HPA Goes Oily: Cleaning ReVamped

By now, I've been on my "Oily Journey" for 4 months! When we bought our new house, I was determined that it would never see a toxic chemical. We have a long way to go, but we are slowly riding our house of toxins and bringing in products that are so much healthier for our home and our bodies!

Did you know that you can use essential oils for cleaning? Gone are the days of bleaching my house and breathing in harsh chemicals!

Today, I'm sharing a few of my favorite ways to use essential oils while I clean!

First up- Wool Dryer Balls. I bought mine of Etsy because I love supporting moms with small businesses! You can also buy them from Amazon if you feel so inclined. I add a few drops of Purification essential oil to each ball, toss it in  my dryer, and that's it! I also love to add Lavender Oil for a flowery scent. The oil lasts on each ball for about  2-3 loads.

We said bye-bye to dryer sheets and their carcinogens. You can read more about these dangers here and here.

I'm also finding that my drying time has been cut in half, so I'm using less energy thus saving some serious moola!

On the downside, I'm actually having to fold my laundry  more often because the clothes are drying super fast!

Raise your hand if your child has ever colored on the wall with crayon? I know I'm not the only one. I have three girls and each of them have a belief that crayons also work on walls, furniture, tables, lamps, and so on.

I have finally found the answer! A few drops of Lemon Essential Oils and crayon marks literally disappear. I even had to show DJ this one because I couldn't believe how miraculous this oil was! Not only, does it taste so yummy, it's super good for you, but now it cleans crayons off of surfaces!

Our children are now free to color on whatever surface they wish, because I now have the secret weapon to make it come clean!

(I'm just kidding- our crayons are still locked away, but just in case- I can pull out my lemon oil, and the marks are gone!)

While I was cleaning this weekend, DJ noticed a sticky drip all down the front of our oven. I pulled out my lemon essential oil, put a few drops on a papertowel, and the sticky came right off! Now, you can use lemon oil rather than Goo-gone!

This little concotion is THE BEST wood furniture polish I have ever used! Long ago, I used Pledge furniture polish, and then I switched to Method, thinking it was a "greener" alternative. After scanning it with my Think Dirty app, I realized that Method wasn't as non-toxic as I would've liked it to be. So, thanks to an oily friend who recommended this recipe to me, I now have the shineiest wood furniture ever.

I mix 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 20 drops of orange oil. I mix it together in a glass spray bottle, and give it a little shake before I use it. Because of the orange oil, you have to use a glass container so it won't eat away at the plastic of a plastic spray bottle.

With my new furniture polish, my girls are able to help dust and no one is breathing in or touching toxins.

I added Thieves cleaner to one of my monthly orders and this little bottle is so concentrated that I still have over half of it left!

To make my all purpose cleaner, I use a plastic spray bottle filled with water, and 1-2 capfuls of Thieves cleaner. The bottle lasts me about a week (depending on how messy my kitchen is) and I'm able to use my all purpose spray on my granite, my toilets, my bathroom countertops, on the floors. I also let the girls use it to clean their pink plastic kid table.

Thieves cleaner can also be used in place of dish detergent in your dishwasher- just add one capful! Or in your washing machine in place of detergent! Again, just add one capful!

Need a glass cleaner- that's right- just use your Thieves cleaner.

This stuff can clean anything!

And this past weekend, I found out that Thieves was the best stainless steel cleaner too!

I shared last week, that I used my Thieves cleaner to clean Addy's Natives. I added a capful of the cleaner to a sinkful of water and soaked her shoes. After they soaked, I simply pulled them out of the water, wiped them off, and they look as good as new!

So, are you excited about oils yet and revamping (and simplyfing) your cleaning routine?

To learn more about essential oils, send me an email and I'll answer your questions and help you get started on an amazing journey!