Category Archives: natural cleaners

{DIY} laundry detergent

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About the time I had started using essential oils, I came across a killer deal on a super green cloth diaper friendly laundry detergent, so I bought a TON of it. I was so proud of myself for scoring that deal. Since then I have wanted to try making my own several times, but just had no need for it! I FINALLY (after almost 2 years) have run out of my stash, so this was my project! My first attempt I followed a traditional recipe that used borax and that was a big NO GO on my little ones sensitive skin. I made a massive batch, and had to give most of it away!
laundry_detergentMy REVISED detergent is now borax FREE and it seems to be working quite well so far. Here are the ingredients that I have switched to for our homemade laundry detergent

  • 2 cups washing soda
  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup of course sea salt or epsom salt
  • 1/2 cup of Biokleen oxygen bleach
  • 1 bar of castille soap finely grated (a cuisinart with a finer grater attachment works great to do this quickly)
  • 10 – 20 drops each of lavender and wild orange essential oils (I’ll change this up each time just for fun)

Dump it all into a container, mix it up, add in the essential oils, and there you go! Use about 1-2 Tbsp with each load, add in white vinegar with 2 drops of essential oil as the liquid fabric softener and run the load!

 

 

Melaleuca magic

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Melaleuca is truly a magical essential oil – great for cleansing and rejuvenating the skin and protecting against environmental threats, but did you know it’s also great for scrubbing off those ‘permanent’ stains on pots and pans!?

Bonus to clean with something so strong yet 100% all natural and safe – no harsh chemicals!

Yay!
Pic on the left was taken after scrubbing with Dawn dish soap.

Pic on the right was taken after scrubbing with a few drops if straight melaleuca essential oil.

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**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Quick tips:: Freshen up your home with essential oils

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For a quick pick-me-up around your home, a little essential oil can go a long way! Here are some simple ideas to naturally freshen up the area….and get diffused therapeutic benefits of the oils while you’re at it!freshen your home with essential oils

  • Put a drop of essential oil on the front of your osculating fan and let the scent blow through the area
  • Put a drop into any humidifier to diffuse through the room
  • Drop essential oil into the middle of your toilet paper roll (in the tube). It will absorb into the paper and offer a natural fresh scent to the bathroom!
  • Put some essential oils on a tissue and place in your vacuum bag to freshen and deodorize as you vacuum…or put 5-10 drops in a cup of baking soda and sprinkle around carpets prior to vacuuming!
  • Use any of the {DIY} oil “sprays” you can make as an air freshener – just spritz around the room and enjoy!
  • Add a drop of essential oil to your steam cleaner tank to boost cleaning power and smell great too
  • Put essential oils into your fabric softener spot (see post on {DIY} fabric softener with vinegar and essential oils)
  • Add a drop of your favorite oil to your dishwasher soap to boost cleaning power and smell amazing (lemon and citrus oils are great for the dishes)!
  • Put a drop of essential oils onto a lightbulb to quickly scent a room (great right before guests arrive). The heat will break down the therapeutic properties, but the smell will definitely fill the air!
  • make your own all natural air freshener with essential oil and baking soda that actually fights odors, not masks them!
  • heat a cup of water, drop 2-3 drops of your favorite oil to diffuse into the air (also great trick prior to guests arriving)! dōTERRA’s OnGuard is an amazing spice scent for fall, and it supports healthy immune systems too!

 

{DIY} hand sanitizer

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Making your own hand sanitizer is so simple using 100% dōTERRA essential oils!

diy hand sanitizerMy vote for the best oil to use in hand sanitizer is definitely dōTERRA’s OnGuard Blend. This oil blend has an amazing cinnamon spice smell, and boosts your immune system while protecting against environmental threats.

Here’s the recipe::

  • 1 oz pure aloe vera gel
  • 1 oz purified water
  • 2 oz high-proof vodka, grain alcohol or gin (can use witch hazel extract for an alcohol free version)
  • 12-15 drops dōTERRA OnGuard essential oil blend

You can also add a few capsules of vitamin E oil to the mix to soften skin even further!
Mix all ingredients into a 4 oz glass pump bottle. Shake well to ensure it’s properly blended!

This is a great alternative to commercial hand sanitizers. Here is a typical list of ingredients from a store bought brand:
water, isopropyl alcohol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, caprylyl glygol, glycerin, isopropyl myristate, tocopheryl acetate, acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acreylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Frangrance (Parfum), Blue 1 (Cl42090), Yellow 5 (Cl 19140)

Fewer chemicals and additives and much better for your skin! What a bonus to boost immunity while sanitizing your hands!

How to actually get rid of fruit flies

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In case anyone is having a problem with fruit flies – if you haven’t tried this it works really well. I put apple cider vinegar (or u can use wine, but who wants to waste that!) a little honey and a squirt of dawn (to break surface tension) in a jar. Sometimes I throw in some fruit scraps. Tape a piece of paper to make a funnel with a small opening at bottom and the fruit flies get in and can’t get out. I’ve had more success with this than anything else!fruitflytrap

Quick Tip:: {DIY} natural fabric softener

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This is so simple it shouldn’t be called {DIY}, but if you’re still buying commercial fabric softener you can stop now!

Jlavender fabric softenerust fill the liquid fabric softener spot on your washer with white vinegar, and add 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil. I love lavender EO to freshen the laundry. Not only does this soften your clothes, but the scent of real lavender fills your house while washing, which also greatly helps to reduce the stress of laundry day 🙂

Even more importantly, it keeps this list of chemicals out of your fabric and off of your skin:
(ingredients in Liquid Ultra Downy Spring Lavender Scent, taken directly from Proctor & Gamble. view pdf here)

  • diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride,
  • Fragrance (synthetic)
  • Starch
  • Ammonium chloride
  • Calcium chloride
  • Formic acid
  • Polydimethylsiloxane
  • Liquitint colorant Purple
  • Benzisothiazolinone
  • diethylenetriamine pentaacetate

Another great way to save money, reduce chemicals and avoid unnecessary irritants and allergens in your home!

Quick Tip:: Uses for lemon spray

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I can’t say enough how crazy useful my essential oil sprays are. Filtered water + 100% CPTG Essential Oils = NATURAL MULTI-USE PRODUCT! lemon sprayMy lemon oil spray is always out on my kitchen counter to clean counters, shine my sink and faucet, polish my dining room table and spritz in the air to freshen the room, but is also great to keep fresh fruit… fresh! No more saturating the fruit in lemon juice – just spray your cut fruit with this lemon spray and it coats evenly with just the right strength!

In case you missed the {DIY} recipe for these sprays, it’s simple:

  • 8 oz filtered water
  • about 15 drops doTERRA lemon essential oil

Shake and spray! I have sprays of Wild Orange EO, OnGuard EO, Lavender EO and Lemon EO just sitting in my kitchen alone!

**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Lavender Spray: don’t leave home without it!

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My lavender spray has quickly become my go-to product for so many things! This stuff is SO useful. Just a mix of filtered water and lavender essential oil (8 oz water & about 12 drops EO), this refreshing spray has endless uses and is something that we don’t leave home without!

Here are just a few ways that we daily use this multi-purpose spray:lavenderspray

  • spritz linens and bed pillows at night for relaxing more restful night’s sleep
  • instantly freshen up a closet, mattress, room or car
  • spray on skin before heading outdoors to naturally repel bugs and mosquitos
  • sooth occasional skin irritations by spraying it on topically
  • after a hot day outside, spritz on neck and chest to relax and feel refreshed

disclaimer

{DIY} Wild Orange All Purpose Cleaner

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My new favorite cleaner! Wild Orange Essential Oil + water in a spray bottle. Not only does it smell amazing, but it really cleans & cuts oil and grease. You can even spray it on your food if you want, so I feel much better using it on the table and in the kitchen instead of a bunch of chemicals! You can also spritz it around the room for a fresh, citrus scent.

To make this blend, add 15 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil to 8 oz filtered water. Shake and spray!wildorange_spray

bye bye kitchen chemicals

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3_cleaners3 natural cleaners I made in about 2 minutes with only a few drops of oil and water! There are multiple uses for each one, but I made ‘onGuard‘ as an all-purpose, peppermint as a caterpillar repellent (to save my tomato plants), and lemon + vinegar as an all-purpose kitchen/glass cleaner. They all smell SO good and you could actually ingest them if you wanted to, so not worried about leaving them out around the kids!