Spring Cleaning

It's time! Open the windows. Shake the rugs. All the things!

I wrote a post a while back sharing a few of my favorite DIY cleaning recipes, and what better time of year to ditch your toxic cleaning products and start fresh. This is by far the easiest way to make an effort toward a healthier lifestyle. And if you're not a DIY'er and don't want to make your own cleaning products, no problem. Young Living has you covered.

 Let me show you how to use plant power to clean all the things and not hurt your body while doing it!

First, why use natural cleaning products. Well here are a few reasons:

EWG Cleaning Products Hall of Shame

Cleaning Products or Smoking... not a huge difference, actually

Newsweek has something to say about it.

In short, your lungs, endocrine system (hormones), skin, eyes, and nerves are the most at risk when touching or inhaling cleaning products. I'm talking about cleaning products you'd buy at the grocery store. Some are even labeled or packaged as "green" cleaning agents (did you see the EWG article listed above?)  Now, doesn't that make you want to lick your kitchen counter?

 If you're curious, go to the Environmental Working Group Guide to Healthy Cleaning and type in your cleaning products and see how good or bad they rank on a scale from A to F. Categories include Carcinogenicity, Cancer, Environment, Respiratory, Skin, Developmental & Reproductive toxicity.

Have I convinced you? Good. You're ready to ditch your bleach-based cleaner, now what?

Get yourself a glass spray bottle (this is a two-pack so you'll have one for the kitchen, and one for the bathroom), a bottle of Thieves Cleaner Concentrate, and you're 90% of the way there.  (You can get a cute label if you want to be fancy about it...)

• You'll pour two capfuls of your cleaner concentrate into the spray bottle, then top it off with filtered or distilled water. 
• Put the lid on and you've just made yourself an All Purpose Spray that doubles as a window/mirror cleaner. 
• PS... it's made from plants that provide the same amount of effectiveness as a store-bought cleaner, but doesn't harm your body while using it. (and if you need the anti-bacterial evidence, there are plenty of demonstrations on youtube. Google away!)
• #winning!

We all have to use cleaning products of some sort, why not put your dollars, time, and energy  into using safe and effective methods . You don't have to have an entire cleaning closet overhaul (though I'd absolutely recommend it!). The point is that there are healthy alternatives available.

 Now, get your clean on and stock up on dish soap and dish detergent, laundry soap, foaming hand soap, and so much more.