Spring Cleaning with Essential Oils

Why search for better options?

Environmental Working Group’s investigation of more than 2,000 cleaning supplies on the American market has found that many contain substances linked to serious health problems. They conclude that:

•Fumes from some cleaning products may induce asthma in otherwise healthy individuals. A large and growing body of evidence links frequent use of many ordinary cleaning supplies at home or on the job with development of asthma and other respiratory problems. It is already known that cleaning product fumes may trigger attacks in persons previously diagnosed with asthma.

•Common cleaning ingredients can be laced with the carcinogenic impurity 1,4-dioxane. Independent tests have detected the presence of 1,4-dioxane in numerous name-brand cleaning supplies. Other products contain preservatives that release low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde.

•Children born to women who held cleaning jobs while pregnant have an elevated risk of birth defects, according to a 2010 study by the New York State Department of Health.

•Some cleaners can cause chemical burns and poisonings as well as less severe irritations and allergies. Severe physical reactions signal that consumers should take care anytime they use these products.

•Despite these health concerns, cleaning product labels often do not give consumers enough information about their ingredients to allow people to make informed decisions on which ones are safer and which ones might harm their health.

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** While government and regulatory agencies have focused much of their attention on chemicals suspected of causing cancer, they have devoted far fewer resources to evaluating substances that may be toxic to the brain and nervous system, the hormone system and other organs. Investigating the full range of risks of cleaning products to public health and the environment should be an urgent priority. Yet the problem remains largely hidden from the view of the American consumer.

The air we breathe inside is more toxic than the air outside.

  • “Off-gassing” of carpet, furniture, cupboards, and more
  • Cleaning chemicals
  • Laundry detergent, softeners, flame retardants …
  • Paint and remodeling

Tips to clean the air:

  • Open the windows and air the house out daily
  • Houseplants such as spider plants, aloe vera, ivy, ferns, etc.
  • Diffuse essential oils like Purification
  • Use products that are chemical and toxin free (this includes anything that we might breathe, touch, wear, rub into our skin, etc.)

Healthier Options:

  • There are a number of “green” options when it comes to cleaning products, such as companies like Carina Organics, The Honest Company, Norwex, Ava Anderson, EcoNuts, Seventh Generation, Naturally It’s Clean, etc.
  • While these are better than general cleaning products, many still contain questionable ingredients or may be cost prohibitive
  • For this and other reasons, many people want to explore making their own cleaning products from simple ingredie

DIY Recipes

They include simple ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, liquid Castile’s soap, and essential oils. Here is a list of some of my favorite cleaning recipes and tips:

Green Grout Cleaning Recipe

7 cups water

½ cup baking soda

1/3 cup lemon juice

¼ cup white vinegar

Mix the ingredients together in a large glass Mason jar. Once well mixed, pour into a spray bottle. Spray mixture on the grout between the tiles, let sit for a couple minutes, and then scrub.

DIY Furniture Polish

For a 2 oz. spray bottle:

Fill ¼ full with Thieves household cleaner

Fill ¾ full with olive oil

Add 10 drops orange essential oil

Shake to mix.

It works best to spray this mixture on your dust rag instead of directly on your furniture/wood, but you can do either.

Homemade Soft Scrub Recipe

2 Tbs. liquid Castile’s soap

¾ cup baking soda

Enough water to make a smooth, liquid paste (about 2-3 Tbs.)

10 drops grapefruit essential oil (or citrus oil of choice)

Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass jar with a tight lid. Use a Tbs. or less on a damp cloth for cleaning surfaces. Use on ceramic surfaces, sinks and countertops (except granite). Test a small area first.

For essential oils: I like to use a mix of citrus oils to create a fun scent (2 drops each: lemon, lime, tangerine, Citrus Fresh, orange, and grapefruit)

Glass Cleaner

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water (or club soda)

8 drops citrus essential oil (lemon, orange, grapefruit)

Combine and shake well before use.

Tip for cleaning stainless steel:

Taking a soft cloth with just a little olive oil, rub in a circular motion over the surface of your appliance. If needed, fill scratches by rubbing down along the scratch and then over it again in a circular motion. When you're done, if the appliance gets a smudge or a fingerprint, just rub with a soft cloth again over the area and it looks as good as new! Super simple!

Tips for when you paint:

For the least amount of chemicals possible for the most reasonable price, purchase low or zero VOC paint. Then, add 1 tsp. of essential oils (this is 5ml) to 1 gallon of paint. (You could also add one 15ml bottle to a 5 gallon bucket of paint). This works wonderfully against odors and fumes and helps to detoxify from some of the chemicals present in the paint.

Some ideas of essential oils to use in your paint:

- Citrus Fresh

- Purification

- Other citrus oils like lemon or grapefruit

Carpet Deodorizer

1 1/2 to 2 cups baking soda

20 to 30 drops of Purification

Mix the ingredients together in a glass jar and shake to mix. Screw on a lid with holes in the top (you can make this with a paper hole puncher and a regular Mason jar lid). Sprinkle on the carpet and let sit 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.

Fresh Curtain Spray

4 oz glass spray bottle

15 drops lavender

15 drops rosemary

15 drops peppermint

Pinch of sea salt

Top with filtered water

Mix and shake before spraying.

THIEVES HOUSEHOLD CLEANER:

Thieves Household Cleaner is an antimicrobial cleaning solution that is safe for your whole family.

This highly concentrated cleaner contains ingredients from renewable plant and mineral sources, vegetable-based surfactants compliant with the Green Seal and EPA Design for Environment standards, and essential oils for extra cleaning power. It can be used on any surface.

Suggested dilution ratios are included on the label. A little goes a long way!

Suggested dilution ratio:

Light degreasing: 1 capful Thieves cleaner to 4 cups water

Medium degreasing: 1 capful Thieves cleaner to 2 cups water

Heavy degreasing: 1 capful Thieves cleaner to 1 cup water

Ways to use Thieves cleaner:

  • 1 capful for a bucket of warm water; use it wash down your walls
  • Thieves cleaner can be used as laundry detergent or for spot treating stains
  • Using the dilution for light cleaning, you can wash down your cupboards with Thieves cleaner
  • Add a capful or two to the cleaning cycle of your dishwasher or washing machine
  • Check out these sites for even more ideas!

Uses by the Room:

  • Kitchen – refrigerator, dishwasher, rinse agent, oven, cutting boards, dishes, floors, counter tops
  • Bathroom – counters, toilets, tubs, mirrors, windows
  • Family Room – silk plants, live plants, room deodorizer, diffuse
  • Laundry – wash cycle, dryer, spots and stains

Alicia Dragic, RN, CGP

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