Cut down on chemicals and waste with These Simple & Effective Cleaning Solutions
January 11, 2017
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Everyday
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It’s pretty scary to learn that not all products on the marketare safe for our bodies; many have harmful chemicals that become carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer) and many include “fragrance”, which could mean they have as many as 200 undisclosed chemicals in their ingredients. It can be daunting to try to decode these labels, so that’s why I’ve turned to DIY nontoxic cleaning thanks to inspiration from my journey with essential oils.
Good news is that switching out your cleaning supplies is probably the easiest and least expensive step in detoxing your home/life plus with the concern of toxins growing our options are more readily available than ever. From “green” laundry detergent, surface spray, and even clean candles your choices are literally endless. As I began detoxifying my home I found myself leaning Thieves essential oil, the Thieves cleaning line and a lot of easy,DIY nontoxic cleaning recipes.
Of course, when you decide to make the switch to nontoxic cleaning products, you’re faced with an initial investment that can seem daunting. Believe me, I know. Throwing out the tried-and-true name brand counter sprays, dishwashing detergents, window sprays and air freshenersfeels like a waste of money just to turn around and spend more on all this Thieves business. (And actually, you shouldn’t just throw these toxic products out in the trash because they’ll end up back in the environment;check out your local Department of Public Works to find a safe way to dispose of them.) But once you make the switch, you’ll find that you actuallysave money in the long run.
For example, the Thieves Household Cleaner bottle is highly concentrated and equates to about 128 all-purpose 30 oz. spray bottles for only 88 cents per bottle (!) and 67 cents per bottle and the majority of DIY recipes include inexpensive and easy to find items such as baking soda, fresh lemon, and white vinegar. Bycreating these simple DIY concoctions I’m able to create cleaning solutions that are MORE effective and longer lasting than their store-bought counterparts. Which means less trips to Target where I walk in for one thing and out with a whole cart full of items I do not need. Another money saving tip; buy bulk when you can, and common cleaning ingredients for your recipes will include: essential oils (click HEREto learn more about all of that), baking soda, white vinegar, castille soap and of course your reusable amber spray bottles.
Anyway, enough rambling; check out a few of my go-to ways that I’m putting DIY nontoxic cleaning to work. It’s become an important factorof our household, especially with my dog Addison running around (and licking the floor). These solutions are great to keep in mind especially for anyone with dogs or kids. Truly, MKR
"Fresh & Clean" DIY All Purpose Cleaner
Thieves Household Cleaner Bottle Label / Essential Oil Labels
Love love love this all purpose cleaner for just about everything. It’s easy to make and cheap to refill.
DIY All Purpose Cleaner
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
5dropsThieves essential oil
5drops lemon essential oil or the juice of at least 3 lemons (one drop = 1 lb. of lemons!)
5 drops rosemary essential oil or a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 cup distilledwater
DIY Window Cleaner (Windex Alternative)
100% Natural and Biodegradable Amala Magic Sponge Cloth
In the back of my mind, I’ve always known that Windex was horrible for us; the smell alone can suffocate you! Next time you’re looking to clean your shower door or wash our windows, use this recipe (just be sure to use enough lemon to cover the vinegar smell).
DIY Window Cleaner
2 cups of water (distilled or filtered)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
10 drops lemon essential oil
DIY Heavy Degreaser
Thieves Household Cleaner
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For the heavy degreasing jobs, when the all purpose cleaner just won’t cut it, I like to pull out the big guns. And that means simply Thieves Household cleaner and water!
DIY Heavy Degreaser
15 parts water: 1 part Thieves Household Cleaner
Click HERE to sign up and get a major discount on the Thieves cleaning kit.
DIY Bleach Alternative
Young Living Lemon Essential Oil
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I don’t know about you, but bleach scares the heeby-jeebies out of me with its toxicity level. So when I found a safer alternative, I jumped at the chance to try it myself. This combination will help keep whites a bit whiter.
DIY Bleach Alternative
3/4 cup3% Hydrogen Peroxide
15 drops lemon essential oil
DIY Laundry Stain Remover
Thieves Household Cleaner
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This practically isn’t even a recipe; it only requires one ingredient! I use the cleaner directly on stains (with no water) and gently scrub until the stain disappears. I mean, I’ve even used it on red wine stains!
Click HERE to sign up and get a major discount on the Thieves cleaning kit.
I’ve found thatusing essential oils to fightodors is the trick because comparable store-bought air fresheners and spray simply mask odors, never getting rid of it completely. That’s why I love this simple, yet effective DIY carpet cleaner recipe. By all means, you can swap out the essential oils used; though Thieves, Lavender and Purificationare some of my go-to’s.
DIY Carpet Deodorizer
2 cups baking soda
10 drops Thieves essential oil
10 drops Lavender essential oil
OR
20 drops Purification essential oil blend
Not only does Thayers’ Witch Hazelhave a cult following for being an all natural skin toner, it’s a staple ingredient in DIY essential oil sprays. Of course, you can sub it with vodka, but I prefer this wonder-product witch hazel (and it’s so cheap on Amazon). Use this DIY workout equipment cleaner on yoga mats, dumbbells, treadmills and more, and store in a small spray bottle.
DIY Workout Equipment Cleaner
10 drops Thieves essential oil
1 teaspoon witch hazel (or vodka)
Top with distilled water
DIY Trash Freshener
Thieves Essential Oil
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This simply combination is a game-changer, friends. I mix it together, sprinkle in the bottom of my trash cans and I never get a whiff of something terrible!Like I mentioned above, Thieves works as a true odor neutralizer (rather than just masking it, making it worse).
DIY Trash Freshener
10 drops Thieves essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
2 cups baking soda
ADDITIONAL CREDITS:
Featured image, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha
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