In our home, we haven't purchased brand-name cleaning products for years (well, with the exception of my husband, who isn't quite as granola as me; and I don't use what he buys). For a few years we used Melaleuca products. They're great, too, since Tea Tree Oil is the active ingredient.
But I like simple and thrifty, so I use the most basic, easy to find products I can find: baking soda, peroxide, vinegar, and a few essential oils.
And water.
Which leads me to how I clean my floors. I got a Shark steam mop a few years ago and wouldn't trade it for anything! We have 100% hard flooring in our house, so you can bet we have to mop quite a bit. (Actually, quite a bit more than we do, but that's another story.)
Recently one day, while I was sick with a headache, my oldest daughter was mopping, and she decided to add Rosemary oil to the steam mop. Wow! The house had the "just cleaned" smell that we haven't had in awhile since we don't use the strong-smelling chemical stuff.
Since then, I have begun adding it to my peroxide spray bottle, as an all-purpose cleaner. I use it on most surfaces, including glass. It's cheap and safe.
I don't have to worry about chemical toxicity in the air, on surfaces, or even in the event that my kids spill the cleaners or ingest them.
So, why Rosemary?
From my book "The Complete Woman's Herbal:"
Rosemary contains volatile oils which are antisceptic, with antibacterial and antifungal properties and which enhance the function of the immune system.
It has tons of other health benefits, but these are the benefits that apply to cleaning. As aromatherapy, it is used for anxiety, tension, exhaustion, lethargy, depression, insomnia, and as a tonic during convalescence and for the elderly. It also makes an excellent remedy for preventing and treating migraine headaches.
Most importantly, "it is a powerful antioxidant, preventing damage by free radicals."
So, clean up your house, your air, and your lungs and add Rosemary essential oil to your cleaning regimen!
I purchase mine through our local organic food co-op, but it is easily purchased at health food stores and online.
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