Clean My Fridge With Me!

My fridge definitely needed this clean up! I removed all the shelves and drawers and soaked them in hot soapy water. Then I washed, dried and put them back! It took a while, but it was totally worth it!

Embarrassing!!
Prepped produce in the door (parsley, oregano, mint) and on the top shelf (cleaned strawberries and cherries, cleaned kale and chard).
Unprepped produce in the drawers

Home Cleaning Products

Here’s the rundown on how I clean my home!

Products:

  • Dr.Bronners Castile soap, unscented, lavender or hemp
  • Dr.Bronners sal suds
  • White vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Lemon essential oil
  • On Guard essential oil mixture Do Terra
  • On guard laundry DoTerra
  • Coconut oil or olive oil

Spray bottles (Add to a 16 oz glass spray bottle):

  • All Purpose cleaner- 2 TB Castile soap and water
  • Glass cleaner- 1 part alcohol 4 part water (opt add 10 drops lemon essential oil)
  • Stove cleaner – 2 TB sal suds and water
  • Stainless steel cleaner- vinegar (opt add 10 drops lemon essential oil)
  • Toilet bowl cleaner- 2 TB sal suds, 15 drops On Guard essential oil and water
  • Anti mold and bacteria- 15-20 drops On Guard essential oil and water
  • Lemon fresh spray- 15 drops lemon essential oil and water

Uses:

  • Scouring paste- a baking soda and water mixture for tough messes
  • On guard laundry detergent to clean the washer. Once a week I run a small capful on a hot cycle and open the door and soap compartment after the cycle to air dry.
  • Anti mold and bacteria spray: weekly I spray this on the showers, sinks, bathtubs and washing machines. I let it air dry. Then I do a hot water rinse.
  • Lemon spray is great to spray in the kitchen sink after doing the dishes, the bathroom sinks, on the faucets.
  • 3 drops lemon essential oil in 1 cup of water. Soak a cotton towel on the mixture, wring out and use to clean leather.
  • 3 drops lemon easential oil in 1/4 cup of olive oil or coconut oil. Soak a cotton towel in the mixture and use to restore leather.
  • Add 3 drops lemon essential oil to 1 TB olive oil or coconut oil and add to soapy water to mop hard wood floors.
  • Add 5 TB Castile soap to a 1 gallon bucket of hot water for general cleaning and mopping.
  • Add 5 TB Castile soap, baking soda and white vinegar to a 1 gallon bucket of hot water to wipe down white walls.
  • Use 1-2 TB sal suds for a load of laundry. Add 2 TB baking soda and 2 TB white vinegar for whites.
  • Use Castile soap to wash dishes.
  • Add 3-4 drops of various essential oils to a diffuser to clean and freshen the air (lemon, air x and on guard are my favorites)
  • Use dyson or air doctor to clean the air in each room. I vacuum the air purifiers every 3 months and change the filters every 6 months.
  • Use a Miele vacuum to clean the floor, the fabric furniture, drapes and curtains. They have Heppa filters and work really well.

Non-Toxic Beds and Bedding

Living a non-toxic life is very important to me. In addition to eating clean, real and organic foods, I make sure all the personal care, hygiene and cleaning supplies in our house are non-toxic.

Having a non-toxic bed is important. We spend about a third of our lives in bed, and I want a mattress and bedding that isn’t made with chemicals and flame retardants. I want my bed and bedding to be made with materials that aren’t harmful for my body or the environment. All the beds and bedding in our home are organic and non-toxic.

Incredible Brands:

  • Naturepedia: organic mattress. This mattress is amazing and comfortable!
  • Avocado mattress: mattress, mattress protectors and pillows. I love this company. The mattresses are so comfortable and their mattress protectors are super thick. And we love our shredded latex pillows!
  • Medley home furniture: latex mattress. This mattress is very comfortable and a bit thinner than the other two mattress brands listed above. It is the perfect mattress for a pullout couch. This brand makes all kinds of furniture. They use real materials and the furniture is customizable for you and your space. I have a pullout couch, an ottoman and a sectional from Medley. Everything is wonderful!
  • Soaring Heart: pillows that are amazing! There is a perfect pillow for everyone! I love the shredded latex pillows. My husband loves the kapok pillows.
  • Coyuchi: organic bedding, pillows, comforters, blankets and more. Their sheets, down pillows, down comforter, and organic cotton comforter are amazing. I love Coyuchi!
  • Boll and branch: organic bedding and towels. These sheets are the softest ever. I love their pillow protectors. Plus, their towels are the best and enormous!

*this is not a sponsored post.

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Non-Toxic Travel Tips

  • I suggest eating a filling, healthy and plant-based meal before leaving for the airport. If your travel time is long, pack some nuts and dried fruit in a silicone bag and place in your small carry-on, in case you get hungry traveling. I do not eat on airplanes. I always eat a healthy and plant-based meal when I arrive at my hotel (and drink 2 glasses of water).
  • I like to buy a large bottle of water per person after getting through security. I make sure to drink the entire bottle during the flight.
  • I bag together (using large reusable silicone bags) healthy supplements and nontoxic toiletries. I recommend a backpack or tote to hold all supplements and toiletries. You will most likely have to remove the silicone bags (or plastic bags) and place them on the security belt at the airport. Make sure they are easily accessible.
  •  Traveling with the below list of healthy supplements and toiletries has made traveling great for me and my husband:

Healthy Supplements:

  • Algae I add chlorella, spirulina or blue majik to a glass of water in the morning. I take algae every day when I travel. And I take an extra dose directly after flying.
  • Triphala consists of 3 dried fruits. Triphala acts as a natural laxative and colon supporter. Taking 1/8 tsp of powder followed by a cup of warm water or tea keeps us regular on vacation. We take this every night or morning on vacations.
  • Collagen Peptides I add it to my coffee or tea while on vacation, at least 1 scoop everyday.
  • Mushroom powder to add to coffee every mooring. Chaga, cordyceps, reishi and lions mane are my favorites.
  • Teas I bring include dandelion tea, ginger tea and chamomile tea. Drinking tea in the morning and at night is something my Hubby and I try to do on vacation.
  • Charcoal I bring this in case we get a sunburn. I add the charcoal to a bath with coconut oil and manuka honey and it soothes any sunburn immediately.

Non-toxic toiletries for me and Hubby (remember everything must be 3.4 oz or less. There are great reusable containers available at The Package Free Shop):

  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
  • Floss
  • Boars hair brush, comb and dry brush
  • Dr. Bronners soap (for laundry, hand and body washing purposes)
  • Hairprint shampoo and conditioner
  • Manuka Honey
  • Coconut oil
  • Charcoal, manuka honey and coconut oil mixed together (to put in a bath after getting a sunburn, or to put on any sort of minor bite, sting or rash).
  • Makeup: mascara, blush, lipstick and sometimes eyeliner
  • Sunscreen
  • Nail polish (if I am wearing it).
  • Dr. Sturm hyaluronic serum, brightening serum, glow drops and sometimes Vitner’s Daughter Serum.
  • Dead salt or Himalayan sea salt to add to the bath. I take a bath every day on vacation. I add 1-4 cups to warm/hot running bath.

Cleaning Products

 

 

 

Cleaning our house with natural/clean/organic (whichever word you want to use) products is important to me. Here is the breakdown:

*this is not a sponsored post.

 

 

Main Household Cleaner Recipe ( I have 1 spray bottle of this stuff on each floor of my house.) I use it for everything!:

4 TB Dr. Bronners soap

optional: 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or white vinegar)

water

 

 

Toilet bowl cleaner:

4 TB Dr. Bronners Soap

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1-2 drops tea tree essential oil

1-2 drops lemon essential oil

water

 

 

Dr. Bronners, how I love you! Dr. Bronners castile soaps are amazing! I love every one I’ve tried (they have many different scents). My favorites are lavender, peppermint and tea tree.

-I use any of the scents (but usually lavender and peppermint) to hand wash my culinary equipment and utensils. I thin it out with water 1:1 and pour it into a soap dispenser kept next to my kitchen sink.

-I follow the same process for our bathrooms; both have soap dispenser with Dr. bronners thinned out with water 1:1.

-I use the lavender Dr. Bronners along with manuka honey, apple cider vinegar and water to wash my dogs. Recipe: 1 TB Dr. Bronners, 1 TB manuka honey, 1 TB apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of water. I put this in a spray bottle.

-To mop the floor, I add 2 TB of Dr. Bronners to the mop bucket full of water.

-I add 1 TB to a load of laundry- voila clean clothes!

VINEGAR (WHITE AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR)!

-Nothing gets glass and stainless steel as clean!

-I have a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar that I use for most household surfaces, including bathrooms,kitchen appliances and mirrors. . *Don’t use on granite. If you have granite counters, stick with the Dr. Bronners spray (without the vinegar in it) to clean that.

BAKING SODA: Baking soda is awesome!!

-I add 2 TB- 1/4 cup of baking soda to my loads of laundry. I use 1/4 cup if I am washing whites with a  stain on them.

-Baking soda is great for stains and deep cleaning. Whenever my shower needs a good scrubbing, for example, I mix 1/4 cup of baking soda with 1/2 cup of vinegar and use it as a scrub.

SEVENTH GENERATION LAUNDRY AND DISHWASHER: I love both of these products!