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Tips for a Healthy Home

Toxin-free Living

Let’s CLEANSE & DECLUTTER our HOMES and make RECIPES for TOXIN-FREE CLEANING and a HEALTHY HOME!!

3 Simple TIPS for DECLUTTERING

  1. Use your MOTIVATING OILS FIRST! So many options: Motivate, Passion, Rosemary + Wild Orange, Elevation

  1. Take 15 minutes EVERYDAY. Pick one area or room in your house that needs some tidying up. COMMIT to spending just 15 minutes a day! Set up a schedule if that’s what floats your boat.

  1. Have a place for the stuff you don’t want anymore. Whether it’s the garbage can, recycling bin, or a box labeled “Goodwill”, make sure to get that stuff out of your way for good!

YOUR HEALTHY HOME: GUIDE TO TOXIN-FREE CLEANING

Health is one of the best assets we have! And while a healthy diet, regular exercise, and proper stress management are self-explanatory foundations of a health-promoting lifestyle, minimizing your toxic load can be just as important. The proper functioning of your vital organs and the minimization of toxic load can influence your health as much as any other controllable factor. Your skin is your largest organ, and whatever you put on it goes inside and your organs have to try to break down the chemical constituents of it. Whatever you put in the air (like room sprays or dryer sheets) goes into your lungs. MANY products that people use in their homes everyday disrupt the endocrine system. The endocrine system consists of glands that release hormones. Once released, hormones act like chemical messengers. They travel around the body, bind to target receptors on specific cells, and cause predictable cellular changes.

That water bottle you just drank from? It probably contains an endocrine disruptor.

The carpet you just sat on? It probably contains an endocrine disruptor too.

The shampoo you just used? Endocrine disruptor.

That cleaner or bleach wipe you used to wash off your counters?

That’s right, we’re constantly bombarded with hormonal manipulators. They’re everywhere. So let’s discuss the most common ones. And, more importantly, what you can do to reduce your risk.

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are interesting chemicals because they can mimic hormones. And even very small amounts can have an influence. That’s why EDs are often measured in ppt (parts per trillion). Also, EDs are very stable. In other words, they don’t break down quickly. This is why many manufacturers include them in products in the first place. Of course, it also means they stick around in water, air, soil, (and our bodies) for a long time.

Since our hormonal systems are critical to body function and health, when they’re changed by EDs, potential outcomes include:

  • oxidative stress

  • altered testicular function and suppression of testosterone synthesis

  • early onset of menarche

  • sensory impairment and social problems (especially when exposed at early ages)

  • altered conversion of cholesterol to steroid hormones

  • promotion of obesity (by altering metabolism, fat cell signaling, glucose uptake, inflammation, and appetite)

  • EDs stored in fat cells (the more body fat, the more EDs have likely been stored)

  • altered onset of puberty

  • disrupted immune function

  • disrupted bone health, cardiac function, and mental status

Interestingly, a non-linear response has been observed in many EDs. This means that an ED might wreak havoc at very low and very high doses. But moderate doses might do nothing at all.

With industrialization, more chemicals are produced. These chemicals make their way into the environment. As a result, EDs are found in:

  • food

  • personal care products

  • cosmetics

  • pharmaceuticals

  • pesticides

  • plastics

  • water

  • soil

Unfortunately, no U.S. law currently addresses EDs under an integrated framework. There’s an Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) that’s currently making its way through an estimated 87,000 chemicals. While that’s a lot, it’s sad to know that the EDSP still doesn’t have authority for regulation. The EU law bans 1,328 chemicals from cosmetics that are known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive harm or birth defects. In comparison, the U.S. FDA has only banned or restricted 11 chemicals from cosmetics.

Green cleaning and natural household products help minimize exposure! In turn, it’ll have a holistic effect on your life. Reducing your toxic load can affect all areas of your health and life, helping you stay strong all season.

OnGuard Products

OnGuard products are as effective as bleach!!! But SO MUCH SAFER + OnGuard BOOSTS your Immune System! What can you ditch in your home and replace with the following, if you haven’t already?

Cleaner Concentrate

Laundry Soap

Foaming Handwash

Hand Spray

Toothpaste

Mouthwash

Other Natural Alternatives 

Baking Soda

Borax

White Vinegar

Castile Soap

Cream Of Tartar

Hydrogen Peroxide

Essential Oils – Lemon, OnGuard, Tea Tree, Wild Orange, Eucalyptus, Arborvitae, Citronella, Clove, Cinnamon, Douglas Fir, Green Mandarin, Grapefruit, Lemon Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Oregano, Myrrh, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tangerine, Thyme, Wintergreen, Purify, Citrus Bliss

RECIPES

WINDOW CLEANER
1 c White Vinegar
10 drops Essential Oil of your choice
+ water in a 22oz spray bottle.
Shake & spray on windows, glass and mirrors. Wipe.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 cap doTerra OnGuard Ceaner Concentrate
5 drops Lemon
5 drops Tea Tree
+ water in a 22oz spray bottle
Shake & spray on surfaces. Wipe clean.

TOILET BOWL CLEANER
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup baking soda
5 drops OnGuard
5 drops Lemon
Sprinkle baking soda in toilet bowl water. Add oils. Scrub with toilet bowl brush. Add white vinegar. Scrub again. Let sit 5 minutes. Flush.

HOMEMADE BLEACH
¼ cup filtered water
¼ cup hydrogen peroxide (3% solution)
½ Tbsp lemon juice
3 drops Lemon
Add Lemon oil to a 4oz colored glass bottle. Add peroxide & lemon juice. Fill with water. Shake well. Last 2-3 months if stored out of sunlight.

WOOD POLISH
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
10 drops essential oil (Arborvitae, Lemon or Wild Orange)
Add ingredients to 8oz glass spray bottle. Spray to protect wood furniture and wood floors.

AIR or CARPET FRESHENER
¼ cup baking soda
5-6 drops essential oils (Lavender, Lemon, Cassia, or others)
Add baking soda & oils to a mason jar. Cover with cheesecloth or canning lid with holes. Place the jar around your home for air freshener. For carpet freshener, sprinkle on carpet and allow to sit for 10 minutes, then vacuum.

FRESH ROOM SPRAYS
Add oils to a 1oz/30mL spray bottle and fill with water. Shake before each use.
 

You can also use these recipes when making your surface cleaner!

Peppy Citrus
10 drops Lemon
5 drops Tangerine
5 drops Peppermint
3 drops Frankincense

Minty Calm
5 drops Spearmint
5 drops Peppermint
5 drops Lavender

Home Sweet Home
3 drops Cassia
3 drops Citrus Bliss
3 drops Cinnamon
3 drops Tangerine

Clean Kitchen
10 drops Lemon
10 drops Wild Orange
10 drops Tea Tree

Oh Happy Day
5 drops Citrus Bliss
5 drops Lemon
5 drops Tangerine
5 drops Peppermint

Relax at Home
10 drops each Lavender
10 drops Eucalyptus

Keep It Healthy
5 drops OnGuard
5 drops Lavender
10 drops Lemon
10 drops Breathe

Breathe & Be Well
10 drops Lavender
10 drops Breathe

Minty Clean
5 drops Spearmint
5 drops Lime
5 drops Tea Tree

Fresh & Fruity
5 drops Douglas Fir
5 drops Citrus Bliss