Cleaning Without Toxins: 8 Plant-Based Cleaning Products

There’s no place like home—a clean home, that is. When you prepare for family and friends to visit and when you tidy up for yourself, we want you to be confident in the cleaning products you use.

Toxins in cleaning products

According to the American Lung Association, the ingredients in some household cleaning products can cause health problems like headaches, irritation of the eyes and throat, respiratory problems, allergic reactions, and maybe even cancer.

Some product may release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These gases come from paint, air fresheners, gasoline, tobacco smoke, wood-burning stoves, and a handful of household cleaners and disinfectants. Research shows that some VOCs can irritate eyes, nose, and throat; create difficulty breathing and nausea; and cause harm to the central nervous system and other organs.

Products that can include VOCs and toxic substances include:*

- Aerosol sprays
- Oven and appliance cleaners
- Air fresheners
- Dishwashing liquid and detergent
- Carpet and upholstery cleaners
- Bleach

*This is not a complete list.

How do you clean without toxic chemicals?

Avoiding harsh chemicals in your cleaning supplies starts with reading labels. Choose products that have few to no VOCs, fragrances, or irritants. Your best bet? Find natural cleaning products made with plant-based formulas.

Join the trend and start tidying up! Grab your cleaning products, check their labels, and get cleaning with only the best of the best!

What are the best natural cleaning products?

Making the switch to toxin-free cleaning products is easier than you think! Use household ingredients like baking soda and white vinegar with Young Living products to create cleaners you’re ready to use around tiny humans, cute creatures, and your favorite family members.

Thieves® Household Cleaner

Thieves Household Cleaner to the rescue! Once you start cleaning with Mother Nature’s best, you won’t look back. No more dealing with nasty chemicals that irritate your skin or harsh scents that sting your nose. This highly concentrated, versatile product produces results you’ll love for everything from simple wipe downs to heavy degreasing. Bonus: It’s made with plant materials and is great for the whole family!

Since you know that checking your labels is vital to a safe, happy home, take a look at Thieves Household Cleaner. In addition to essential oils, this cleaning superstar includes sodium methyl 2-sulfolaurate and disodium 2-sulfolaurate. Both are natural, plant-based surfactants that provide excellent detergency and make Thieves Household Cleaner biodegradable.

Reach for Thieves Household Cleaner when cleaning bathrooms, conquering your kitchen, and getting creative on cleaning day; then fall in love with the entire Thieves® line, including the hand soap, dishwasher powder, and dental floss.

Essential oils for natural cleaning

Jazz up any natural cleaning product with our not-so-secret secret ingredient: essential oils!

Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil

When cleaning, it’s best to start by tackling the most undesirable areas. Grab your bottle of Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil and head to the bathrooms and garbage cans. A few drops added to your cleaning solution or a soaked cotton ball stashed under your garbage bag will work wonders. Unwanted smells will be gone faster than you can get through your groovy cleaning playlist.

Citrus Fresh™ essential oil blend

You know we’re serious about cleaning with an oil when it’s included in our Thieves® Home Cleaning Kit. After you’ve added Citrus Fresh essential oil blend to your diffuser, sprayed it in every guest room, and added it to your floor cleaner and window cleaning solution, visitors will be begging to know the secret to your “Here comes the sun” scent.

Purification® essential oil blend

Combine some cleaning powerhouses and use Purification essential oil blend! It’s a mix of Citronella, Lavandin, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Myrtle, and Tea Tree, so you know it means business. This EO blend will be your new sidekick as you get rid of lingering smells after game night, at-home workouts, and play dates.

Tea Tree essential oil

Use the champion of odor elimination the next time you get to scrubbing: Tea Tree essential oil! There’s a myriad of ways we recommend using it—to banish stale odors, as a linen spray and room air freshener, or combined with household cleaners. Our favorite? Revamp musty clothes left in the wash by adding Tea Tree to your laundry soap and restarting your cycle.

Lemon essential oil

After cleaning with harsh chemicals, you’ll be tempted to light a candle to cover the scent. Not if you clean with Thieves and Lemon essential oil! Add it to any spray bottle or cleaner and you’ll ditch your candles in no time! Bonus uses: When added to your dishwasher, Lemon delivers a spot-free rinse. When added to sticky residue, Lemon leaves behind a gummy-free surface.

YL tip: Most citrus oils like Orange, Lime, and Grapefruit elevate your household cleaners. They’re fantastic at fighting grease and smell great doing it!

Lemongrass essential oil

Like Lemon, Lemongrass essential oil works to brighten any area. However, it’s got another magic trick up its sleeve: Use it as an outdoor spray to clean outdoor furniture and areas. The sunshiney-smelling spray will be your go-to after swim days and BBQ nights.

Cinnamon Bark essential oil

Lean into the fall-inspired aroma you find in Thieves Household Cleaner when you use Cinnamon Bark essential oil. After you’ve channeled Julia Child and whipped up a masterpiece in the kitchen, add a drop or two of this nostalgic fragrance to a sink full of soapy dishes. This warm, comforting scent is the opposite of the bracing aroma you get from harsh chemicals.