A clean home needs to be a healthy home & that starts with the cleaning products you are using. Our homes need to be safe for our loved ones & pets.
Leaving behind a toxic residue on every surface & filling the air with dangerous fumes is not a healthy home. Remember this….if something is labeled ‘toxic when ingested’ then its toxic topically & aromatically too.
(This is a very quick & helpful article http://www.overthrowmartha.com/p/why-non-toxic-cleaning.html)
The less ingredients you clean with the better. There are plenty of safe & effective products that can clean well. Essential Oils are phenomenal cleaners!
Distilled white vinegar can kill bacteria, mold & virus germs. When it dries there is no vinegar smell left behind (cider vinegar-yes, distilled white vinegar- no). Plus it’s purified so it won’t leave behind any residue. It cuts grease, deodorizes, disinfects, softens clothes & removes stains.
Unscented Liquid Castile soap are coconut based which is a great alternative to petroleum based soaps. It cuts grease & lifts dirt. Dr. Woods & Dr. Bronners are both good brands. They are usually cheaper online than in stores.
Baking soda is the best non-scratch scrubber around. I love it! You can use it to gently & effectively scrub away grime. I add it to my laundry & make tons of DIY scrubs with it. It absorbs odors, removes stains, deodorizes, clears drains, whitens & softens fabrics.
Olive oil on a rag can be used to polish furniture. It lifts dirt & moisturizes the wood. You only need a tiny amount on a rag & make sure to rub it in well.
A damp rag is a great way to clean dust off of your furniture & household items. Make sure your rag is damp & not ‘wet’. I’ve been doing this for years & it works great.
There are those ‘water only’ cleaning rags on the market as well. They’re basically microfiber clothes with silver in them. Norwex & E-Cloth are the top sellers out there. You can also use plain old microfiber to clean with too. Just make sure that you aren’t spreading the dust around but are collecting it. (Overthrowmartha.com did a comparison on the two if you want to check it out)
Young Living has a Thieves natural cleaning line. I love the Thieves concentrated cleaner. I have bottles made up in my kitchen & bathrooms. I add a tad more cleaner to the bathroom ones. I spray down & wipe off my counters, stoves, refrigerator, remote controls, light switches, door knobs. floors, toilets, tubs, showers, sinks, pet bowls, dishes, car interior….you name it!
(There’s a whole line of Thieves cleaners available…..check them out at https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/home/natural-cleaning)
DIY cleaning tips:
Avoid vinegar & lemon juice on real marble or granite.
Hydrogen peroxide or lemon can be used in place of bleach.
Rubbing alcohol removes sticky residue & disinfects but don’t use it on wood surfaces because it will dry it out. Lemon essential oil is the best at removing stuff.
Toxic cleaning ingredient warning:
Cleaning product manufacturers do not have to label all the ingredients on their products. You have no way of knowing what you are exposing yourself to. Anything labeled antibacterial, including soap & hand sanitizer, has Triclosan in it. It’s registered by EPA as hazardous. Look up all the damaging effects it has on the body. I think you’ll be shocked. Avoid toxic foaming cleaners. They have an anionic surfactant in it which enters the body through the skin & stays for 5 days causing major health problems. Research that one too! Please stop buying hazardous cleaning products & either make your own or buy safer alternatives.
A healthy home starts with educating yourself, researching ingredients, finding alternatives to toxins & making changes. There are many websites & links throughout my website that I hope is useful to you. There is a healthy balance on knowing what’s going on in the world & with products. Gathering enough information to create a healthier environment in your home is a way to equip yourself.
Here are a couple more links
For me, DIY cleaners are the best! They smell great & are completely non-toxic. You can store them in glass mason jars or purchase glass containers from the links I shared here.
This is my all-time favorite no scratch scrub. I use it on everything that needs scrubbing! I make up 2-3 batches at a time & fill up a mason jar. It’s handy to have under my sinks so it’s there for me to use as I need it. I add the amount I want to a damp surface, grab a damp rag & rub away. For my baked on grim covering my cookware, I use a non-scratch sponge with the scrub & it works great!
DIY Gentle Lemon Scrub
Ingredients:
¼ cup baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
6 drops Lemon Essential Oil
Directions:
Incorporate ingredients with a fork. Store scrub in a mason jar.
At one time, I was the Clorox wipe queen :/ I love being able to grab a pre-moistened cleaning wipe to use when I don’t have time to clean. These are a much safer alternative.
DIY Cleaning Wipes
Ingredients:
1 glass container with lid
1 gallon distilled water
1 bottle Thieves cleaner
200 unbleached coffee filters or unbleached paper towel unrolled & folded accordion style
Directions:
Fill container with 4 cups distilled water. Add 4 Tbsp Thieves Cleaner. Place the lid on & gently swirl to mix.
Add coffee filters or paper towel & mash down until covered for about 1 min. Turn upside down for about 30 seconds & then back again. Ready to use.
Finally, here's the rest of my stash of DIY cleaners ;)
DIY Thieves Spray or Room Spray
Ingredients:
2 oz distilled water
1 tsp Witch Hazel or Liquid Aloe Vera
15 drops Thieves (or oil of choice for room spray)
Directions:
Place essential oils and witch hazel in a 2 oz amber glass spray bottle. Fill remaining bottle space with distilled water. Shake before use.
DIY Citrus Dish Soap
Ingredients:
1 cup liquid unscented castile soap
1 Tbsp white vinegar
10 drops Lime, Orange & Lemon essential oil
Directions:
Place in a glass jar & swirl around to mix together. Add desired amount to your sink of hot water.
(If you want to switch the essential oils then here are a few ideas:
15 drops Lemongrass essential oil, 6 drops Lavender & 5 drops Bergamot
Herbal: 10 drops Lavender, 8 drops Rosemary, 4 drops Eucalyptus Globulus
12 drops Melrose or Thieves essential oil)
DIY Automatic Dishwasher Soap
Ingredients:
2 cap-fulls of Thieves Concentrated Cleaner
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
2 cups Baking Soda
Directions:
Mix together in a glass container. Add 1 Tbls. of mixture in both holes of machine.
Mattresses & Pillows are often ignored. Here is an easy & effective way to keep your space critter free! Don’t forget to take it with you whenever you travel.
Bed Bug Spray
Ingredients:
25 drops Eucalyptus
10 drops Purification
10 drops Thieves
Directions:
Place oil drops in a 2 oz amber glass spray bottle, fill remaining bottle with distilled water. Shake before use. Spray mattress & pillows every time you change the sheets.
DIY Disinfecting Spray
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
5 drops Tea Tree & 3 drops Thyme Essential Oils (for an alternative use 8 drops Purification)
Directions:
Put everything in an amber glass spray bottle & shake before each use. Just spray & wipe!
DIY Thieves Cleaner
Ingredients:
(This is enough for a 8 oz glass spray container)
½ cup distilled water
½ cup white vinegar
16 drops Thieves
Or sudsy recipe:
1 cup distilled water
2 tsp liquid unscented castile soap
16 drops Thieves
Directions:
Mix everything together in a glass container. Shake to incorporate & shake before each use.
DIY All-Purpose Cleaner
Directions:
Fill a bucket ¾ full with hot water, add ¼ cup white vinegar & 3-4 drops Lemon essential oil…THAT’S IT!!! You can wipe down counters, appliances, floors, windows, toilets, showers, etc.….it’s the best!
DIY Carpet Freshener
Ingredients:
2 ½ cup baking soda
10 drops Orange essential oil
10 drops Citronella essential oil
8 drops Peppermint essential oil
6 drops Lemon essential oil
Directions:
Combine all in a glass jar, incorporate oils into soda with a fork. Sprinkle on carpet, leave for 1 hr, vacuum
DIY Stainless Steal Cleaner
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 drops Lemon essential oil
Directions:
Mix in a glass jar, dip a cloth in mixture & rub all over. Buff with a clean cloth.
DIY Drain Cleaner
Ingredients:
¼ cup baking soda
½ cup distilled white vinegar
3 drops Lemon & 3 drops Purification essential oil
Directions:
Add all in order listed directly down drain. When the fizzing stops then flush with HOT water.
DIY Daily Shower Spray
Ingredients:
2 cups water
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
10 drops Lemon essential oil
3 drops Tea Tree essential oil
4 drops Juniper essential oil
2 drops Thieves essential oil
Directions:
Combine in an amber glass spray bottle, shake & spray shower walls after each use
Personally I am completely fine with dusting my furniture with a damp rag only. I rarely polish my wood.
DIY Wood Moisturizer
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
7 drops Lemon and/or Orange essential oil
Directions:
Mix into a glass jar. Use sparingly- a little goes along way. Wipe wood with a very small amount & rub into the wood well.
DIY Oven Spill Cleaner
Directions:
Sprinkle spill with baking soda & dampen with Thieves cleaner.
Leave overnight & wipe in morning with warm wet cloth.
TODAY is the day to start creating a healthier home!