Last weekend, we had a minor crisis on our hands…

We woke up on Saturday morning to discover that my boyfriend got grease down the front of his all-time favorite college sweatshirt the night before. He immediately threw it in the wash but when he took it out of the dryer, the stain was still there.

He was devastated.

I, on the other hand, wouldn’t have necessarily minded seeing the ratty thing go (sorry, sweetie!). But we met in college and after seeing him in this sweatshirt for years and years now, the thought of it in the trash can did make me a little sad.

So I instinctively grabbed a little bottle of all-natural soap I keep in my purse (yes, I carry my own soap around so I don’t have to deal with triclosan or fragrance, and I’m not ashamed of it!) and sprayed it on the stain. We let it sit until the following morning, then washed and dried the sweatshirt again.

The stain was gone and the ratty sweatshirt lives on.

Enter Branch Basics: The “human-safe” soap I use for just about everything.

And I do mean everything: dish soap, handsoap, facewash, shampoo, laundry detergent, kitchen cleaner, bathroom cleaner, toilet cleaner, and (most recently) stain remover.

Oh, I need to catch my breath…

The basics about Branch Basics:

It is a concentrated soap

For most uses, you dilute the soap with water to fit your need. Most needs — like all-purpose cleaner for the kitchen and bathroom, or handsoap — require a 1/5 dilution (1 parts soap to 5 parts water). While virtually odorless, you can add your own essential oils for scent (I add lavender to the concentration I use for handsoap, facewash, and shampoo, and lemon to the concentration I use for cleaning).

It is completely “human safe”

You wouldn’t want to take a swig of it for any reason, but if it were accidentally ingested, there would be no harm. “Human safe” means that it is based on standards that prioritize health above all else. There is no warning or precautionary label of any kind, simply because it does not need one. It is not irritating to the skin or eyes, and is not harmful if absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or accidentally ingested. (For this reason, it makes the ideal baby soap/shampoo). It is 100% natural and non-toxic.

Needless to say, this is a BIG deal if you have kids.

This is not something most other “natural” or “green” products can say, since they either contain wholly unnatural ingredients (hello, green-washers!) or caustic natural ingredients that cause irritation.

It is effective

The whole sweatshirt thing was really just the icing on the cake for me. This soap has totally taken over my home and greatly simplified both my home and personal cleaning routine. While I expected it to be a great all-purpose cleaner and handsoap, I admit that I did not expect it to replace my facewash and shampoo, or be my secret weapon for tackling extra-gunky pots and pans.

It is cost-effective

Since the soap is heavily diluted, one 32 oz bottle of concentrate makes at least 6 all-purpose cleaners or foaming handsoaps, which end up costing about $5.24 per bottle. A gallon of the concentrate makes 24 cleaners or handsoaps, bringing the cost of each down to $3.50 per bottle. For such an amazing product, this is a fantastic price.

It is a company that cares about you and your health

The first time I heard about Branch Basics, I was hearing from the company founders themselves — Marilee, Allison and Kelly. Sure, the creators of a product are always going to be that product’s number one champion. But this was very different.

They had me at “body burden” (hey, it’s not everyday you hear someone else mention it!). It was clear that they were very educated about how personal care and home cleaning products effect our health, were anti-green-washing, and were extremely passionate about both health and their product. Their own journeys to health brought them together and inspired them to pursue a “human safe” soap. Well, they did it! And these awesome ladies are making a big change in the world through their product. Their vision is:

For homes, schools, churches, and work environments to be free from harmful chemicals and cleaned in a manner that promotes the wellbeing of all.

Amen, sisters.

Special discount for Body Unburdened readers!

I’m totally smitten with Branch Basics and want each of you to be able to try it for yourselves! The lovely ladies at Branch Basics are offering a 20% off coupon code to all Body Unburdened readers for the next week.

Simply visit the Branch Basics online shop and add any product you would like to try to your shopping cart. When you are ready to check out, you will have the option to add a coupon code. Enter “BUB20” to receive the discount! (This offer is for singular use only and not valid in combination with other coupon codes or offers; expires 2/25 at midnight.)

The starter kits will give you everything you need to cover all of your non-toxic cleaning bases — a foaming hand soap dispenser, spray bottle, and bottle of concentrated Branch Basics soap:

• Small starter kit: makes at least 6 all-purpose cleaners or handsoaps → $4.20 per bottle (with 20% discount)
• Large starter kit: makes at least 24 all-purpose cleaners and/or handsoaps → about $2.85 per bottle (with 20% discount)

I suggest the large starter kit since it is a better deal. You get 4 times of the amount of soap than in the small starter kit for just 2.5 times the price. Now I know like this looks really expensive!! But imagine it as 24 all-natural handsoaps or cleaners and you’ll get a better image of what you are actually purchasing. When you picture it this way, you can see that it’s actually very economical (and will last you a very long time).

I can’t wait for you to try this all-purpose, human-safe, ultra-effective soap!

It will simply your cleaning routine — and life! — while keeping your family safe from any harmful chemicals.