Natural Carpet Cleaning Recipes

If you are looking for reasons to ditch your toxic household cleaners and switch to non toxic natural cleaners you need look no further than the dirtiest, most used area of your home - your carpet! Consider this:

Carpet cleaning products, especially those used as a spot or stain remover, are often made with chemicals that dissolve dirt without soap and water. Because they are not rinsed with water they leave residues and strong odors behind. These fumes and odors are often created from toxic substances such as formaldehyde, acids, pesticides, disinfectants, lye, fragrances, and antibacterial chemicals all of which are harmful to your wellbeing in so many ways.

After cleaning the carpet, the residues of these chemicals remain on the carpet where they are easily transferred to skin, feet, and onto hands where they can make their way into the mouth especially by children and pets.

Using natural cleaning products is the way to go for sure and certainly there are more and more natural cleaning products on the market but you have to be sure of what's in your cleaner. You can read the labels but be warned; as with most household cleaners, reading the label on carpet cleaners may not be enough.

Companies often times won't list all the ingredients on the label for fear of giving away their secret formula. Many times it is these very ingredients that are most harmful to us. If you'd like to learn more about the safety of chemicals in carpet cleaners read "Are Carpet Cleaners Safe"

With all the rolling and romping my children do on our carpets I absolutely make sure there are no chemicals being used to clean it. I use Young Living's Thieves Household Cleaner and Young Living Essential Oils for most of my household cleaning - my carpets are no exception.

Order Your Non Toxic Natural Cleaner - Thieves Household Cleaner Here.......

The advantage of using Thieves Household Cleaner over other natural cleaners is the added benefit that its made with Thieves Essential Oil Blend. This blend is comprised of oils which are found to be highly anti microbial, antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiseptic. So while its cleaning, the oils are killing the germs that are carried in from shoes and even feet. And if odors are coming from your carpet, the oils will help destroy the bacteria that is causing the odor. The essential oils work as a natural disinfectant. Now that's natural cleaning at its best!

Its important to note that a carpet that is not regularly maintained will often require stronger chemicals to get it clean. Avoid that and enjoy cleaner and healthier carpets by using Thieves Household Cleaner in your steam cleaner on a regular basis.

Following are some carpet cleaning and deodorizing recipes using Thieves Household Cleaner and essential oils. Note how little of the Thieves cleaner is necessary which makes it very cost effective as well:

Spot and Stain Remover

Use the Thieves Household Cleaner recipe for MEDIUM DEGREASING (1:30)
(1 capful cleaner: a little less than 2 cups water)

Spray directly on the stain, wipe with a clean cloth.

(Always spot test an inconspicuous area to ensure no problems occur.)

Carpet Cleaning for Steam Cleaner

I have a couple of different recipes for the steam cleaner style carpet cleaners and I list them below. Personally, I determine my mixture based on the need of the carpet. You'll get a feel for your own machine and how much Thieves Household Cleaner to use.

Carpet Shampooing (1:100) 1 capful cleaner : 6.25 cups water
1 teaspoon Thieves household Cleaner.......filled it with water.

All essential oils have some antibacterial/antimicrobial properties so they're useful to use as a carpet deodorizer. I like to make different mixes based on my preferences at the time. I like Purification for the carpet in my car. Its a great way to replace the air freshener you have hanging from the mirror.

Carpet Freshener

Mix all ingredients in a widemouthed glass jar and tighten the cap or mix in a bowl with a wire whisk and cover.

Set aside for 24 hours to allow the aromas to permeate the powder.

Sprinkle over carpeting, leave for 10 to 15 minutes then vacuum .

Lavender: 60 drops

Cinnamon: 20 drops

Orange: 20 drops

Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): 1/2 cup (120 ml)

Recipe from the book 500 Formulas For Aromatherapy: Mixing Essential Oils for Every Use by Carol & David Schiller, ©1994.

Got a Stinky Vacuum Cleaner

or just want to freshen the room while you vacuum? Saturate a disposable cloth or tissue with several drops of essential oil and place into the collecting bag of your vacuum. This will diffuse a pleasant odor as you clean.

Does your vacuum cleaner collect dirt into water? Simply add a few drops into the water reservoir before cleaning. This is excellent for freshen up the carpet and the room.

Would you like to learn more about Thieves Household Cleaner? Here is a great tips and usage document from the excellent website Secret of Thieves.

We live in a very toxic world and I feel removing toxic chemicals from our lives is of paramount importance and should be part of every one's wellness plan. Using natural non toxic household cleaners is one to control what goes in you and your family's body and is one of the easiest ways to move toward optimal wellness.

I hope you'll consider greening your cleaning for you and your family. If you'd like to learn more about green cleaning and the toxins that are in your home Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning by Dierdra Imus is a great, informative read. It is filled with tons of information on personal care and household cleaning products.

If you have any questions or would like help ordering Thieves Household Cleaner please contact me. I would love to help.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

The Dangers of Using Antibacterial Products

Are you familiar with Triclosan? Triclosan is a pesticide; a potent wide spectrum antibacterial and anti fungal agent. Triclosan is one of the most common active ingredients in all the beloved antibacterial products people love.

As a society we are obsessed with killing germs and keeping our environment disinfected. We're even looking for our cutting boards, bibs, and high chairs to include some type of antibacterial protection and the government is hearing our cries.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), as of July 2008 the federal government has approved the pesticide Triclosan for use in 140 different types of consumer products including liquid hand soap, toothpaste, undergarments and children's toys.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for keeping our homes and bodies clean but this need to kill germs is causing much larger problems for us. The following facts will help explain why:

• According to the World Health Organization, disinfectant and antibacterial products are resulting in stronger, more resistant bacteria. Triclosan kills most - but not all - of the bacteria it encounters. The germs that survive emerge stronger and harder to kill in the future. This can make normal household germs more resistant.
  


• The American Medical Association recommends that triclosan not be used in the home as it may encourage bacterial resistance to antibiotics.


• A 2002 Swedish study found high levels of triclosan in 3 out of 5 human breast milk samples.


• A study of over 200 healthy households found that households using antibacterial products did not have any reduced risk for runny noses, coughs, and other symptoms of infectious diseases.


• Researchers have raised concerns about triclosan and its link to dioxins, which are highly carcinogenic chemicals that can cause severe health problems such as: weakening of the immune system, decreased fertility, altered sex hormones, birth defects, and cancer.


• Girl Scouts in St. Paul, Minnesota found that when they tried to use triclosan to kill bacteria they were growing for a science fair project, the bacteria actually started growing.


• Triclosan, when washed down the drain, is making its way into our water system and is highly toxic to a number of different types of algae which are the primary producers in many aquatic ecosystems.


• When triclosan reacts with chlorine found in tap water, chloroform is produced. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies chloroform as a probable human carcinogen.
• Research suggests that normal water treatment procedures could convert triclosan into a toxic dioxin and the conversion can be triggered by strong sunlight.


• Triclosan bio accumulates or becomes concentrated in fatty tissue in humans and animals that are exposed to this chemical.

These facts make it clear, triclosan isn't good for our health or our environment. Unfortunately there are over 973 products listed in the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database containing triclosan. I bet you won't have any trouble finding products you use on this list.

What can you do to make sure that your exposure to this hazardous chemical is limited?

1. Watch for triclosan (and triclocarban, its chemical cousin) in personal care products. Read ingredient labels and use the Cosmetic Data Base to see which of your current personal care products contain triclosan.


2. Switch your personal care products to those that are all natural and free of triclosan and other hazardous chemicals such as Young Living Essential Oils. Young Living offers many personal care products that include Skin Care, Hair care, Bath and Shower Products, Kids products and, Oral Hygiene. Click to see the entire essential oil based product line here. (then click on the Personal Care tab)


3. Switch your antibacterial cleaning supplies for those that are considered natural and non-toxic such as Young Living's Thieves Essential Oil based Household Cleaner

Order Your Triclosan Free Personal Care Products Here.....

4. Make your own antibacterial cleaning products using essential oils. Essential oils are the lifeblood of a plant and the oil serves as its own chemical defense against fungus and infection. When used outside of the plant the essential oil is a powerful antibacterial and in fact, has been used to neutralize germs as far back as 1887. Here is a great article from another Young Living independent distributor on house cleaning with essential oils.


5. Forego antibacterial soap. Use Thieves Foaming Soap instead. Its made with the most potent antibacterial essential oils: clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary.


6. Avoid "Antibacterial" Products - these products may be labeled “antibacterial,” or make claims such as “odor-fighting” or “keeps food fresher, longer.” These products may be toys, bedding, bath accessories, and clothing. I think you will be surprised when you view the list of government approved products allowed to contain triclosan here. Shop for natural home items at Gaiam.com and Acacia Catalog.

Would you like to learn more about Triclosan and what the Environmental Working Group is doing to help get this hazardous chemical banned? Click here to learn more and if you like what you see and you support what they're doing why not click on their donate button and give them some support.

If you have any questions regarding this information or would like help getting chemicals out of your life, contact me. I'd be happy to help.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

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