Toxic Landfill or Oasis? Natural Cleaning Solutions For Your Home

Have you looked under your kitchen sink lately?  Or in the cupboard where you keep your cleaning supplies?  Most recently, I’ve been talking about cleansing your body and environment, this article will deal with safe alternatives to those toxic cleaning supplies.   In our home, we use just a few products to keep everything clean.   My basic cleaning products include vinegar, baking soda,  BonAmi cleanser (no bleach cleanser), Thieves Household cleaner (for disinfecting: toilets, sinks, countertops), Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild soap, Oxygen bleach and Biokleen all purpose cleaner (glass & stainless steel).  I add my choice of essential oils to the vinegar solutions or BonAmi to suit my needs.  A few months ago I ran out of my Thieves household cleaner.  When my new bottle arrived I cleaned my bathroom.  My four year old came up to the sink and breathed deeply saying “oh, mommy that smells so good”.  I felt great knowing I didn’t have to work in a “well-ventilated area” or keep my little boy from breathing harmful fumes.  I also know I can pop the kids in the bathtub right after cleaning with my Thieves cleaner and don’t have to worry about any chemical residue that might remain from products with questionable ingredients.

Essential oils make a great  addition to your own homemade cleaning solutions.  Many oils are naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral.   Quality is essential in choosing oils to use for cleaning and personal use because many oils on the market are diluted, altered or may only be a synthetic reproduction which smells like a true oil.  Reproductions and diluted oils should not be relied on for cleaning and bacteria control because they do not have the natural antimicrobial qualities of a pure essential oil.  Young Living is currently the only essential oil company that rigorously tests all the oils it sells for purity and potency.  They have several powerful anti-bacterial blends University tested for effectiveness against bacteria.  There is even research showing therapeutic grade oils are effective against antibiotic resistance staph infection (MRSA).    Thieves and Purification are two potent blends recommended specifically for cleaning and bacteria/infection control.  Thieves contains cinnamon, clove, rosemary and lemon essential oils.  This is a patented blend of oils created by Gary Young.  Young Living carries a full line of products infused with the Thieves blend including a household cleaner, alcohol free hand sanitizer, toothpaste, mouthwash and hand soap to name a few.  Young Living essential oils are currently used in over 50 hospitals across the U.S.
 
Further, most Young Living essential oils are certified safe as food additives, so you can have full confidence in their safety around everyone, including children and pets.  Currently, the FDA does not have guidelines for essential oil labeling and inferior brands may contain synthetic additives or chemicals not listed on the labels - the exact things individuals like yourself are trying to avoid by looking to natural materials for safe solutions.  I used health store brand oils for 12 years with mixed results.  When I found Young Living Essential Oils, I regained my confidence in using therapeutic grade essential oils to keep my family healthy and our home greener.  Adding Young Living essential oils to your natural cleaning products will help you  have a cleaner home, and you will feel better when you limit your exposure to unknown chemicals.

Here are some practical and economical green cleaning tips and recipes:

1. Remove clutter which collects dust.
2. Institute a no shoes indoors policy. Shoes are a great source of dirt in the home including bacteria and pesticide residue from lawns.  We practice this in our yoga studio and many cultures do this as a sign of respect.  It makes perfect sense in maintaining a green home, leave the dirt at the door!
3. Avoid “antibacterial” sponges and soaps, especially products with “Triclosan” a substance known to disrupt the endocrine system. Know anyone on thyroid medication?
4. Avoid cleaners with ammonium and chloride derivatives including Bleach,  known to irritate the respiratory tract.  Anyone with asthma?
5. Avoid any products with petroleum and solvents which are absorbed into the skin and wreak havoc on your system.
6. Keep home-made solutions well labeled. Better yet, mix up only what you will use.
7. Baking soda and salt act as natural non-abrasive cleanser.  Use up your iodized salt for cleaning and treat your body to Celtic Sea Salt for consumption.
8. Oxygen bleach is a safe whitening alternative to chlorine bleach which is harmful to the respiratory tract and breaks down into dioxin, a carcinogen.
9. Lemon juice and vinegar disinfect and dissolve hard water deposits.
10. Borax disinfects and cleans many surfaces.

All Purpose Cleanser:  mix equal parts of water and baking soda to form a paste, add lemon juice or essential oil of choice to clean surfaces

Drain Cleaner:  Pour 1 C baking soda down drain, follow with 1 C vinegar, wait about 30 minutes until bubbling subsides. Rinse drain with hot water

Oven Cleaner: make a paste with 3/4 C baking soda, 1/4 C salt & 1/4C water. Spread on interior of oven and let sit overnight. Remove with a spatual in the morning using steel wool for tough spots.

Stainless Steel cleaner:  wipe area with undiluted vinegar

Sinks – use natural cleanser or oxygen bleach adding a drop or two of essential oils (Thieves, clove, cinnamon or lemon) to disinfect

Mold & Mildew – Thieves household cleaner and Thieves spray directly on surfaces. Diffuse Thieves essential oil to kill airborne mold spores.

Dusting -  A damp cloth is all you need to remove dust, even from wood furniture.  Traditional polishes only spray chemicals into the air and may add a waxy build up.

If you’d like a place to start “greening” up your home, sign up for my Newsletter to the right and you’ll get your PureHOMEandBODY  Healthy Home Checklist.  

For more natural cleaning recipes check out ClearSimpleLiving.

Thieves Household Spray 1 oz:   wholesale  $8.00     Retail $10.53

Thieves Household Cleaner 14.4oz:  wholesale $21.50    Retail $28.29       = to 50 bottles of 409 cleaning spray!

Thieves Essential Oil 15ml     wholesale   $31.75         Retail   $41.78

You can order Young Living essential oils at Wholesale (select independent distributor and add a $40 Start Living Kit, your wholesale membership is for a lifetime and does not require monthly orders) or Retail prices as a customer.