I am a Germ FREAK!!! Surprise, I know, especially to those who know and have watched me. I used to clean with Lysol wipes, Lysol cleaner, and all the harsh chemicals that go along with that. I was crazy!!! I did not smell the strength of them because I used them so much. My hands would crack and bleed because I washed my hands so much. I had antibacterial EVERYTHING! When I was pregnant with Avi, my mother-in-law bought me special soap because of the chemicals in the others were harmful to my baby that was inside of me. What was that other soap doing to my toddler, my husband, and me.  After Avi had her surgery and another bump popped up on her head we decided things needed to change. I began studying natural ways to clean and nonchemical ways to sanitize. There are so many things God has given us that are antimicrobial agents. I started studying essential oils for cleaning and health. I am still learning soooo much, but two books that have really helped me are Essential Oils Natural Remedies (https://amzn.to/31DtTKA)  and Essential Oils for Healing (https://amzn.to/2H9GWvv).  I am able to look at a problem and read what to do. I am able to see what age groups to start using those oils. I like to use Vitacost Essential Oils, found at Vitacost.com as well as Young Living Essential Oils, found at www.myyl.com/ladyandlime . I have found that Vitacost has reasonably priced oils and I feel they run sales that are helpful in building your stash to draw from. I started with a couple basics, lavender and lemon and have since branched out to many more. You would be surprised at the many things you can do with them. I started making a cleaner with vinegar, water and lemon oil. I used it on everything. I do not have to worry if the dogs walked on the floor after I sprayed It down or if my kids touched the surface and then hands went in their mouth. My cleaner was now family friendly.  I have since been introduced to Young Living products. I did convert to the Thieves Cleaner which is now my go to all-purpose cleaner.  I like the way it smells, know that it is family friendly and disinfects really well. In fact, today, my children cleaned the bathroom. No worries if they need gloves, masks, etc. It is totally safe, even for my three year old! I know that when it gets on her skin, or when she breathes it in, there is no need to worry about toxic chemicals burning her skin or fumes choking her out. My son was barefoot cleaning the shower, standing in Thieves Cleaner. I did not worry that his poor little feet would be burned because it is natural, healthy, and perfectly safe. I have used a few of the Young Living Oils. They are a wonderful quality and packaged so neatly that they can become addicting. My friend sells it and I would highly recommend getting in touch with her to get some Thieves Cleaner at the very least www.myyl.com/ladyandlime and also remember that it is a concentrate you are buying, only  one capful per spray water bottle. It will last forever.  It amazes me that there is so much out there that God has provided to sustain us if we only look.  I am blown away by how many essential oils sanitize. It was and still is at times hard for me to trust that just a few little drops of diluted oil is all it takes to do what bleach and Lysol would do, it's true and amazing! 

I highly recommend doing some research to see how you can change your lifestyle and chemical closet. I often wonder what health ailments would be nonexistent if we could do away with some of the chemical commercial cleaners? Are we bringing cancer causing agents into our homes? Are we breaking down our bodies to weaken our immune system? Are some of the rashes people encounter actually chemical burns or skin reactions to the chemicals in the air?

I am taking cleanliness one step further. I also started looking at what was in the hand and bar soap I was buying. There are a lot of things in there I did not recognize and that was scary to me. I am trying to live a more simple life that is eliminating chemicals and yet I was smearing them all over my body and hands. So…I started making soap! Then I know what is going into my soap and can control what is being put on my family's skin. Another huge bonus is that my hands very rarely crack anymore! My homemade soap is so much more nourishing! More on making soap in another post. My goal is to get back to basics. God has given us so much, why not use what He has given us?