five sixteenths blog: My Top 10 Natural & Non Toxic Cleaning Supplies

This year when deciding to go cruelty free I had to take a good hard look at what that exactly meant. My first intention was to just go cruelty free with my make up collection...it would be easy and it would be a good thing. But like a lot of different things in life, this decision turned into something deeper. This cruelty free journey pushed me to re-examine a lot of things in my life and my cleaning routine was one of these areas.

In my search to be authentic this year, I came to realize that there were a lot of things in my cleaning routine that were unhealthy (products, cleaners, etc) and not cruelty free. A big realization for me was that just because it's not make up doesn't mean it's cruelty free. Arm & Hammer, for example, tests on animals. So if I'm making safe, home cleaners to use...shouldn't that align more wholly with my values? Using a non-cruelty free brand of baking soda doesn't align with my goals.

So, I decided to make more conscious choices - less waste, cruelty free where I could, and more mindfulness in my cleaning routine. Here are my top 10 favorite natural & non-toxic cleaning supplies.

Microfiber Towels

One of the first, biggest choices I made was to reduce my paper towel and disinfectant wipe reliance. (That was a big sentence right there!) I purchased these microfiber towels on Amazon after a recommendation from A Beautiful Mess. While we still buy paper towels, I've consciously made a decision not to go for these guys first. When I wash my hands I reach for the dish towels. When I clean the counters, the mirrors, the toilets, etc I reach for the spray cleaner and the microfiber towels. My dependence on single use wipes is dwindling! I've realized there't not much more a paper towel can offer me than a microfiber towel can. Since this pack comes with different colors I've assigned a certain color to a certain room - kitchen is yellow, upstairs bathroom/laundry room is green, downstairs is blue, downstairs bathroom is orange. That way it's easier to know which cloth goes where and I'm never short!

DoTERRA Laundry Detergent

I like this for multiple reasons - it's not made from petrochemicals, the overall scent isn't overpowering, and when I forget the laundry in the washer it doesn't get stinky. Ever since discovering essential oils, I've been on a battle with fragrance. This laundry detergent, while scented in the bottle doesn't lay too much scent onto the clothes. While I'm fine with this, Zach really isn't. If it's not scented, it's not clean I guess! That's why I picked up the dryer balls (mentioned below in this list). I have noticed that with Zach's work clothes, stink can linger a bit so I am on the hunt for a stronger, natural detergent to supplement.

The detergent is ultra concentrated and it can go up to 64 washes. It also works great in high efficiency washers. With a wholesale membership this bottle will make each load about .43 cents.

Wool Dryer Balls

I never used dryer sheets prior to getting my dryer balls so I didn't have much to change except remember to throw something in the dryer. My big goal here was two fold - enhance the scent of the laundry when it comes out of the dryer and reduce static. I have been lazy on the dryer sheets since forever because I don't think that they are necessary and I'd rather not spend the money on them. Laundry detergent did just fine with the scent and I don't care about the static. But, Zach doesn't like that his laundry smells like....... nothing. So I want to make it smell fresher when it comes out of the dryer.

DoTERA Cleaner Concentrate

This is another doterra product that packs a punch. I use this to clean nearly every surface. You only need a few tablespoons in a spray bottle and you have an all purpose cleaner for every room in your house. You can even use this to mop with this solution or do dishes with the cleaner. I don't buy any spray cleaners any more, this covers everything. I use it in every room of the house! You may remember this post about creating a cleaning caddy for various rooms in my house .... I've replaced those harsh cleaners with a spray bottle of this concentrate and microfiber cloths!

Vinegar + Water (and Lemon Essential Oil)

The absolute best window & mirror cleaner is vinegar and water. A lot of these recipes will tell you to use distilled water but I find plain old tap water works fine and we have hard, well water. If you add in a bit of lemon essential oil - a de-greaser - it works great to cut any residue on the surface of the glass. I have a spray bottle of this in each of my cleaning kits as well. I can't tell you how impressed I was the first time used this concoction...I never thought of going back.

Castile Soap

This is going to replace any and all soapy stuff I need in my house. For cleaning I have in a scrub brush in my shower to clean the shower and I've got it on my sink for dishes. We're still using up some regular dish soap and I think it's going to take some convincing for Zach to realize that the soap in the hand soap thing is also the soap to use to wash the dishes.

I plan to use castile soap for body wash & my shampoo in the coming months. I just need to discover something for conditioner. But seriously if you need soapy lather this stuff is the bomb!

Baking Soda + Citric Acid

So baking soda makes a great scrubbing agent (so does salt!) and when you add citric acid to it and throw it in some water you get a great fizz. I'm not sure if there is science behind the fizz actually lifting anything but I totally think it does. I use baking soda & citric acid in my toilet cleaner so I think the citric acid actually does something!

Here's where I want to share another idea - just because you're making it yourself, doesn't mean it's cruelty free. I've been using other brands of baking soda in previous DIY's but cruelty free is something I'm attempting to think about in many areas of my life including my cleaning supplies. With that being said, Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda is the baking soda that I've found to be cruelty free. I haven't come up on much research or information about citric acid brands, however. But when I know better I will do better.

Essential Oils

I have a whole cleaning video on my YouTube channel as well as another post with the top essential oils for cleaning. These guys are versatile because I use them in my glass cleaner, in my laundry, as a fabric refresher, and to plain ol' diffuse. These guys are just the greatest for a lot of things around the home.

Pure Haven Dish Washer Detergent

My cousin is a Pure Haven rep and when I can't find something from doTERRA that I love I generally go over to Pure Haven to purchase. Of the DIY dishwasher tab recipes I've found, none of them have really worked. Since I'm not in the habit of reinventing the wheel I went with something I know will work. I've repurchased this once already and plan to continue to do so.

Glass Spray Bottles

In my Cleaning with Essential Oils video I mention that you can use either PET plastic or dark amber/blue glass bottles to store your DIY cleaning supplies. I love using these amber bottles from Amazon to store all my cleaning solutions. The mist can be fine - for like cleaning glass - or more targeted for cleaning your counters or other surfaces. They feel well made and the weight of the glass bottle isn't too heaving. The sprayer doesn't seem to clog as long as you close it after your done with it.

Transitioning into a non-toxic, more green cleaning routine doesn't have to be intimidating. In this post I shared tips about transitioning to cruelty free and you can use the same guidelines when making over your cleaning routine. It is all a learning process.....I'm still figuring things out as I go.

But the biggest thing is to partner with someone & with a company that you know, love, and trust. For me DoTERRA and my own Wellness Advocate helped me learn a lot of stuff about natural, non-toxic, and green cleaning...and that is what I'd love to do for you. I want to be your personal Wellness Advocate.

If you're looking to get started using essential oils everyday in your own home, there is a perfect starter kit available for you. When you purchase a starter kit & become a wholesale member you'll have access to me + a whole community dedicated education! Shoot me an email if you're ready to learn more, or click here to browse the kit options! Once you've chosen a kit, add it to your cart and proceed to check out. Click the Become a Wholesale Member in the upper right to join me on your essential oil journey!

How have you made over your cleaning routine? What supplies do you recommend?

xoxo, Moe