How to replace toxic cleaning products with essential oils

I love using essential oils for cleaning!

As well as being incredibly effective, they also smell amazing and are not toxic unlike many commercial cleaning products. Of course, you still have to use them with safety and in the correct amounts.

Many cleaning products are very toxic and harmful to our health when in contact with skin or inhaled – things you normally do when you clean!! These toxic chemicals also end up in our oceans and waterways and can cause havoc to our marine and sea life.

If you want to read up about the harmful ingredients, check out this article by Dr David Suzuki.

I use essential oils alongside other natural things like bicarbonate of soda, castile soap and vinegar. Oils provide not only the awesome aroma (which by the way you also benefit from inhaling while cleaning) but the grunt behind the cleaning with their antibacterial and antiseptic properties.

I always use 100% pure and natural oils (like Thursday Plantation) with no synthetics or fillers, even for cleaning. Not only will they do a better job, you don’t want to be inhaling cheap, nasty oils.

My top three oils to use for cleaning are eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender. They all have antiseptic properties and eucalyptus and tea tree kill 99.9% of household germs.The bonus is that these oils have multiple purposes and you can also use them for all sorts of first aid treatments as well.

The power of mother nature!!

Here are some ways you can use essential oils around the house for cleaning.

Make sure you do a quick spot test on surfaces first!
1. Straight eucalyptus oil on a cloth is great for removing stains and scuff marks from walls and floors.

2. A few drops of eucalyptus oil with some bicarb in the toilet bowl will clean it, remove odours and keep your loo smelling fresh.

3. A very easy to make, budget friendly all-purpose spray is simply to combine 1 cup water with 1/2 cup of vinegar, 2 teaspoons castile soap and 20 drops of either tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil or lavender oil.

HOT TIP: I am not a fan of plastic, so I use glass spray bottles, sourced from the health food store. You can also easily make your own by using old glass bottles and fitting an old spray nozzle onto the top. It might take a little trial and error to find a perfect match!

4. Put a few drops of essential oil in your vacuum cleaner bag for a lovely fresh smell.

5. Pop a few drops of essential oils into your mop bucket with hot water and a good splash of vinegar. It will disinfect the floors and get them sparkling clean.

6. Eucalyptus makes a fabulous home-made stain remover. Simply mix 1 cup of water with 1/8 cup of eucalyptus essential oil in a spray bottle. Give it a good shake before you use it and spray directly onto stains.

7. Eucalyptus oil is also fabulous in killing off dust mites. Use a few drops in the rinse cycle of a hot wash when you do your bedding.

8. Put a few drops of lavender oil on the inside of your toilet roll. Every time someone uses the paper, you will freshen the smallest room in the house with a lovely scent!

9. If you have sickness in the house, dilute some tea tree oil in a small bucket of hot water and wipe all surfaces down, including door handles and phones. Diffusing a few drops of oil in a diffuser or oil burner will help purify the air as well.

10. 10 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle with water and vinegar will deter mould. Spray it in the bathroom or kitchen on those areas where mould likes to grow.

11. Ditch those toxic air fresheners and use a spray bottle filled with water and 10-20 drops of lavender oil. The bonus is that you can also use this mix in the kid’s rooms to help them relax and fall asleep.

12. For an easy to make anti-bacterial hand wash, just mix some castile soap with a few drops of tea tree oil.

13. To make a carpet freshener, mix 20 drops of essential oil thoroughly into 1 cup of bicarbonate of soda. Sprinkle on the carpet, leave for 20 minutes or so and then vacuum up.

Want some more ideas on how to use essential oils around the home?

Head to the Thursday Plantation website to see ideas and tips that readers have submitted! You might like to submit your own tip too.

Safety First! Although essential oils are all natural, they are very potent and must be stored away from children and used with care.

*this post is sponsored by Thursday Plantation

The Best Australian Natural Skincare Brands

I often get asked what natural skincare brands are best, so I have made you a list with some of my favourites. Skincare is such a personal thing though, so try a few out and find something that suits your skin. Some places have options of sample packs or travel packs, which is a great way to go to see if you like a range. I have added in a few little discounts that I could find for you as well. For specific information, click on the links!

“The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 different ingredients daily” EWG

Why would you use natural skincare?

The skin is our largest organ and whatever you put on it, goes directly into your blood stream and to your organs. Much of the skincare in the marketplace is full of nasty toxins that have been linked with cancers, allergies, asthma, hormone disruption and so much more. There is also the accumulative effect to consider of using these products, day in day out over your lifetime.

Unfortunately, the labelling laws in our country are a little behind the times and products can use the natural or organic labels even if they only contain tiny amounts of natural ingredients. As consumers, we have to educate ourselves and be a little savvy. My top tip is that if something claims to be organic and it’s less than $10, it’s probably not. Good quality organic and natural ingredients are not cheap to produce so you do have to pay for the quality. But, to be honest, I can’t put a price on my health, so I choose to use great quality natural products and cut back on other expenses.

I use two trusted resources in working out what to put on my skin – The Chemical Maze books and the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Do your research and learn what to avoid and what is safe!

♥ Twenty8

Twenty8 is a 100% natural range, free from all synthetic chemicals, preservatives and fragrances. Twenty8 is a truly holistic aromatherapy based range, working on both a cellular and psychological level. Kim uses only the highest quality products using therapeutic-grade, botanical ingredients which penetrate deeply into the layers of the skin to deliver exceptional results. I love these products – the aromatherapy oils really make it a special experience.

Check out Twenty8 online.

♥ Eco by Sonya

Eco by Sonya Driver started with one product – Eco Tan and it’s grown to become an Aussie favourite over the last few years. The gorgeous skincare range is certified organic and powered by fruits, vegetables and seeds. Vegan and cruelty free, Eco by Sonya has no synthetic ingredients and no SLS’s or parabens.

Get it online here.

♥ Kelapa Organics

Kelapa Organics is a boutique luxury organic skin care company with a hero ingredient of coconut oil. The products are 100% natural, made with certified organic ingredients, vegan friendly and accredited cruelty free. Kelapa Organics is an Australian owned family business and is based in Melbourne where all the products are made.

As well as skin care, Kelapa also have haircare, bath, baby and body care in the range. Get free shipping when you spend over $50 and $10 off your first order when you sign up. I found the skin care range to be great on my face – it’s beautiful quality and feels very luxurious.

Find Kelapa Organics online.

♥ Gaia Skincare

Gaia provides nourishing skincare products that feed your skin and keep it healthy. Gaia have the whole family covered with GAIA Pure Pregnancy, GAIA Natural Baby, GAIA Skin+Body and GAIA Made for Men. They are Australian made and owned and specifically tailored for sensitive skin, combining natural and certified organic oils and extracts. Essential oils, rather than synthetic fragrances are used. My family love this range – the boys use the men’s range regularly and the NNAD will not use any other shave gel. A very affordable natural range that is also great quality.

Check them out online and get some free samples or find a local stockist.

♥ The Jojoba Company

The Jojoba Company has created a natural range of skin and body care products with a strong focus on anti-aging and skin health.

The company are committed to not testing on animals or using animal derivatives, parabens, chemicals, sulphates, artificial fragrances, colours, perfumes, PEGs, mineral oil or petrochemicals.

Check out The Jojoba Company online.

Here are some other Aussie natural skincare companies to check out:

Black Chicken Remedies – All Black Chicken organic beauty products are hand made with natural ingredients, no parabens, no petrochemicals and no artificial ingredients. Black Chicken Remedies are free from animal cruelty and capture the powerful and anti ageing benefits of therapeutic oils and plant extracts.

La Mav – Certified organic, Australian made and cruelty free. Love the BB Creme!

Antipodes – These are a New Zealand brand (but I love them, so it’s okay!!) Inspired by the natural beauty in NZ, Antipodes do things with style, from the full traceability of ingredients from sustainably cultivated plants, to local production and recyclable packaging.

Mokosh – Fremantle brand, Mokosh is organic, preservative-free, certified organic, palm oil-free and fair trade. They take an unconventional approach to their formulations, using no water. The moisturisers are thus very concentrated – up to 5 times more than a standard lotion.

Vanessa Megan – Quality natural and organic products, certified cruelty free with recyclable packaging. The beautiful products are luxurious, scientifically proven, eco-friendly, and completely natural and organic.

MV Organic Skincare – Originally developed for those with extreme skin sensitivities such as eczema and rosacea, these products are very gentle and effective. Pure quality and enriched with rare and precious oils, this is a luxury skincare range.

Divine – Divine is a premium quality certified organic skincare range formulated by Therese Kerr in Northern NSW.

Where to shop?

You can find some of these brands in health food stores or eco-stores, but I prefer to shop online for the great range of products available.

♥ Biome Eco Store. Founded by Tracey Bailey, this small family business is a favourite. They stock a huge range of things, that are organic, natural, recycled and fairtrade; skincare being just one of their lines. Tracey has a rewards program, free shipping over $130 and a 5% discount.

You might also like to read:

The Best Natural Makeup Brands

The Best Natural Perfumes

The Best Natural Sunscreens

The Best Natural Insect Repellents