Natural cleaning

As we wait for our family to begin, we have been choosing much healthier options for our cooking and cleaning routines. We don't think that anything we are doing in our lives is PROBABLY contributing to our infertility but just on the off chance that it was... we are making some shifts.
We have always cooked healthily, always. We grow our own vegetables in the summer, we use whole grain EVERYTHING, we eat lots of veggies and low-fat dairy. We cook from scratch 5-6 days a week (we go out for a date night every week). So we weren't sure what changes could really benefit us. We looked into dairy-free, gluten-free, all organic, etc. and decided to make some lifestyle shifts.... to be discussed at another time.
One of the big shifts we have made is what we are using around the house. As it is the end of April and our garden is up and running, we decided this year to go completely organic with our soil and fertilizer. We did this mostly last year but couldn't resist the temptation of Miracle-Gro in the beginning. We have also switched to totally organic fertilizer and compost for the lawn (we will see how this goes in mid- July when we have weeds up the wazoo). We also decided to nix many of our home cleaners as I felt it wasn't safe for me to be breathing the fumes while trying to get pregnant. Now, here's a little tip that you probably never knew about me.... I have OCD tendencies... but they are only focused on certain things. I am not super clean around the house as my EXCELLENT house wife of a husband will tell you. You could follow the trail of what I did when I arrived home by the evidence of school bags, shoes, coats etc. And if you lived with me, you might think we had a poltergeist by the way I open every drawer and cabinet and then leave the room. Buuuuut, I do have certain things that I am borderline control-freak over. School is one of them... and BATHROOMS are the other. I have had a very certain way that I clean the bathroom since I was young. In fact, when I was about 10 I typed up instructions on how to clean the bathroom and taped them on the inside of the cabinets so that when it wasn't my turn, it would still be done right. Yikes. Needless to say, Mike doesn't even attempt this chore.
Ok, so the changes... I like a REALLY clean bathroom and so giving up my harsh stuff was tough but essential oils are one of the things that have made bathroom cleaning so much better! I love doTerra oils' On Guard cleaning concentrate. It smells awesome and has great disinfectant, anti-microbial properties. I know this for sure because we struggle with mildew in our shower and this spray once a week has drastically decreased it. I also use a daily shower spray with a mixture of half vinegar and water with a teaspoon of tea tree oil and a teaspoon of eucalyptus. This is used after each shower and keeps it smelling and looking clean until the weekend. The other AWESOME tip that has cut my cleaning in half is the use of what I call a dish "scrubby". It is the sponge thing that you put soap in to wash dishes. I bought one and filled it half with dawn dish soap and half vinegar and keep it in the shower. This RULES for cleaning the shower, bath and sinks. I spray the On Guard spray, let it sit and then scrub everything with the scrubby and then rinse/wipe down. This leaves everything sparkling, yay! Another great tip I got (all of these ideas from pinterest) was to put the toilet lid down on the toilet brush after using it to let it drain. This helps you not have that nasty toilet water in the bottom of your brush holder. Did I say I was OCD?

Ok, last thing. Cleaning your mattress!! This has always annoyed me as I am a weekly sheet washer... what about the mattress? Well, I have started using a mixture of baking soda and lavender oil in a mason jar. I poked holes in the lid with a nail, mix up the soda and oil and spread it on my mattress while washing sheets. then vacuum it up before putting them back on. This makes the mattress smell wonderful and apparently kills dust mites and other gross stuff. YAY FOR A CLEAN BED AND BATH...

So there is a glimpse into our weekly cleaning routine and a little insight into my OCD. :) Have a great week!