Fall is in the air! This is one of my favorite times- boiled peanuts, football games, sweaters, crisp air and hot apple cider! God is so good to give us all of the changes in seasons so that we have variety throughout the year. Usually, when I need a change, I simply rearrange the furniture in my house or switch around a closet. Fall is an especially wonderful time to do this because we are all tucking away our summer wardrobe and bringing out the oranges, browns, bluejeans and courderoys that will serve us for the next several months. I recently changed out my boys' clothes and revamped the closet that they share- getting rid of old and finding what would fit for the coming season. I also took advantage of having the closet empty to clean in there. Inevitably, cleaning out one space motivates me to clean out another and this weekend I was on a de-cluttering and cleaning out binge. I went through each room asking myself "What can I get rid of in here?" It was fun! Bags are loaded in the back of my car now to be dropped at the thrift store or to be delivered to various friends with children who can now wear the clothes that mine have outgrown. It is a great feeling to SIMPLIFY. My husband and I are adopting this as a theme for this coming year- we are simplifying time, schedules, finances, clothes, TOYS (can I get an amen?) and our lives in general.
One of the tings that drew me to begin using the Young Living products was a desire to SIMPLIFY my cleaning regimen and find a cleaner that was not killing brain cells along with killing the germs and dust in my house. In fact, my first order almost 4 years ago now was the Thieves cleaning kit. It comes with the all-purpose Thieves household cleaner (2 of them!) that can be used from your kitchen to your bath to your laundry area as well as for windows and mirrors. It is very simple to use. The kit also comes with the fabulous Thieves oil which is wonderful to diffuse and kills must, mold and mildew throughout your house. The Thieves handsoaps comes with the kit as well as the toothpaste which we love. It is a great way to start. You can throw out the six or so assorted cleaners that you have bought for different area and replace them all with the Thieves cleaner. The cleaner is concentrated so to use it you dilute it and make up your own bottles tailored for whichever area of the house you want to use them in. Start with 2 or three 32oz. cleaning spray bottles you can find at the dollar store. I pour the Thieves cleaner into the bottle up to about 1/4inch. I have never measured this but I would guess it is about 1 to 2 Tbsp. Fill the rest of the bottle with good water- not chlorinated from the tap but one that has been through a carbon filter or buy distilled water from the grocery store for 99 cents (use this for your ironing, too and you won't have brown spots left on your clothes). Here is the fun part with the cleaner- if you desire, you may add oils to enhance the smell and effect of the cleaner. The cleaner can stand on its own for sure but I use the oils for the scent and the added action they bring. Lemon or lemongrass is wonderful in the kitchen. Both are antibacterieal and antiviral. Spray down your cutting boards, your counter tops, particularly crusty casserole dishes before they go into the dishwasher, etc. For the bathrooms you can use the same or try lavender, peppermint or purification which is one of my favorites for cleaning. Spray your baseboards or, better yet, make a big soapy bucket with about 1-2Tbsp of thieves cleaner and add in the thieves oil or purifaction and go through your house cleaning baseboards, all surfaces, floors, and wiping down the walls of those closets you've been cleaning out. You will love the smell and feel accomplishing. Diffuse with Purification as you do this and watch your house be transformed. It is amazing how a house that feels clean to you also looks better to you! Mix up a lightly more concentrated bottle and put the cleaner in your laundry area to replace your old Spray n Wash or Shout! For a terrible greasy pot put a capful of the undiluted cleaner right in with a little water and wipe off after 10 minutes or so. It is a wonderful degreaser. Use lemon oil in place of goo-gone. It is great for getting tough price tags off of picture frames, stickers off of windows, etc. Just be careful using it on painted surfaces because it can take off the paint as well! I cannot say enough about diffusing. Wait for a beautiful Fall day with good breeze and open up all of your windows as you clean to give your home a good airing. Then, begin to diffuse with Thieves, Purification, Lemongrass, or your choice. These three wil have you breathing better, kill viruses living in the air as well as mold spores and dust mites circulating from all that cleaning! AT the same time, you are protecting and building up your immune system particulalry when you are using the Thieves oil. One final tip- rub a little of the Thieves oil on the bottom of your children's feet before they head out the door to school. It will protects their immune system and help fight off whatever they are being exposed to during the days. More on children and oils to come later but for now go tackle your homes, give things away, move some furniture around and enjoy a simple and effective cleaning of your house and home. You will feel better for it....
Make your own air freshener/carpet freshener recipe:
1 drop of essential oil per ounce clean water
Spray on carpet before vacuuming, spray on cloth furniture like febreeze and spray in the air
Favorites to use:
Any of the oils I listed above plus Joy, Peppermint, Christmas Spirit (with the season, of course), Balsam Fir or your choice
No comments:
Post a Comment