The Natural Life: All Natural Household Cleaners
Studying with and learning from Ayahuasca, San Pedro Cactus and the other sacred medicines of the Americas means making changes to our daily lives. We may need to alter our diets and drop drinking habits, or the medicines could lead to more drastic truth-based decisions, like leaving our jobs to pursue new passions or ending a destructive relationship.
This article will look at the simple and subtle act of moving from chemical based household cleaning products to all natural household cleaners. In the name of hygiene we unknowingly invite all sorts of extremely dangerous chemical agents into our living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms when we clean. Unfortunately, many governments fail to protect their citizens when it comes to household cleaning products and other industries. Corporations are regularly permitted to sell harmful products without disclosing the potential (or probable) negative effects for our health. We spray and apply these toxins to our most sacred places where our families eat, sleep, and play.
As we prepare for a ceremony or a retreat, or attempt to integrate the teachings and truths that we received, each seemingly insignificant choice becomes an opportunity to bring consciousness and love into our homes, our relationships, and our lives. From how we use water, to how we make our food, to how we clean our living spaces, applying ancestral consciousness based on honoring ourselves, our health, our ancestors, and Mother Earth guides us toward a fulfilling life of abundance, joy, and blessings.
All Natural Household Cleaners to Start Preparing and Using Today:
Bathroom, Tables, and Counters: Many of these recipes will surprise you with their simplicity. This first one requires 2-4 weeks to be ready to use, but is totally worth the wait. No more Lysol, Scrubbing Bubbles, or Clorox!:
- Get a glass jar (mason jar) – whatever size you want
- Take some citrus rinds (orange, lime, lemon peels), some cloves, and a few cinnamon sticks – use more of these ingredients if the jar is big
- Add white vinegar – fill ¾ of the jar
- Top-off the jar with water so it’s full
- Put the cover on the jar and let it sit on the window sill or porch where it gets sun for about 3 weeks or until the smell of the vinegar has dissipated
- Strain the liquid into a spray bottle
As you prepare the mixture, try to use it as an opportunity for giving thanks. For our ancestors, any time that we use water, fruits, and other plants and medicines that the earth gives us is a chance to show our gratitude and reconnect.
All Purpose Disinfectant: This one is really easy and a must-have in the house. Combine 3 tablespoons of liquid castile soap, 30 drops of tea tree oil, and around 16 ounces of water in a spray bottle and enjoy a clean, fresh and healthy home. You can use this for practically everything. For castile soap, Dr. Bronner’s is the most recognized brand in many places but you can always make your own if you enjoy those types of projects. Be sure to take all the appropriate safety measures for working with lye.
Doing the Laundry: We wash our clothes, dry them, and then put them directly onto our largest organ; our skin. Our skin absorbs the trace amounts of toxins left in the clothes from the last wash. In order to break this cycle, we can replace our typical (and dangerous) laundry detergent or powder (Tide), and maybe even the ones that seem friendly but aren´t (Mrs. Meyer´s Laundry Detergent, Green Works, etc.) with any of these more health conscious brands. If you prefer to make your own laundry soap, please check out the recipe Daisy Luther´s recipe that can be found on The Organic Prepper.
Air Freshening Spray: If you don’t enjoy the smell of your car, bathroom, or house, the best option is to open a window. If you can’t or don’t want to, you can leave an open box or bowl of baking soda on the top shelf or somewhere out of sight to mitigate the smell. If you still are not satisfied, fill an empty spray bottle most of the way and add 10 – 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. Tea tree, lavender, or lemon essential oils, or any combination of the three, work well. Give the bottle a shake and you’ve got an all natural, non-harmful, refreshing spray.
The bottom line with these techniques is that you are taking a small but tangible step toward cleansing your house of products that should not be there anyway. A lot of these products are used on a daily basis, and that adds up over time.
When we are preparing for or returning from an Ayahuasca ceremony, an Ayahuasca retreat, or an encounter with any of the other sacred medicines of the Americas, we need to find opportunities to put our consciousness into action. Showing love for ourselves and those around us by switching to all natural household cleaners is a small way to build momentum toward larger changes, and to remind ourselves that we are the agents of change that we are seeking, and that the responsibility for living consciously is ours.
Mitakuye Oyasin,
The ECA Family