DIY Non-Toxic Household Cleaner

Like us, many of you are trying to eliminate unnecessary chemicals from your daily lives.

Like us, many of you are also trying to save money.

There are a number of easy homemade cleaners you can make that are both non-toxic and much cheaper. We’ve been using this natural household cleaner for awhile now, and it’s good on just about any surface. Which really comes in handy if you have kids, because kids will mess up just about any surface they come into contact with.

What’s The Nasty Stuff In Regular Cleaning Solutions?

Bleach, ammonia, VOCs, phthalates (commonly found in fragrances), triclosan (antibacterial agent)… there’s some pretty ugly ingredients in most conventional cleaners. Many of them are known carcinogens, neurotoxins, or endocrine disruptors. Take a look the next time you’re in a store – how many cleaners have warning labels? Call me crazy, but if the bottle has a POISON label, tells me to keep out of reach of my children, warns me not to let it touch my skin, or informs me I can’t use it without adequate ventilation, I think I’ll pass (I mean, seriously, I was just as guilty as anyone else up until a few years ago, but who looks at that and says “hmm, harmful or fatal if ingested… I’ll take two!”).

If you have kids, this should be especially pertinent, because kids are much more sensitive to these chemical-laden products. And take it for what it’s worth, but a 15-year study found that women who stay at home have a 54% higher risk of dying from cancer than women who work outside of the home because of their increased exposure to household chemicals (Toronto Indoor Air Conference 1990).

So believe me, if I can concoct something that performs the same job and doesn’t require a gas mask, I’m all over it.

Can I Make A Household Cleaner Without All That Nasty Stuff?

Mr. Lysol will tell you that you need to buy his stuff, but happily, that’s not the case. You can make an effective, all-purpose, non-toxic household cleaner for, quite literally, pennies. The secret ingredient in this one is Thieves essential oil, a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils. The story goes that during the black plague in medieval Europe, a group of thieves were caught robbing the dead and dying. When pressed, they admitted to using a special blend of herbs to help protect them from the disease. The Thieves oil is antiseptic and antibacterial and does not promote antibacterial-resistant superbugs. And as a side bonus, it smells amazing!

Add in a little water and vinegar (vinegar is also a natural disinfecting agent; a 3:1 water-vinegar ratio is fine, but 50:50 would work too), and you have a simple cleaner that you can use on just about anything: bathroom and kitchen counters, tabletops, sinks, windows, even upholstered furniture! If you’re leery about the smell of vinegar, have no fear, because the smell completely dissipates when it dries – all that’s left will be the smell of Thieves.

If you don’t want to use Thieves, you can use other combinations of essential oil, like lemon, cinnamon, or grapefruit. Note: Some essential oils, especially citrus, can degrade plastic over time, causing chemicals to leach into your cleaner. For this reason, it’s best to use glass bottles, which are non-reactive. You can even make this in smaller batches and carry a mini-bottle with you in your purse to disinfect shopping carts or anything that your kids might get their hands on!

I’m pretty confident that once you try this, it will quickly become your go-to household cleaner. Easy to make, cheap, and no warnings needed – the only side effect is that it may make your house smell like Christmas!

Want to buy Thieves, lemon, and many more, and with a special discount? Click here to learn more!