The Community of Change Welcomes Michele

Non Toxic Home Made Cleaner

I am pretty passionate about getting rid of toxins in the home, food, etc. and have slowly been integrating this into our daily lives for the past year or so. We are raising four children, so the importance of raising them with healthy habits is very important to us. I’ve noticed on this journey so far that my quest to create a healthier living environment in our home and in the foods we eat has really opened our family’s thinking.  And the kids recognition of healthy eating and healthy living habits have really been the most rewarding part. What’s wonderful too is that my husband has been starting to make some small changes, as well, because he hears the kids talk and sees how passionate they are about healthy living and eating, too. He sees how one small change can start to snowball and it’s really not that hard to change something. He has even switched our laundry detergent to a more gentle cleanser to aid in the journey (which took a while!). He is more traditional in the sense that he uses commercial cleaning products, buys in bulk for convenience, etc. He has really started to slow down with this due to me and the kids focusing more on sustainable living. Not to mention, home-cooked meals, baked goods and preserving homegrown food have been the tastiest and most rewarding efforts over this past summer. What a difference it has made in how we all feel physically as well as mentally and spiritually!

 

I’ve definitely realized over the past few months that making changes really takes time and patience and if you stick with it, you can really help others open their minds to trying a different method that is healthier for ourselves, as well as for the planet. Thank you for creating your blog and sharing other people’s ideas who are passionate about healthy living, also!

 

For my home made cleaner I went into Cabin Country (downtown Loveland ) and bought Grapefruit seed extract (by NutriBiotic) and some Lavender Oil. Grapefruit seed extract has many medicinal qualities for your internal health, but it is also a wonderful disinfectant. So, I just read the directions to make an everyday cleaner which is:

 

30-60 drops of Grapefruit seed extract

Lavender Oil (or any essential oil you like)

32 oz. water

 

The kitchen smells GREAT and it was actually enjoyable to wipe down the surfaces after cooking, lunch, dinner, etc., because of the Lavender oil. Ahhhhhh. I used it in the kitchen bathroom at the end of the day to freshen things up and wipe down toilet seats (especially after 2 young boys! J) It really feels good to be using something that is completely non-toxic and natural and something I can use more often throughout the day just to freshen things up. Not to mention, it helps keep money in our pocket without having to buy all those expensive cleaning products, which aren’t even healthy for ourselves or the environment!

~Michele

*Michele is the mother of 4 children living at the base of the Rocky Mountains (in my same town :))  She is passionate about making small changes in her life that will have a greater impact on her children and our Earth.  She blogs at Living to Love.  Loving to Live.  

**If you would like to write for One Small Change and share your ideas, experience, recipes, etc. with our readers, please email me at suzy@hipmountainmama.com!

The Community of Change Welcomes Michele