Natural Carpet Cleaning Recipes

If you are looking for reasons to ditch your toxic household cleaners and switch to non toxic natural cleaners you need look no further than the dirtiest, most used area of your home - your carpet! Consider this:

Carpet cleaning products, especially those used as a spot or stain remover, are often made with chemicals that dissolve dirt without soap and water. Because they are not rinsed with water they leave residues and strong odors behind. These fumes and odors are often created from toxic substances such as formaldehyde, acids, pesticides, disinfectants, lye, fragrances, and antibacterial chemicals all of which are harmful to your wellbeing in so many ways.

After cleaning the carpet, the residues of these chemicals remain on the carpet where they are easily transferred to skin, feet, and onto hands where they can make their way into the mouth especially by children and pets.

Using natural cleaning products is the way to go for sure and certainly there are more and more natural cleaning products on the market but you have to be sure of what’s in your cleaner. You can read the labels but be warned; as with most household cleaners, reading the label on carpet cleaners may not be enough.

Companies often times won’t list all the ingredients on the label for fear of giving away their secret formula. Many times it is these very ingredients that are most harmful to us. If you’d like to learn more about the safety of chemicals in carpet cleaners read “Are Carpet Cleaners Safe“

With all the rolling and romping my children do on our carpets I absolutely make sure there are no chemicals being used to clean it. I use Young Living’s Thieves Household Cleaner and Young Living Essential Oils for most of my household cleaning - my carpets are no exception.

The advantage of using Thieves Household Cleaner over other natural cleaners is the added benefit that its made with Thieves Essential Oil Blend. This blend is comprised of oils which are found to be highly anti microbial, antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiseptic. So while its cleaning, the oils are killing the germs that are carried in from shoes and even feet. And if odors are coming from your carpet, the oils will help destroy the bacteria that is causing the odor. The essential oils work as a natural disinfectant. Now that’s natural cleaning at its best!

Its important to note that a carpet that is not regularly maintained will often require stronger chemicals to get it clean. Avoid that and enjoy cleaner and healthier carpets by using Thieves Household Cleaner in your steam cleaner on a regular basis.

Following are some carpet cleaning and deodorizing recipes using Thieves Household Cleaner and essential oils. Note how little of the Thieves cleaner is necessary which makes it very cost effective as well:

Spot and Stain Remover

Use the Thieves Household Cleaner recipe for MEDIUM DEGREASING (1:30)
(1 capful cleaner: a little less than 2 cups water)

Spray directly on the stain, wipe with a clean cloth.

(Always spot test an inconspicuous area to ensure no problems occur.)

Carpet Cleaning for Steam Cleaner

I have a couple of different recipes for the steam cleaner style carpet cleaners and I list them below. Personally, I determine my mixture based on the need of the carpet. You’ll get a feel for your own machine and how much Thieves Household Cleaner to use.

Carpet Shampooing (1:100) 1 capful cleaner : 6.25 cups water
1 teaspoon Thieves household Cleaner…….filled it with water.

All essential oils have some antibacterial/antimicrobial properties so they’re useful to use as a carpet deodorizer. I like to make different mixes based on my preferences at the time. I like Purification for the carpet in my car. Its a great way to replace the air freshener you have hanging from the mirror.

Carpet Freshener

Mix all ingredients in a widemouthed glass jar and tighten the cap or mix in a bowl with a wire whisk and cover.

Set aside for 24 hours to allow the aromas to permeate the powder.

Sprinkle over carpeting, leave for 10 to 15 minutes then vacuum .

Lavender: 60 drops

Cinnamon: 20 drops

Orange: 20 drops

Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): 1/2 cup (120 ml)

Recipe from the book 500 Formulas For Aromatherapy: Mixing Essential Oils for Every Use by Carol & David Schiller, ©1994.

Got a Stinky Vacuum Cleaner

or just want to freshen the room while you vacuum? Saturate a disposable cloth or tissue with several drops of essential oil and place into the collecting bag of your vacuum. This will diffuse a pleasant odor as you clean.

Does your vacuum cleaner collect dirt into water? Simply add a few drops into the water reservoir before cleaning. This is excellent for freshen up the carpet and the room.

Would you like to learn more about Thieves Household Cleaner? Here is a great tips and usage document from the excellent website Secret of Thieves.

We live in a very toxic world and I feel removing toxic chemicals from our lives is of paramount importance and should be part of every one’s wellness plan. Using natural non toxic household cleaners is one to control what goes in you and your family’s body and is one of the easiest ways to move toward optimal wellness.

I hope you’ll consider greening your cleaning for you and your family. If you’d like to learn more about green cleaning and the toxins that are in your home Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning by Dierdra Imus is a great, informative read. It is filled with tons of information on personal care and household cleaning products.

If you have any questions or would like help ordering Thieves Household Cleaner please contact me. I would love to help.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

Lavender Essential Oil - Tips for Use

LAVENDER: (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most versatile of all essential oils. Therapeutic-grade lavender has been highly regarded for the skin.

Lavender has been clinically evaluated for its relaxing effects. It may be used to cleanse cuts, bruises and skin irritations.The fragrance is calming, relaxing and balancing – physically and emotionally.

Here is a list of 20 ways to use this versital essential oil:

1. Rubbing Lavender oil on the feet may cause a calming effect on the body.
2. Rubbing a drop of Lavender oil on your palms and smoothed on your pillow may help you sleep.
3. Putting a drop of Lavender oil on a bee sting or insect bite may soothe itching, stinging and discomfort.
4. Putting 2-3 drops of Lavender oil may soothe a minor burn.
5. Dropping Lavender oil may soothe a cut.
6. Mixing several drops of Lavender oil with V-6 Vegetable Mixing Oil and used topically may be soothing to skin irritations.
7. Possible help in alleviating the symptoms of motion sickness is to place a drop of Lavender oil on the end of the tongue or around the naval or behind the ears.
8. Rubbing a drop of Lavender oil over the bridge of the nose may help to unblock tear ducts.
9. Rubbing Lavender oil on dry or chapped skin may bring relief. Rubbing a drop of Lavender oil on chapped or sunburned lips may help discomfort.

Order Your Young Living Lavender Essential Oil Here……

10. Possible help in reducing and/or minimizing the appearance of scar tissue may be to try massaging Lavender oil on and around the area.
11. Rubbing 2 – 4 drops of Lavender oil over the armpit area may help act as a deodorant.
12. Rubbing a drop of Lavender oil between your palms and inhaling deeply may help in alleviating the discomfort of air borne pollen and/or dust.
13. Rubbing several drops of Lavender oil into the scalp may help with flaking.
14. Placing a few drops of Lavender oil on a cotton ball and placing in your linen closet to scent the linens and may help repel moths and insects.
15. Placing a drop of Lavender oil in your water fountain may help to scent the air, help sanitize and prolong the time between cleanings.
16. Placing a few drops of Lavender oil on a wet cloth and throwing into the dryer, may help to deodorize and freshen your laundry.
17. Diffusing Lavender oil may support the body’s natural defenses against air borne sensitivities to the skin and immune system.
18. Spritzing several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on a sunburn may help soothe it.
19. Dropping Lavender oil on a cut may help clean the wound, sanitize and soothe it.
20. Applying 2-3 drops of Lavender oil to a rash may help and soothe the skin.

If you have any questions regarding Lavender or would like help in ordering Lavender, please contact me and I’d be happy to help.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

The above usage of Lavender was taken from “101 uses For Young Living Essential Oils” - thanks to Peggy Brackett and the many others that have contributed to the creation of this list.

The Dangers of Using Antibacterial Products

Are you familiar with Triclosan? Triclosan is a pesticide; a potent wide spectrum antibacterial and anti fungal agent. Triclosan is one of the most common active ingredients in all the beloved antibacterial products people love.

As a society we are obsessed with killing germs and keeping our environment disinfected. We’re even looking for our cutting boards, bibs, and high chairs to include some type of antibacterial protection and the government is hearing our cries.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), as of July 2008 the federal government has approved the pesticide Triclosan for use in 140 different types of consumer products including liquid hand soap, toothpaste, undergarments and children’s toys.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for keeping our homes and bodies clean but this need to kill germs is causing much larger problems for us. The following facts will help explain why:

• According to the World Health Organization, disinfectant and antibacterial products are resulting in stronger, more resistant bacteria. Triclosan kills most - but not all - of the bacteria it encounters. The germs that survive emerge stronger and harder to kill in the future. This can make normal household germs more resistant.
• The American Medical Association recommends that triclosan not be used in the home as it may encourage bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
• A 2002 Swedish study found high levels of triclosan in 3 out of 5 human breast milk samples.
• A study of over 200 healthy households found that households using antibacterial products did not have any reduced risk for runny noses, coughs, and other symptoms of infectious diseases.
• Researchers have raised concerns about triclosan and its link to dioxins, which are highly carcinogenic chemicals that can cause severe health problems such as: weakening of the immune system, decreased fertility, altered sex hormones, birth defects, and cancer.
• Girl Scouts in St. Paul, Minnesota found that when they tried to use triclosan to kill bacteria they were growing for a science fair project, the bacteria actually started growing.
• Triclosan, when washed down the drain, is making its way into our water system and is highly toxic to a number of different types of algae which are the primary producers in many aquatic ecosystems.
• When triclosan reacts with chlorine found in tap water, chloroform is produced. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies chloroform as a probable human carcinogen.
• Research suggests that normal water treatment procedures could convert triclosan into a toxic dioxin and the conversion can be triggered by strong sunlight.
• Triclosan bio accumulates or becomes concentrated in fatty tissue in humans and animals that are exposed to this chemical.

These facts make it clear, triclosan isn’t good for our health or our environment. Unfortunately there are over 973 products listed in the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database containing triclosan. I bet you won’t have any trouble finding products you use on this list.

What can you do to make sure that your exposure to this hazardous chemical is limited?

1. Watch for triclosan (and triclocarban, its chemical cousin) in personal care products. Read ingredient labels and use the Cosmetic Data Base to see which of your current personal care products contain triclosan.
2. Switch your personal care products to those that are all natural and free of triclosan and other hazardous chemicals such as Young Living Essential Oils. Young Living offers many personal care products that include Skin Care, Hair care, Bath and Shower Products, Kids products and, Oral Hygiene. Click to see the entire essential oil based product line here. (then click on the Personal Care tab)
3. Switch your antibacterial cleaning supplies for those that are considered natural and non-toxic such as Young Living’s Thieves Essential Oil based Household Cleaner

Order Your Triclosan Free Personal Care Products Here…..

1. Make your own antibacterial cleaning products using essential oils. Essential oils are the lifeblood of a plant and the oil serves as its own chemical defense against fungus and infection. When used outside of the plant the essential oil is a powerful antibacterial and in fact, has been used to neutralize germs as far back as 1887. Here is a great article from another Young Living independent distributor on house cleaning with essential oils.
2. Forego antibacterial soap. Use Thieves Foaming Soap instead. Its made with the most potent antibacterial essential oils: clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary.
3. Avoid “Antibacterial” Products - these products may be labeled “antibacterial,” or make claims such as “odor-fighting” or “keeps food fresher, longer.” These products may be toys, bedding, bath accessories, and clothing. I think you will be surprised when you view the list of government approved products allowed to contain triclosan here. Shop for natural home items at Gaiam.com and Acacia Catalog.

Would you like to learn more about Triclosan and what the Environmental Working Group is doing to help get this hazardous chemical banned? Click here to learn more and if you like what you see and you support what they’re doing why not click on their donate button and give them some support.

If you have any questions regarding this information or would like help getting chemicals out of your life, contact me. I’d be happy to help.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

Related information: Rub A Dub Dub….Is Cancer in Your Tub?

R.C.™ To The Rescue

I love when my essential oils alleviate a symptom or heal me or my family without the use of over the counter medicines or prescription drugs.

When my oils bring comfort to my family it brings me great satisfaction and helps reaffirm, for me, that there are natural solutions that can be used to help my family maintain their health and bring us relief when needed.

Last night my essential oils came to the rescue and brought with it great relief and great satisfaction!!

Last night one of my dear children started in with her allergy related croupy cough. It was a threatening cough and I became concerned for our night ahead and the possibility that I would be waking in the middle of the night to administer a nebulizer to my daughter. Even my husband had that “we are in for it tonight” look on his face as my daughter headed for bed.

I have had great success with R.C.™ and Raven essential oils in the past for congestion issues with my children so I decided to pull out the R.C.™ . I mixed it with some sesame oil and rubbed it on my daughter’s chest and back. I then gave her some homemade Honey Horehound cough medicine and silently said a little prayer that sleep would be in our lives this evening.

My daughter settled in nicely and I was very hopeful. About 3 hours into my sleep I awoke to her coughing. I knew in my heart that I needed to either get her more cough medicine and/or put some more oil on her chest and if I didn’t, for sure, I would be pulling out the nebulizer to help her breath. I dreaded waking her for this ordeal but if I didn’t do something I wasn’t going to be able to get myself back to sleep due to my fretting over what was to come.

I decided that I would do the least disruptive solution and that was to set up the diffuser in her bedroom.

Read About Diffusing Here

I added about 20 drops of the R.C.™ oil into the diffuser and started it up. Once the oil began circulating in the room my daughter’s coughing stopped immediately and she didn’t make another sound the entire evening. When she woke in the morning her cough was no longer a croupy cough but sounded more like a cough that was breaking up. Even better, she barely coughed all day!

R.C.™ is an Essential Oil blend created by Young Living and consists of four different eucalyptus oils and other oils that are perfect for supporting the respiratory system. This oil blend is very beneficial in the diffuser to decongest and relieve allergy-type symptoms such as coughs, sore throat, and lung congestion.

Order Young Living Essential Oils Here…

Please contact me if you have any questions or need help placing an order. I’d be happy to assist you.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

Disclaimer: This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for medical care or to prescribe treatment for any specific health condition. This information has not been evaluated by the Federal Food & Drug Administration.

Alkalize with Lemon Essential Oil

Have you ever stumbled across something that was so simple to do, that took very little effort to add to your life, and brought great rewards? I love these kinds of moments because simple and me go perfect together. And when these ideas affect my health in a big way, well, for me, its like hitting the lottery!

I have one of those simple ideas for you and the effect it will have on your health is huge! Ready?

Drink a glass of lukewarm water with lemon juice in it every morning. Better yet, drink lemon water throughout your day. What’s so great about lemon water?

Lemon water is very alkalizing and when your body is in an alkaline state your body functions more optimally.

The body’s entire metabolic process depends on an alkaline environment. When we ingest too many acidic or acid-producing foods, excess acid corrodes tissues and organs, which leads to illness, sickness and disease. In addition, acid also provides a favorable environment for harmful bacteria and other micro organism that can damage organs, glands and body cells.

Its nice to know that simply drinking a glass of lemon water can help maintain the alkalinity of the body and ward off the acid that causes so much damage, but there are additional benefits to drinking lemon water. Here are a few:

• Cleanses the digestive system and helps eliminate waste products from the body more efficiently.
• It prevents the problem of constipation and diarrhea from taking place, by ensuring smooth bowel functions.
• Relieves symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching.
• Good Source of Vitamin C.
• Enhances the beauty of your skin, rejuvenating it from within.
• Cleanses and aids in eliminating waste in the liver.
• Helps cleanse the kidneys.
• Eliminates water retention and helps with weight reduction.

• Lemon is antiseptic thereby able to help reduce or prevent infection
• Contains calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
• Lemon juice has been known to relieve asthma.
• When served hot, offers relief from cold and flu symptoms while providing some much needed Vitamin C.
• Flushes out body toxins
• enhances concentration and decision making
• contains over 68% d-limonene. D-limonene has been extensively studied for its ability to combat tumor growth in over 50 clinical studies.

Great stuff right?

HUGE benefits - very little effort. AWESOME!!

Add some Lemon water to your life and see if you don’t feel the benefits!

You can make this an easy habit to incorporate by using Lemon Essential Oil. A bottle of lemon essential oil is so portable it makes drinking lemon water throughout the day simple and lets face it, it sure beats carrying lemons around with you

In addition to convenience Lemon Essential Oil is concentrated so a little bit goes a long way. You should know that it takes 3000 lemons to produce 1 kilo (2.2lbs) of lemon oil. Imagine how much benefit you’ll receive from 1 drop of lemon oil in your water.

Clean Your Air Naturally Without Harmful Chemicals

Did you know that when the Natural Resources Defense Council conducted tests on popular air fresheners they found that 12 out of 14 contained the harmful chemical Phthalates (pronounced tha-lates)? Read the report here and see a list of the worst offenders.

Phthalates is a hazardous chemical that has been found to cause reproductive problems, birth defects and hormonal abnormalties in humans. In addition, exposure to Phthalates in indoor enviornments has also been associated with allergy symptoms and asthma.

Air fresheners release Phthalates into the air where they are inhaled and/or land on the skin and are absorbed. Phthalates are then absorbed into the bloodstream and that is when the problems begin.

Clearly, air fresheners are not a good solution for freshening or even cleaning the air, as some air freshener companies’ claim. A safe alternative and one of the best ways to purify and scent the air in your home or office is to use a cold air diffuser with essential oils.

A cold air diffuser consists of an air pump (like the pump for a fish tank) that blows room temp air through a tube and into a hand blown glass nebulizer. This action puts micro-fine particles of the essential oil into the air. The anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and antiseptic properties of the essential oils, along with the negative ions and oxygenating molecules that are released when essential oils are diffused, remain suspended in the air to help reduce chemicals, bacteria, and metallics in the air. All added bonuses to scenting the air!

What oils should you diffuse? Most single oils are great for diffusing and Young Living offers some blends especially designed for diffusing. Here are some suggestions:

Peace and Calming is a wonderful blend to diffuse to create a calm environment. This blend is great for calming overactive children.

Purification is specifically designed to purify the air. This blend works great to rid your home or office of odors and air borne bacteria. Diffuse this blend after cooking a seafood meal and you’d never know you had fish for dinner!

Thieves Blend was tested by Weber State University and was shown to kill 100% of the airborne bacteria present when diffused into the air. This is a great blend to diffuse in times of illness or to ward off airborne bacteria to prevent illness.

Citrus Fresh is a beautiful citrus scent that makes your enviornment smell clean and fresh and works as a great air purifier.

Keep your indoor air quality free of Phthalates and at its best by avoiding commercial air fresheners, invest in a cold air diffuser.

*Ask me how you can get 50% off a Young Living cold air nebulizing diffuser.*

If you have questions or need assistance in placing an order contact me, I will be happy to help you.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

Alleviate Hay Fever Symptoms Using Essential Oils

Raise your hand if you suffer from seasonal allergies or what’s better known as hay fever….Ahhh, I thought you might. If you read the statistics you would find that you’re far from alone in your suffering. According to recent statistics more than 26.1 million people in the United States alone suffer from hay fever every year. That’s a crazy number of people walking around sniffling and snuffling. Well, in actuality, some, or a good many, aren’t really walking around sniffling and snuffling they are just walking around feeling the side effects of their prescription medicine which can range from dry mouth, drowsiness, and sluggishness to depression or anxiety. Sadly, many of our children are sufferers of hay fever and they too are feeling the effects of their medication. I just read that their prescription medication may even cause them to have trouble functioning in school. Yikes!! Maybe you’re experiencing this first hand or your children are. If you’re looking for a way to alleviate the suffering but want to do it naturally read on.

There are many causes for hay fever aside from the pollen flying around outside and there are many lifestyle changes that you can do to naturally rid yourself of seasonal allergies but I am going to save that information for another day. For today, I will focus on alleviating your symptoms naturally, using essential oils and without medication.

Here is a list of essential oils that are great for sinus relief:

• Eucalyptus - acts as an antispasmodic, expectorant and decongestant. You can use any of the Eucalyptus oils or use one of Young Living’s eucalyptus blends such as RC or Raven.
• Lavender - works as a sedative and antispasmodic and may dull your sensitivity to pollen.
• Frankincense - serves as an anti-inflammatory, expectorant and sedative.
• Roman Chamomile - may reduce the severity of your immune reaction to pollen.
• Harmony Blend - a highly fragrant blend that includes Lavender, Frankincense, and Roman Chamomile. It’s like a triple whammy in reducing symptoms.

• Peppermint - serves as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti fungal. It has also been found by researchers to block headache pain. Good to know if you suffer from sinus headaches.

Try the following methods using the essential oils to reduce the hay fever symptoms:

• Diffuse the oils throughout the day in your home or at work. Ideally diffuse the oil 15 mins. every 2 hours as needed. A small appliance timer is great for this purpose. You can find one at Diffuser World.
• Add 5-10 drops of oil to a steam vaporizer and breathe the moist air.
• Apply 5-10 drops of oil to a tissue or handkerchief. Inhaling deeply from the tissue or handkerchief throughout the day may help reduce inflammation and aid with congestion.

• Mix a small amount of oil with Massage Oil Base or V-6 Vegetable Mixing Oil and massage into the chest and over the sinuses. Eucalyptus works especially well for this.

• Drop 1-2 drops of oil into the palm of your hand, rub hands together, cup hands over nose and breathe deeply. Peppermint is especially good for this method just be sure to avoid your eyes.

• Place Lavender directly on tip of nose and over sinus area on face to relieve congestion.

• Place Harmony blend on third eye (center of forehead directly above nose), brain stem, and on tops and bottoms of ears for a surprising release of symptoms.

• Use the oils as a gargle to relieve inflammation and itching in the throat. Only use 100% Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils for internal use.

• Use a Neti Pot (neti pot search) - this simple little item helps to keep your sinuses clear of allergens such as pollen or dust and is great when you’re experiencing sinus congestion. It cleans out the sinuses like no nose blowing can Initially it’s very awkward to use but once you get the hang of it you will be glad you did. My children actually ask for the neti pot when they are feeling the effects of their allergies or have a cold. When using the neti pot be sure to use 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon non-iodized sea salt and warm water so you don’t experience any burning sensation. For additional relief add a drop or two of lavender or eucalyptus for relief of sinus inflammation.

If you want to see the neti pot in use here is a video for your viewing. Its fun to watch just for the giggle effect I mean, really, who auditions for these kinds of parts?

As always, I hope you find this information useful. You can E-mail this information to a friend who may be in need of some hay fever relief, heck you must know one of those 26 million sufferers! Leave me a comment and let me know how they work for you or if you have any other natural solutions you’d like to share to help alleviate hay fever symptoms.

To order any of these products please visit my Young Living Website.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

Homemade Cough Syrups

I recently had a request for the homemade honey cough syrup recipe that I made for my children this year. Its a wonderful cough syrup that I am sure some of you could benefit from during this time of allergies when coughs become bothersome. I took a swig tonight and it rid me of the annoying tickling cough that I have been experiencing all day today. Why it took me all day to think of it is beyond me but I am very comfortable now while I type this out.

The cough syrup worked great for my family this past cold season; it even worked well on my husband whose coughs are generally tough to kick. Click here to read the article for a couple of different recipes. I can only vouch for the effectiveness of the horehound and honey recipe.

If you were to make any of the recipes with the highly antimicrobial Manuka Honey (click here to read about this awesome honey) you’d have a nice homemade cough medicine. Horehound can be found in a natural food market or health food store that sells herbs. I found horehound tea bags and made the recipe that way. Manuka Honey is becoming more popular and also can be found in natural food markets and health food stores.

I hope you experiment with these natural cough solutions and utilize the healing benefits of honey. You’ll even have a natural solution for your coughs instead of using all those over the counter medicines that are questionable for you and especially your children to use.

If it is allergies that you are suffering from, Lavender and Young Living’s blend Harmony might be just what the doctor should have ordered. I’ll save that for tomorrow’s post. Let me know if you try these recipes and how they work for you.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth