Wednesday, April 2, 2014

What spring may bring...





Spring is blossoming and that means many new things, both welcome and un-welcomed! Spring cleaning and allergies. Those are the two things on most of our lists at the moment. There is an overwhelming amount of information available these days to combat seasonal allergies and tackle our home spring cleaning goals. So, for brevity's sake, I am keeping this post simple and straight to the point.

Here are some easy and affordable go-to tips and recipes for combating season allergies and beginning a top-to-bottom cleaning of your home! So, for allergies, I am going to share with you three simple ways to combat it: internally, by inhalation, and topically.

1. Internally: Buy clear vegetable shots at your local health food store (or online) in bulk. Fill the capsule with 3 drops each of Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint as often as needed throughout the day.


2. Inhalation: Combine the above oils into your home diffuser with distilled water (pour the water up to the fill line) and leave it running all day long. This also eases the stress that allergies brings into our homes, especially when we have to care for children who are uncomfortable through this time.


 3. Topical: Use a few drops of Lavender on a q-tip to do a swipe inside nostrils (may need to slightly dilute with olive oil/coconut oil if you experience a slight sting). Use another clean set of q-tips to do a Lavender swipe inside the cheeks of your mouth. Apply drops of Lavender onto the bottoms of your feet a couple times each day.

And for those with a lot of head and sinus pressure during this season, I want to share an excellent graphic with steps for really battling through the worst of it!


Now, on to simple steps for beginning your spring cleaning goals!

1. Begin with the Citrus Vinegar Cleaner for cleaning all counter tops, floors, appliances, and practically anywhere!

Fill a quart size jar full of leftover citrus peels. Pour white vinegar up to the top. Add 5-8 drops of each essential oil. Let mixture sit in a cool, dark place for a couple weeks. Remove citrus peels and pour vinegar cleaner into a glass spray bottle for cleaning counter-tops in the bathroom and kitchen.

I used Orange and Grapefruit in this blend, but I have also used Young Living's Citrus Fresh blend and Lemon. Their citrus oils are the most affordable, ranging from $10 - $16, which is why they are so *perfect* to use for every day cleaning.


 2. For the tough places, like the toilet bowl and sinks, I use these cleaners:

Basic Sink Cleanser
Safe for porcelain or stainless steel.
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
3 drops Lavender, or Rosemary, or Lemon/Lime EO
 Combine Ingredients. Rinse sink with hot water then pour cleanser and wipe with sponge. Rinse.

 No Scrub Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Vinegar
!0 Drops Lavender EO
5 Drops Lemon or Lime EO
 Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pour all at once in the toilet. Allow to sit overnight. In the morning, just flush.

A bit of baking soda mixed with drops of Lemon oil always makes the perfect scrub to get your hardware to shine again. I do this to my kitchen and bathroom faucets and it looks and smells like heaven!

3. For those who are looking for something that really gets tough spots, particularly with issues like mildew, try the most effective Young Living cleaner: Thieves!
Thieves is a blend that smells like Christmas to me! It is a treat every time! It is a powerful blend that contains Cinnamon, Lemon, Rosemary, Clove, and Eucalyptus Radiata



 That wraps up this post! Begin your Essential Oil-infused journey today by applying these simple and practical steps. :-)

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