It’s no secret I can’t stand cleaning, but when it comes to oven cleaning I have a long standing dislike for it. Growing up the smell of Easy Off and Self Cleaning Oven debacles would have me evacuating the home all day to avoid the toxic chemical smell.
Now that I have my own home, I’ve had to find a way to stay on top of cleaning the dirt without the harsh side effects.
Self Cleaning or Solo Cleaning
Anyone that uses their oven to cook on the regular will experience burnt food on the sides or burnt and stuck food on the bottom of the oven often.
If you're like me, it really doesn't sound exciting to sit for an hour and scrub heavily to keep the oven clean.
Self cleaning ovens, although efficient, have been known to produce a lot of fumes from the high heat. (Not something that sounds like a great side effect for trying to keep your home clean).
So for me….solo cleaning it is!
Natural Oven Cleaner
It took me years to get past the trauma of my mother cleaning the household oven to finally take on this challenge myself. My requirements; find a recipe that wouldn’t require gloves, a mask, and windows to be opened for what felt like a lifetime.
I took a lot of time to check out ingredients in many products sold in common stores and realized those options weren’t for me. Luckily I found a natural option that wasn’t harsh on my skin or respiratory system. Here how you can make it yourself:
Supplies
Baking soda
Thieves cleaner
Lemon Essential Oil
Instructions: In a glass bowl take approximately 2 cups of baking soda and add 3 caps of Thieves cleaner and 3-5 drops of lemon oil. Mix it together until it makes a paste. Rub the paste on the inside of the oven. Let it sit for approximately 15 mins and take a wet cloth/towel and wipe it off! (make sure all the baking soda residue is removed before you use the oven again so that you don’t experience any smoke.
I love this plant based recipe for it’s effectiveness and simplicity and I know you’ll love it too! Check it out and comment below with your thoughts.
Sometimes I look at the mats at the gym and ask myself “when was the last time that mat was cleaned?” The mix of hot yoga studios and repeated sweat on your mat isn’t the best combo to keep things clean and fresh. I’m more than happy that I choose to bring my mat to the gym but after thinking about all the germs it does make me wonder what exactly is inside the gym sprays and how healthy is it.
It's important to keep your mat clean so you can enjoy every practice. Just be mindful to avoid toxic cleaners that will cause damage to your respiratory system and switch those out for natural options that have ingredient properties that are great for addressing microbes and bacteria.
This easy recipe has a blend of plants that are not only known to be great for neutralizing odors and disinfecting the air, but also have amazing properties to address virus, fungus, and microbial agents.
Materials Needed
2 oz glass spray bottle (I love these)
5 drops of Purification Essential Oil
5 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil
Add all drops into the glass spray bottle, add water and place spray top on. Prior to use, shake well then spray a few inches away from the surface. You can let it sit or wipe it off and let it air dry.
Not only is this DIY cleaner easy and effective but it smells great too!
