Going Chemical Free(ish)

My husband gets really bad allergies, so a few years ago I decided I would do a little research on things that I could be doing to help him out. I stumbled upon some blogs about chemical free living-which at the time was a completely foreign idea to me! I decided that I wanted to try this, within reason and slowly switching things over. Nothing too drastic, but just trying to do more homemade cleaners and illuminating some of the chemicals from our home! I also decided this would be a lot more budget friendly which sold me even more! 

My first homemade cleaner was laundry detergent - which we loved from the first time I made it and have never used store bought detergent again! 

Well one day several months later, I found the cleaning section at Dollar Tree a little too appealing and I bought a lot of household cleaners! As I began to use them, i realized I didn't really like the way any of them smelled, even noticed getting headaches when cleaning, and decided that as soon as I ran out of that supply, i was going to start making my own. 

One evening, while trying to finish up some all-purpose cleaner, it splashed in my eye {OUCCCCHHH!!!} and I ended up in a Walk - In clinic with an entire IV being drained through my eye. We had called poison control and after describing the symptoms and after flushing it with water for an hour - they suggested us go to the ER.

That was all it took to officially end my relationship with store bought cleaners. Especially knowing that there will soon be a little one running around the house - I couldn't stand the thought of him/her getting into any of those chemicals! I emptied every bottle of my Dollar Tree cleaners that next day and began making my own.

I have experimented a lot with different recipes and will continue to, but this was my first All-Purpose cleaner that I made, and I have really liked it! 

I have read that it is better to buy new bottles that have not had chemicals in them at all, but for me it made the most sense to just clean the bottles I already had and let them soak in hot water for a few hours then air dry. I figured that was good enough! 

 I painted over that label, {wanting no reminders of the lovely effects of chemical cleaners} and wrote down exactly what I had put in the bottle! This ended up being very helpful when I ran out, I knew exactly what to put back in.

I am not a huge fan of the smell of vinegar, however, I am getting more used to it and the essential oils really do help. I have noticed that pretty much as soon as the solution has dried, I don't smell the vinegar and everything feels super clean and the only scent that is left is from the essential oils!

I have mostly used this in the kitchen, but a few times in the bathrooms as well.

I have a lot of other cleaners I want to try and will hopefully be doing soon!