House Cleaning Products Alternatives

We have all heard of the myriad of "green" housecleaning products out there on the market.  Some products I've used and liked are J. R. Watkins (made in Winona MN) and The Good Home Co (made in New York).

J.R. Watkins:



The Good Home Co:

But I find that a lot of these cleaning products are expensive, and am literally dumping money down the drain.  So, what I like even better is making my own cleaning products using some good old fashioned methods of cleaning--vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, and plain hot water.  A google search for cleaning uses of these products will pull up a multitude of different house cleaning recipes.

Often I like adding my own essential oils to my cleaning products.  Some of my favorite essential oils to use for cleaning are Rosemary, Peppermint, Lemon Eucalyptus, Lemon Myrtle, Lemon, and Pine.  Many of these oils are antibacterial, anti-fungal, even anti-staph.  I purchase most of my essential oils from Nature's Gifts.  I highly recommend Marge Clark's informative website to learn about the use and properties of essential oil's http://www.naturesgift.com/descript.htm .  Nature's Gift provides a wealth of information on essential oils uses and properties.  All of Nature's Gift essential oils list the country of origin.

Another distributer of essential oils that I highly recommend is from Aromatics International http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/ .  Aromatics International's Andre Butje has traveled around the world and visited with the small farmers and distillers that create the products they sell.   Every batch of oil they purchase is tested with the Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).  I also appreciate that Aromatics International lists the country of origin and the date of distillation.

Another method I use that's really simple and affordable is steeping fresh herbs into hot water and using that "tea" to clean my surfaces.  One of my favorite simple, affordable, cleaning recipes is to gather some fresh Rosemary from the garden, add to the bucket and pour boiling water over it, let it steep.  Once the water cools I'll don some plastic gloves, grab a rag, and wipe down my counters, cabinets, and floors--leaving behind the clean pungent scent of Rosemary.  After I'm done I dump the water and rosemary into the compost or grass.

What I'm Reading - House Cleaning

For the past few weeks I've been doing my "fall-cleaning".  It's been a tedious and time-consuming project as I sift through all the stuff.  I've been ridding my environment of clutter and unnecessary items I've accumulated through the years.  It's such a wonderful feeling as I declutter each cabinet, box, closet and room.

My kids are grown and have moved out, leaving me with extra rooms to hang on to stuff I no longer need.  Now that it's just my husband and I, there really isn't a need for all this space and all this stuff.  I would like to eventually downsize to half the space I live in now.  So, the empty nest has driven me towards downsizing my life.

The first step I took was to change my paradigm, to change how I viewed my existence in relation to all this stuff.  I've spent way too many years maintaining this stuff, providing it space, dusting it, cleaning it, caring for it and thus allowing it to take time away from me.  The stuff served its purpose through the years but it no longer fits in with the life I want.  My goal is minimalism.  Minimalism is an extension of simplicity.  To live simply and deliberately is freedom.  For some time now I've been thinking in more minimalist terms and applying that philosophy as a way of life. 

The following books were helpful in motivating me to live with less and declutter my space.

The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay. 

It is an inspirational little handbook that will help get you started on decluttering your life.  You can read more about the author and philosophy on her blog, Miss Minimalist http://www.missminimalist.com/

Magical Housekeeping: Simple Charms and Practical Tips for Creating a Harmonious Home by Tess Whitehurst.

Whitehurst combines elements of feng shui, energy, Gaia philosophy, and ritual practices as a guide towards creating a harmonious space.  One of her suggestions I found practical was eliminating items from my life that have negative associations: "You might have a perfectly lovely scarf...that was a gift from your psycho ex.  Or a gorgeous painting...that was a hand-me down from the domineering great aunt whom you never got along with.  Even if something just reminds you of a time or a person that you'd like to put in the past, consider letting go of it".  I did just that, eliminated those items with negative connotations and found it worked in purging my environment and my emotional state.  I'm hoping that by eliminating the things that weigh me down that I will also lift the stagnate energy that has been weighing me down.  And also will be ready to take on a change of residence in the near future.

The great thing about house cleaning is that it gives a sense of control and orderliness to ones space.  Once it's all done everything feels more manageable, orderly, and balanced.