Low-Tox Cleaning: How I Switched to Safer Products

July 18, 2022

What Made Me Change How I Clean My Home?

For most of my life, I never thought twice about the cleaning products I used. Like many people, I grew up using bleach, conventional sprays, and store-bought disinfectants.

That all changed on June 23, 2018—the day I had a stroke.

Doctors couldn’t tell me why it happened, and that uncertainty led me down a path of questioning everything, including the products I used in my home.

I started small—looking for natural solutions for better sleep and headache relief—and eventually found essential oils and plant-based cleaning alternatives. That’s when I discovered Young Living’s Thieves Cleaner. What started as a search for simpler, non-toxic solutions turned into a complete shift in how I clean and care for my home.

How Do You Start Cleaning Naturally?

One of the hardest parts of transitioning to low-tox living is knowing where to start.

Like many people, I had heard that bleach and conventional cleaners weren’t great, but I also didn’t know of anything that actually worked as a replacement.

That changed when I tried Thieves Household Cleaner—a plant-based, concentrated cleaner that actually cleans well without harsh chemicals.

How to Make an All-Purpose Cleaner with Thieves

1 capful of Thieves Household Concentrate
16 oz of water
Mix in a spray bottle and use on countertops, sinks, glass, stainless steel, and more.

It’s that simple. And the best part? It actually works.

How I Switched to Low-Tox Cleaning

Once I realized how many harmful chemicals were in my cleaning supplies, I went all in.

I used two tools to check my products:
✔ The Environmental Working Group (EWG) Database (ewg.org)
✔ The Think Dirty App (thinkdirtyapp.com)

One afternoon in January 2020, I cleaned out 17 different cleaning products from my home.

If you’re unsure where to start, I created a Free Low-Tox Cleaning Checklist to help you identify which products to swap first.

Download the Free Low-Tox Checklist Here

What Is Thieves Cleaner?

Thieves is a blend of five essential oils:
✔ Lemon
✔ Rosemary
✔ Cinnamon
✔ Clove
✔ Eucalyptus

These oils have natural germ-fighting properties and work together to clean surfaces and support immune health.

Young Living formulated Thieves Household Cleaner, a plant-based, all-purpose cleaner that smells like Christmas potpourri on the stove—so much better than chemical-heavy cleaners.

Where to Get Thieves Cleaner

Thieves Household Cleaner is only available through Young Living.

Get Thieves Cleaner Here

When you purchase through my link, I’ll send you:
✔ Step-by-step recipe cards for different cleaning solutions
✔ Access to a private Facebook group for tips and support

One bottle of Thieves Cleaner Concentrate makes about 30 bottles of all-purpose cleaner, so it lasts a long time.

Does Thieves Cleaner Actually Clean?

Yes! It has been tested for effectiveness and even passed raw chicken contamination tests. If you’re skeptical, check out this Instagram video showing how well it cleans.

Homemade Low-Tox Cleaning Recipes

Homemade Soft Scrub

Equal parts baking soda & Thieves Cleaner Concentrate
Mix until it has the texture of mashed potatoes.
Optional: Add tea tree oil for mold, lemon oil for grease, or oregano oil for extra germ-fighting power.
Use on sinks, bathtubs, stovetops, and even scuffs on walls or shoes.

Low-Tox Laundry Soap

1 bottle of Thieves Laundry Soap (diluted into three containers)
3 capfuls of Thieves Cleaner per container
10 drops of essential oil per container
- Lemon oil → Brightens fabrics
- Lavender oil → Adds a fresh scent
- Eucalyptus oil → Helps remove stains
Fill with warm water and shake to combine.

Tip: I dilute my laundry soap because my kids help with laundry, and this prevents them from using too much.