Where It All Began
When my daughter was very young, she was diagnosed with asthma. The journey to her diagnosis was a long, tiring journey. Almost every night for 6 months, she would wake up coughing until she threw up. As soon as we heard the coughing start, my husband and I would jump out of bed to try and calm the coughing or to clean up the mess. For 6 long months, we searched for answers.
We were told it was just mucus draining into her stomach. We were told to prop the head of her mattress up to help clear congestion. We were told to run a humidifier in her room to keep her sinuses from drying out. We were told she would grow out of it.
One day, I was talking to a friend about it, and her mother-in-law, who was standing nearby, heard what I was saying and said to have her doctor check for asthma.
So we did. And, the tests came back positive. She was put on steroids to calm the inflammation in her lungs and was put on a daily inhaler.
And then...
One day, years later, I was teaching my kids how to clean the bathroom, when it hit me.
Could the fumes from the cleaning products I used while cleaning have contributed to her asthma?
There isn’t any evidence that the cleaning products I used when she was younger caused her asthma, but it got me thinking. Here I was, teaching my kids to use cleaning products that had a long list of chemicals I couldn’t say, let alone, know what they were. And, EVERY bottle had warning labels (use in a well-ventilated area, use gloves, avoid contact with skin).
What was I exposing my family to? What harm could these common household cleaners cause?
Are there better, safer alternatives out there?
And that’s when...
I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to get rid of all cleaning products that had the potential to cause harm.
It wasn’t easy. At the time, there wasn’t a lot of information out there on alternative cleaning products. So-called “green” products weren’t quite yet a thing. How was I going to make changes if I didn’t know how to effectively clean without harsh chemicals?
Fast-forward 10 years and I am so happy to say that I have found my alternatives and still finding more!
So, follow along on my journey as I finish what I started years ago. It’s time to finally say good riddance to harsh chemicals, and hello to safe, all-natural products that I don’t have to worry about using around family and pets.
I am so excited to share with you what I use now, what I try, what I hate, and more. Here, you will find recipes, recommendations, tips, and tricks. My goal is to share what I have learned over the last several years so YOU don’t have to waste another minute trying things that don’t pan out (cough cough dawn dish soap and vinegar).
Why I chose dōTERRA
Why I love dōTERRA products, in a nutshell:
- There are a lot of essential oil companies out there that claim their products are “all-natural”. dōTERRA backs up that claim by posting quality reports (from a third-party company), online and they are accessible to everyone.
- dōTERRA gives back to the communities where they source their oils by helping small farmers.
- There are many resources on how to use each oil. Tons of educational materials are available.
- The company's leaders encourage everyone who is building a dōTERRA business to serve others through the Healing Hands Foundation.
- The products are amazing and have helped me and my family in so many ways.
MY CLEANING MUST HAVE’S
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Rubbing alcohol
- dōTERRA Essential oils
- dōTERRA On Guard cleaning concentrate
Resources: