DIY Bleach - Loving Housekeeping
I used to think of household chores and general housekeeping as a list of things that I had to do each day. I dreaded it. Until now! About 4 years ago, my family embarked on a journey of chemical free living. It was so exciting and still is 4 years later. I now look at housekeeping and cleaning with joy, where before I was cringing every time I had to mop the floors or do the laundry. Don't get me wrong, laundry sucks...if I could hire someone to put it away for me we'd be golden. (I personally live out of a laundry basket.) But what I am really talking about is the joy behind it, knowing what I am using is finally safe for my entire family. The floors we walk on are safe for bare feet, the table we eat at is safe for food to literally being eaten without a plate (not that I would ever allow that). But I am preserving and caring for my home with products that are made by hand with the most superior ingredients...I absolutely love it and you will too!
Being chemical free can be sexy, it can feel good! It's a simpler lifestyle that has allowed me to be more present in other ways for my own self care and my family. Its a lifestyle that we've all become used to, and wouldn't ever go back to cleaning with any chemical filled anything again.
I'll start you off with something super easy to try. Bleach...we all use it. I remember my mom using amomnia & bleach for everything. Not together of course. I mean I am still alive, so thankfully nobody ever mixed the two. But everytime we used them growing up, I could taste it in the back of my throat for days. Not because I drank it, but because it was soaking up in my lungs and I was breathing it inside of my body for days. If you do a quick google search on the dangers of bleach, you find that is says: "To start off, inhaling bleach causes damage to your lungs and organs. After accidentally inhaling the fumes, some individuals have reported feeling stinging in their nose and eyes, coughing, and lightheadedness, all of which are symptoms that indicate the corrosive properties of the substance." That is just the start...keep reading, your mind is about to be blown.
Check out the EWG website ratings on Bleach & other brand names that call themselves bleach as well. Click through to see the ratings. It's truly scary.
A equals - Lowest Concern
Few/no known or suspected hazards to health or the environment. Good ingredient disclosure.
B equals - Low Concern
Limited potential for hazards to health or the environment. At least some ingredient disclosure.
C equals - Moderate Concern
Some potential for hazards to health or the environment. At least some ingredient disclosure.
D equals - High Concern
Likely hazards to health or the environment. May also have poor ingredient disclosure.
F equals - Highest Concern
Potentially significant hazards to health or the environment or poor ingredient disclosure.
Scary right! Don't fret, there are healthier, easier options for you! Here is how I make my own bleach!
To begin, you'll need the following:
-Thieves Household Cleaner
(get it here) shorturl.at/brKRV
-Young Living Lemon essential oil (get it here) shorturl.at/brKRV
-Distilled Water
-Peroxide
-Resealable Jar
First we begin with 1/2 cup full of peroxide, pour it into the jar you chose. Next, grab 2 capfuls of the Thieves Household Cleaner, pour that into your jar. Next, drop 10 drops of the Young Living Lemon Oil into your jar. Final step, fill the rest of the jar with distilled water!
Shake & have fun using! I do recommend shaking before each use.
See how easy that is! For real, I am not kidding when I say this chemical free life makes my life more simple & allows me more time to do the things I want to do for myself, and I have peace of mind knowing that what I am using is completely safe for my entire family!
Have fun creating!