Christmas holidays are crazy over at our house; packed full of crafting, baking and fun-filled family visits. I’m sure you can relate. With this much-loved holiday frenzy, I traditionally have my kids at arms length and my bottle of all-purpose cleaner attached to my hip – and not the other way around. We share the tasks, but we tend to be cleaning and tidying tirelessly trying to keep up with all our holiday traditions. And although I may not be the primary cleaner in our home, I can be a tad messy, the products we use became much more natural once I had a say!
Through this frenzy, it can be easy to forget that there are several simple, cheap and natural alternatives, most of which are already in our cupboards!
Why go natural?
I am sure that those of you with young children understand that all surfaces have to be baby safe. You turn around for a second and you find your little one licking who knows what off of whatever surface they can reach. And remember, we absorb just as readily through our skin as we do through our mouth – if you wouldn’t eat the chemicals labeled on a cleaning product, then you don’t want them absorbed through your skin.
Here are a few natural essentials that I always have on hand to tackle household messes.
- Microfibre cloths. Ditch the paper towels – these are washable and won’t leave streaks!
- White vinegar. You can clean your ENTIRE house with white vinegar and water.
- Baking soda. Baking soda is a great alternative to chemical abrasives.
- Essential oils. I add essential oils to all my vinegar/water mixes to ensure that a fresh smell lingers
TIP: if you want to get started with an all-purpose mix, grab a spray bottle, add a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar, 10-20 drops of your favourite essential oils and voila! Just shake it before you use it! So easy!
PS, since we’re sharing, here’s another one of our household secrets. We often use a steamer to deep clean our house. It’s effective and just uses plain water – safe for the little ones and pets too! That said, even though the floors are squeaky clean, they don’t smell fresh. SOLUTION: I add a few drops of my favourite essential oil and problem solved!
Do you have any go-to natural cleaning tips? Please share!
In great health & happiness,
Dr. Michelle
Dr. Michelle Peris is a Naturopathic Doctor whose goal is to inspire health through educating, motivating and empowering people. She has a family based practice out of a clinic in Oakville, Ontario.
Contact Dr. Michelle today to book your 15 minute complimentary consult.