All humans must wash hands before returning to ANYTHING. Shouldn’t this be the signage used in all public bathrooms, rather than singling out employees? Washing hands is the best way to prevent the spread of germs, and thusly disease. In fact, each year 325,000 people are hospitalized unnecessarily due to foodborne illness.

If you wash your hands a lot, you know hand soap isn’t easy on your skin, and usually isn’t easy on the environment. In recent years, companies have developed eco-friendly hand soaps that are gentler and made with essential oils and other natural ingredients. Here is a look at three earth conscious hand soaps all available at Alice.com:

• Earth Friendly Products Liquid Hand Soap (Organic Lemongrass)

The background: Earth Friendly Products is a family owned company that has been around for decades. This soap is made from essential oils and grapefruit seed extract to soften hands as well as clean them.

The breakdown: I really love the way this soap smells. It’s woodsy and musky in a way I’ve never smelled in soap. It doesn’t have much lather, however, so I always feel like I need to use more. After I wash my hands with it, I can feel a bit of the essential oils remain on my hands, which is what helps soften them, I’m sure.

• Seventh Generation Hand Soap (Fresh Citrus)

The background: Seventh Generation is a company based out of Vermont that makes earth-friendly cleaning and personal care products available in most major grocery chains. This hand soap is plant derived and made without dyes or synthetic fragrances.

The breakdown: This earth-friendly soap is probably the most like regular soap. It has a big, rich lather, which I enjoy. It’s not heavily scented but has a nice citrus fragrance that lets you know your hands are getting clean. Overall, this feels like your run of the mill hand soap, and has the long ingredient list of things I can’t pronounce to prove it.

• Shadow Lake Natural Castille Soap (Peppermint – Liquid)

The background: Castille soap comes in many varieties, but it is almost always olive oil-based. This soap is made of potassium tallate, coconut, glycerin, organic olive oil, organic peppermint oil, and organic aloe vera – that’s it.

The breakdown: This was my favorite soap in the group. I used this soap on my hands, my counters, my floors – I even washed my baby with it (I’m not kidding). It has a delicate peppermint smell and leaves your skin feeling really clean, without drying it. I like that I recognize all the ingredients in it. The only complaint I have with this soap is that it doesn’t come with a pump and the bottle cap gets clogged easily.

If you’re interested in making more earth-conscious decisions, but don’t have the time (or the storage space) to make your own cleaners, then these are three solid options for gentle, eco-friendly hand soaps your entire family can use.

My general relationship with air fresheners were with the kind you spray into the air or plug into the wall. So when I spotted the sunflower shaped, propped up air freshener from Bright Air, I was incredibly excited. Not only did it look adorable, but it could go in any part of the house. And when it finally arrived, it came in this great box with a little scratch and sniff patch on the corner of it. Immediately, I deeply inhaled the scent, having chose the Bright Citrus and Honeysuckle scent since it was so new to me. Additionally, it comes with this great silver kickstand which is beyond amazing.

During the time I’ve had the flower, I’ve set it up in several parts of the house, wanting to see where the air freshener best fit:

• Living Room: The box emphasizes that the room be small, and my living room is rather spacious. I set the sunflower up in a focal point in the room, hoping that the scent would carry. After about twenty minutes, I realized that the only people who would smell it were those with their nose pressed against it.
• Bathroom: My bathroom is on the smaller end, so I figured it would be a good place to try. I put it on a floating shelf and had mixed results. Sometimes I could smell it, but only for a moment, and other times not smell it at all. I realized that once I closed the shower curtain, the smell became more distinct. Not as overwhelming as my bedroom, but noticeable.
• Kitchen: I propped the flower up alongside the wall of the kitchen, a bit on the smaller end. As I entered the kitchen, I could catch a whiff of the flower, and just as I left. At times I could smell it, and other times not so sure.
• Bedroom: This has by far been the best experience. After I clean my room, I love being able to add the finishing touches with a fresh scent. Day and night, bright citrus and honeysuckle settled into the room, filling it completely. I inhaled deeply, amazed at how powerful it was and I had to convince myself to take it out of my room and try it around the apartment.

So the breakdown:

• Pros: This is BEYOND adorable, and aesthetically pleasing. It’s small, so it doesn’t take up a lot of space and doesn’t require refilling, outlets or runs out if you use it too much. The box says it lasts 60 days, so you’ll only need to buy a new one every 2 months, which is pretty fantastic (while being able to use it every day!).
• Cons: The box emphasizes a small room, so this might not work in an expansive living room or dining area. Perhaps it’s better suited for a bedroom or small bathroom. The scent is strong, so definitely get something you’ll enjoy and don’t mind being around.

Maybe you’re constantly reaching for the toilet paper dispenser, only to realize that you’re out. Again. Maybe your daughter just moved into her first apartment. Maybe you have a lot of space in your garage and want to stockpile those bathroom essentials that you know you need, it’s only a matter of when.

We’ve got your back with this handy list of Alice Bathroom Essentials.

Cleaning the Room:

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

$2.89
buy

Paper Towels

$4.39
buy

Glass Cleaner

$3.49
buy

Scrub Free

$2.89
buy

Shower Cleaner

$4.38
buy

Cleaning You:

Hand Wash

$3.49
buy

Toothpaste

$3.99
buy

Women's Deodorant

$4.95
buy

Men's Deodorant

$2.44
buy

Lotion

$7.39
buy

Floss

$3.19
buy

Shampoo

$5.24
buy

Conditioner

$5.23
buy

Bar Soap

$12.79
buy

Hand Cream

$4.19
buy

Things That Go Under the Sink:

Tissues

$5.19
buy

Tampons

$4.64
buy

Q-Tips

$4.20
buy

Bubble Bath

$5.99
buy

Band-Aids

$2.69
buy

Toilet Paper

$$16.29
buy

Snacks:

Chex Mix

$2.69
buy

Okay, fine. We’re kidding about putting snacks in the bathroom. But we won’t say that we haven’t occasionally been floating peacefully in the tub and wished for something sweet and crunchy. Because we have. Having this on hand would have made us very happy.

Anything we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Kristina.

We make sure you never run out of toilet paper, and a well-stocked bathroom is indeed one of the most important priorities when you move into a new home. Not only do you use it, your guests will too! We loved these tips:

1. Shower curtain and liner. If your shower or tub is unsightly, go with an opaque curtain that moves easily for quick concealment. If your shower is somewhat presentable, consider a sheer curtain to let some light into the shower stall. Here’s a fun tip: Medical supply sources have long been a well-kept secret source for affordable shower curtain tracks. Look here for some fun graphic shower curtains and here for neutral options.

2. Toothbrush holder. Check out these 12 fun ideas. For those of you who use a bulky electric toothbrush, look for more accommodating holders like this Orvino one atUmbra.

3. Trash can. Can go simple or funky.
Our trash can is a small open one but lately I am thinking it would be nice to have one with a flip cover to hide the gross bathroom waste.

4. Durable bath mat. These should be sturdy but plush. If your floor is unattractive, get a big bath mat or several small mats. Here are some ideas.

5. Green cleaning supplies.

6. Innovative storage solutions. Look beyond the bath stores and consider bedside tables, mini book shelves and etageres with baskets for extra storage. And don’t forget the space behind the toilet! Look here for more storage ideas.

7. Over-the-door hooks or funky wall hooks.

8. Bath towels. I am a fan of plain white bath towels because they never fade, look outdated and they match everything.

9. Good nice-smelling soap.

10. Good lighting: If you can’t put in your own lighting, adjust the bulbs to get the softest, most-forgiving glow possible. And look here for some reader tips on dealing with poor lighting in a rental unit.

11. A nice mirror. I love the ones from Wisteria and Restoration Hardware. If you are a homeowner, consider installing a mirrored cabinet set into the wall for extra storage. For inspiration, look here and here for some cheap but good options:

12. Hand towels. You can get creative with these. Install a looped towel hook so guests know to use the hand towel and not your bath towel! Or if you don’t want to drill into the walls, use a freestanding towel stand.

13. Cleaning wipes for quick clean-up.

14. A wire basket of rolled up hand towels and extra toilet paper for company or guest to use.

15. Plunger and toilet bowl cleaner, both in storage caddy or container. These should be tucked behind the toilet or under the sink for use by an embarrassed, panicking guest.

Sometimes, you just need the right tool to tackle those ew-inducing jobs. For instance, you probably have the wrong toilet plunger. Apartment Therapy reports:

Did you know the classic cup plunger (the kind that comes in countless colors and sizes and sells everywhere) is ideal for sinks, baths and showers–but NOT for toilets? Instead, you should be using the flange type of plunger, which has an extended rubber lip that sticks out of the bottom of the plunger (examples are in the bottom row in the image above). This extra circle of rubber provides a better seal over the toilet hole for maximum vacuum and limits slippage and splashing. 

Tips for using a plunger:
• Press down firmly but slowly and steadily (don’t jerk the plunger). If you use too much pressure you could shove the clogged nastiness further down the drain.
• Make sure the hole is completely covered. 
• The plunger must be fully submerged or else you are just pushing air (add water to the bowl if needed). 
• Pull up on the plunger to create adequate suction to loosen the clog. 
• If the toilet ends up drained of water but still clogged, leave the plunger in the bowl and fill the bowl with water up to the point it normally is after a flush. Resume plunging. Rinse, repeat. Enjoy!

If your plunger fails to do the job, try an auger, also known as a toilet snake (they are amazing, trust me). Never use chemical products like Drano unless you have failed to unclog using these mechanical methods. It is dangerous to use caustic chemicals in conjunction with plungers because you can splash the toxins all over yourself.

Whew! Who knew? Next time you find yourself in a plunging situation, remember these tips!