to make sure they're food grade and can handle a high heat, like above 500°, which most of them will tell you. And finally, you can't go wrong with a metal utensil. These are by far the best investment cuz they're going to last you a lifetime. And of course, they're going to be the most rough on your pots and pans, but most pot materials can now handle something more abrasive like a metal utensil. All right, next up is something I've been pushing for years, and hopefully you've made the switch from using paper towels to reusable dish towels. Now, I still always have a roll of paper towels available in my kitchen for certain messes that require them,
but the key is getting that ratio of use, closer to 90% dish towels to 10% paper towels. These should really dominate your cleaning. They work so much better, and of course, they are reusable. I buy 100% cotton dish towels. I like the 15in x 25 in range and I get a bunch of them so I can dirty them all up and then I can do one big load of laundry at a time including those mop heads. And for my paper towels, I also have made the switch from the classic bleached white paper towel over to an unbleached paper towel because then I know I'm safe to add those right to my compost bin without any harmful chemicals going into my compost. And this is a great carbon addition on top
of all of that nitrogen I'm adding with my food scraps. Now, after a ton of use, your dish towels will wear out a bit. So, I do replace them every now and then, kind of like your socks. They only last so long, but it's still going to be so much less wasteful and so much more effective to rely heavily on your dish towels over your paper towels. Now, of course, when we're reusing dish towels and mop heads, we have to wash them, which brings me to the laundry room. And keeping within this eco-friendly, less wasteful trend, I love this laundry detergent from Truly Free. Again, tons of companies out there that do a similar thing, but it's a plant-based formula that comes in a powder. So, you get a
few bags at a time and you add that to an existing detergent plastic bottle that you already have or I know they sell different types of glass ones online. And you dilute it with warm water and then you just shake it up and boom, you have your detergent which not only works extremely well. I really love this stuff for cleaning my clothes and all my dish towels, but you're also throwing out a lot less plastic versus the traditional bottles you have to buy every single time you are done with one. Now, for dish towels, I also like to use the addition of an oxygen-based cleaner like an OxyClean. This brand, Truly Clean, makes their own, but there's a ton of brands that make that
oxygen-based cleaner. This is going to be a much more gentle way to brighten up your dish towels versus say using a bleach that has some pretty harsh chemicals in it. So, I add a scoop of this to my dish towels and it really keeps them looking nice and fresh. And finally, number 10, let's talk cutting board. It still kind of blows my mind how many people I talk to that still use plastic cutting boards, but I think with all the talk of microlastics, people are starting to make the switch. And please, dear God, don't use glass. A non-toxic material, but extremely abrasive on your knives and just so loud and annoying. Now, if you've watched my videos, you know I've used wood cutting boards for years.
Specifically, these cutting boards that my dad makes, which I love. And a lot of people are scared of wood cutting boards because of all the nooks and crannies and crevices, but wood is a very antimicrobial material. And for daily cleaning, I just use soap and a sponge and wash it right down. And then every now and then, I'll use a more abrasive metal scrubber, which really gets into all those nooks and clears out any food in between. Now, I still do use a plastic cutting board for all of my meat and fish just to be on the safer side, but I'm personally fine with that because it's very low usage and a lot of the cuts are actually just going into the meat and fish versus constantly
chopping and cutting into the plastic cutting board, which is when tiny bits of plastic are actually wearing off, potentially going into your food. And that does it for my list of 10 things that I have replaced to make my kitchen more eco-friendly and much less wasteful, which has been a slow process. It's constantly evolving and changing. And I'd be super interested to hear from all of you in the comments the things that you've changed that you've upgraded in your kitchen. So comment in below and I will see you in the next video.
