Did you know the chemicals you are using to keep your home clean could actually be damaging your family’s health? The air inside our homes has been found to be 5x's more polluted than the air outside of our homes.
In fact, Silent Spring Institute found concentrations of toxic chemicals in our homes linked to diseases to be 200-500 times higher than outside.
One of the major reasons toxicity in our homes is elevated, is due to traditional cleaning supplies.
Making your own natural, green cleaning supplies is one of the simplest ways you can decrease toxicity within your home.
Hate how expensive cleaning products are?
You can make safer, more effective, and less expensive cleaners using essential oils and ingredients from your kitchen pantry?
Don't know where to start?
You know I got you! I will teach you how to make your own green cleaning products for a fraction of the cost of traditional products. Here are a few of my favorite recipes.
How to Make Cleaning Products with Essential Oils
So, I don't know about you but before it doTERRA, I had an entire cabinet dedicated to cleaning products. I had the Windex, toilet bowl cleaner, wood surface cleaner, multi surface cleaner, stainless steel dusters, all that stuff. Those products can add up to 30+ dollars, but with a few essential oils and a few pantry products I can make all those cleaners for less than $2.00.
The glass cleaner I make can also be used to clean fruits and vegetables.
TAKE THAT WINDEX!
Recipes for Cleaning with Essential Oils
Essentials for a green cleaning cabinet include:
Eucalyptus - Purifying to the air and surfaces. It also promotes open airways and is cleansing to the skin.
Grapefruit - Uplifting aroma and cleansing to the environment. Can also be used to support a healthy metabolism.
Purify - Eliminates unpleasant odors and cleans the air. Smells great in a diaper bin or added to laundry. Also protects from environmental threats and soothes skin irritations.
Lemon - Cleanses and purifies the air with an uplifting aroma that promotes a positive mood. Can also be used to remove gum, grease, and markers.
Cedarwood - Naturally repels moths and insects. The calming aroma makes it a great addition to dryer balls or diffused with lavender for a restful night's sleep.
Rosemary - A powerful cleanser that also supports healthy digestion, respiratory function, and mental focus.
OnGuard Cleaner Concentrate - Contains rosemary, eucalyptus, wild orange, clove, and cinnamon essential oils.
OnGuard Laundry Detergent - 6x concentrated laundry detergent free of sulfates, phosphates, chlorine, and bleach. Use 1 tablespoon in HE washers at only 38 cents a load!
One bottle of doTERRA On Guard Concentrated Cleaner can make 12, 12 oz bottles of cleaner. Grab a glass bottle, I typically upcycle my kombucha bottle and then buy the sprayer heads from Amazon.
To make an all-surface cleaner add 1 tablespoon to a 12 oz glass bottle and then fill it up with water. The directions on the bottle say to 2 tablespoons of the concentrated cleaner for 24oz, so for a 12 oz bottle you would use 1 tablespoon.
And BOOM! You have an all-surface cleaner that can clean and disinfect all your surfaces except glass and mirrors.
I use this on my granite, my kid’s toys, to wipe down cabinets… pretty much everything.
Speaking of kids, I've got a DIY recipe to make your own baby wipes.
I do not have to worry about my kid playing with her toys after they are cleaned, because this product is non-toxic.
Want to make some cleaning wipes to use for quick clean ups? Check out this recipe below...
Pssst… Are you a yoga lover like me? You can also use this essential oil cleaner recipe to clean your yoga mat!
For glass and mirrors I use something a little different, I’ll share that recipe with you later on.
The On Guard Concentrated Cleaner can also be used to make a soft scrub and to wash dishes. Since it is super concentrated you don’t need a lot, when washing dishes just use a little squirt in the water when you are filling the sink up.
Oh, and it can even be used on cleaning carpet stains and clothing stains. doTERRA does have a laundry detergent that can also be used on clothing stains if you would rather use that though. Overall, this is an amazing all-surface cleaner.
You can even make your own foaming hand wash...
Amazon has the foaming hand wash pumps that can be used with a mason jar to store your hand wash after you make it.
The On Guard Concentrated Cleaner is made with essential oils and plant based surfactants. Meaning it is good for the environment and non-toxic.
For wholesale members this bottle is $14.50, but if you are on LRP you can get up to 30% back in free product, so it comes out to around $11.50 after you factor in your free 30% off.
If you are not familiar with LRP this is doTERRA’s program to help loyal wholesale customers save more money. If you would like to learn more about the Loyalty Rewards Program, I have a blog post explaining how it works in detail, just click the link below.
Don’t miss this video of me making cleaning products with essential oils on YouTube.
Cleaning with Essential Oils and Vinegar
Window and Glass Cleaner Recipe
-2 cups water
-1/4 cup white vinegar
-10 drops lemon essential oil
-10 drops grapefruit essential oil
-5 drops rosemary essential oil
Directions:
Mix together in a 16oz glass spray bottle. Cleans windows and surfaces with a streak-free shine.
This can also be used to clean fruits and vegetables.
For the bottle I use the same combination as I did for the all-surface cleaner; an upcycled kombucha and a sprayer head.
I like using lemon oil (about 10 drops) in this cleaner. Lemon essential oil has a really uplifting smell, it is also the oil of focus and it smells clean.
I also add about 10 drops of tea tree oil, which has anti-microbial properties. It is very cleansing, and it smells fresh and clean.
Tea Tree Essential Oils has many uses, below are just a few of them.
My personal favorite combination is lemon, grapefruit, and rosemary essential oils. I use roughly 10 drops of each, but feel free to play around with the recipe until you get the scent you want.
I love this combination, it smells like springtime to me. I use this on anything that would need glass cleaner, so mirrors, microwave, or just anything with a glass surface.
Soft Scrub Recipe
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of baking soda
-6 drops lemon essential oil
-3 drops rosemary essential oil
-1 to 2 TBS OnGuard concentrate cleaner
Directions
In a glass bowl, mix together baking soda, EOs and enough OG concentrate to create a thick frosting like consistency.
Use immediately.
I mix these two together until I get the consistency of frosting, you can mix this to keep in a glass container or just mix it directly in the sink. Then you can add rosemary essential oil, lemon, or my new favorite is Purify essential oil.
Check out the recipes below for some more ideas to use purify in.
Purify is an essential oil blend that has a fresh, clean aroma. It is a combination of lemon, Siberian fir, citronella, lime, tea tree, and cilantro. This is one that's good to add to your dryer balls to give your laundry that clean fresh smell out of the dryer. You can also use it to freshen up stinky shoes.
Use this to scrub out your sinks, around your toilet, and your bath/shower. I haven't tried store this, I don't know if you put it in a jar with a lid if you could reuse it, but because I mix it in my sink, I just make it each time. You might actually enjoy cleaning more once you start using the essential oils.
Toilet bomb is another product you can make with essential oils to clean the inside of your toilet.
If your toilet bowl needs a little extra TLC, use the recipe below.
Add a scoop of baking soda to your toilet bowl, pour in some white vinegar, and then add any of the essential oils I have mentioned above. Then you just scrub the inside of your toilet bowl and it will be sparkly clean once you are done.
Can you clean carpet with essential oils?
ABSOLUTELY!
Let’s make a carpet refresher!
Mix together some baking soda with 10 drops of your favorite essential oils. My current favorite to use is Citrus Bliss.
Citrus Bliss just makes my brain happy. This is another doTERRA essential oil blend with seven different essential oils including wild orange, lemon, grapefruit, mandarin, bergamot, tangerine, clementine, and vanilla absolute. It smells like a Creamsicle!
Sprinkle this mix on your carpet, let it deodorize, and then vacuum it up. Your house will smell amazing!
Check out all the delicious ways you can use Citrus Bliss...
How to Clean Your Wood With Essential Oils?
Make your wood look as good as new with this simple olive oil and essential oil wood polish recipe. I was able to restore an old, sun-beaten wooden bench to its original shine with this restorative wood polish.
Wood Polish Ingredients
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup white vinegar
-5 drops lemon essential oil
-5 drops cedarwood or eucalyptus essential oil
Directions
Mix ingredients into a 16 oz glass spray bottle and start polishing
What about laundry detergent?
doTERRA Green Laundry Detergent
Think about it, the chemicals you use to wash your clothes are in constant contact with your skin. Would you like a toxin-free natural laundry detergent that actually works? OnGuard 6x concentrated laundry detergent is free of sulfates, phosphates, chlorine, and bleach. It also works better than many leading brands and is cost effective at only 38 cents a load! You can get wholesale pricing HERE.
I have a little something extra for you... Since spring is technically here and you may be feeling the itch to start spring cleaning, here is a list to keep you on track for spring cleaning your kitchen.
I hope you had fun learning about some of these green clean tips!
Xoxo,
Rigel
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