It can feel daunting when you decide to make the switch to a more natural lifestyle, especially when it comes to cleaning products! To help ease the process, here are 5 EASY tips to make switching to essential oil cleaners fit your household.
1. Don’t get overwhelmed.
When I first dove into essential oils, specifically cleaners, all I heard was, “I was poisoning my family and I needed make the switch right now!” No one actually said those words, but that was how I felt. Everything I thought I knew was turned on its head. I didn’t know what was right for my family anymore. There was so much information, I froze and stayed frozen for months. I continued to live in intentional ignorance because it was easier. I didn’t want to keep digging and feel that I needed to change my ways. The reality is, yes many chemicals found in conventional cleaners are toxic. But, there is only so much you can do and change within a given time frame. The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Find one transition that you can confidently make and go forward from there. If that means acknowledging that your cleaning products affect your health, that is enough and a great first step! Take baby steps, and don’t try to change everything all it once. That is overwhelming and sets you up for failure.
TAKE AWAY: Replace one chemical cleaning product with an essential oil cleaner as often as possible!
2. Do not beat yourself up if you’re not perfect.
Here is the truth as I see it, we are all doing our best. Sometimes our best means using the $0.99 cleaner from the dollar store, because that is all we have or can afford. When you are in the position to switch your products, to natural and/or essential oil options, make that choice. My challenge to you is, try to change your perspective if you cant change your situation. There may be a way to stretch your current cleaning supplies to save up money, and then invest in better options. Perspective can be your best friend or worst enemy. Every situation is different, and I would not demean others lives by presuming I know what is best for each individual. We are, all of us, fallen beings and, on this side of death, cannot achieve perfection. This is not to say we shouldn’t strive for better, but we should not wallow in admonishing ourselves when we fall short. Take one step at a time. Maybe your a planner and you need to lay it all out over a year or longer to make the switch to essential oil cleaners and a natural lifestyle. If that’s what it takes, do it! Your health and wellness are worth it!
TAKE AWAY: Give yourself grace and time.
3. Use up your remaining chemical cleaners.
Personally, I am still working through this step. What?! How could you be an authority on essential oil cleaners, if you aren’t even fully transitioned to them?! But who better to guide you than someone still going through the process?!! Typically, I shop at bulk stores, that means when I buy cleaning supplies I purchase enough for about a year. I spent time, effort, and money on those chemical cleaning supplies. I do not have the constitution to throw them away, because my ideals have changed. There is grace in this transition and that is a blessing! Finish off that bottle of Windex while you still have it! You bought it, make the most of it.
TAKE AWAY: Utilize all of your of current stock of cleaners! Even if they have not so great ingredients!
4. Stock pile supplies to make homemade essential oil cleaners.
As mentioned previously, I buy things in bulk as often as I can. This means that I don’t always notice when I am low on something, I will sometimes assume I have a spare somewhere and when I go to look I don’t. That means that when I go looking for something, most likely I need it right then! I need my cleaning supplies right then because my mom is coming over or we are hosting Bible study! I may or may not be a procrastinator… the jury will come back with a verdict… eventually! Anyway, make sure that, when you have the means, you get all of the ingredients you need to make your essential oil cleaners. That way when you run out of your previous chemical cleaners you can smoothly transition without added stress or headache. Ex. I just made the switch to homemade laundry detergent. The only way I followed through was by not buying my previous brand and having the ingredients to make it myself on hand!
Things you may want on hand:
- Glass spray bottles
- White Vinegar
- Borax
- Washing Soda
- Fels-Naptham Soap
- Castile Soap
- Epson Salt
- Baking Soda
- Citric acid
- Essential Oils: Lemon, Tangerine, Orange, Lime, Citrus Fresh, Lemon Verbena, Lavender, and any others you may enjoy!
- Silicone molds
- Grater (I have one that I use exclusively for shredding cleaning products)
Take Away: Instead of spending our cleaning budget on conventional products, spend it on ingredients to make your own!
5. Have a plan when the time comes to make the switch.
Know what cleaners you are looking to replace and have the recipes on hand. Not in some obscure notebook that you may have left at a friend house, or in your car. I mean on your fridge or in your planner. If you have to look for the recipe, if you’re anything like me, it might just be easier to grab something from the store. Be prepared when those transition points come up to not give into the fear of stepping into the unknown. If I can do this, you can do this! Remember your why when you start to falter or doubt. My why is my family’s health and longevity. God gave me my family to steward well and one way I do that is through knowing what is in our cleaning products. Protecting their health and future.
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