Everyone of us has dust in our home. As I write this post I see dust at the back side of my desk around the pencil cup and behind the monitor. I use this desk every day so you’d think it would not have time to get dusty but yet there it is.
It does not matter how often you dust or what you use, dust reappears like you have not touched that spot in years. We are surrounded by it every day. It makes our surfaces look messy, triggers sneezing and swirls up into little poofs of mist whenever it is disturbed.
Dusting is a never ending household task. I am continually wiping something that has collected the fine particles of dust on it in our home. My bedside table, the mantle, toaster oven, picture frame, my desk! It’s crazy the places you find dust. I don’t know where it always comes from or why it insists on sitting on my surfaces but any room I walk in will have it.
I always heard using a dusting spray will “protect” a surface from dust longer than just wiping it away. Over the years I’ve tried them all in that quest to adequately protect things against a covering a dust. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t. I still had dust and had to “dust” to get rid of it at least temporarily.
I “Pledge” to Dust
Like many things in our home, I eventually ran out of the Pledge with Lemon I used to use for this chore of dusting. I would religiously spray a cloth with Pledge and then wipe the surface challenging dust to return under my watch. I applied Pledge to ceiling fan blades, the mantle, and any surface I could in the quest to win the dust war.
If it weren’t for the manufactured chemical fragrances used in Pledge it would be a mid-range risk product. Instead, it is highly toxic and a health hazard to have in our homes. Per the Think Dirty app, a free database app of more than a million products that rates the toxicity of each product, says there are nearly 3000 fragrant ingredients added to most personal care products to mask odors or give a pleasant aroma. The problem with these scents is they are carcinogenic and can cause allergic reactions, skin and eye irritations and ultimately become hazards to our health.
Pledge and other dusting sprays like it have a high level of chemical fragrance contained in those bright yellow spray cans. This makes it toxic to our health and homes.
I appreciate a nice scent to the products I’m using. It makes the job more pleasant and it helps reduce odors in the area I’m cleaning. Who doesn’t like a nice smelling room that is clean?
Unfortunately, when we use a manufactured or chemical scent we create environmental risk to our air quality that is harmful to us, our pets and the overall air in our world.
My Pledge to Dust
I swapped out Pledge in our home. I don’t buy it anymore. When I go to the grocery store I rarely walk down the cleaning aisle anymore. That seems strange to say but oddly I realize that is one area of the store I just don’t need much from these days.
Instead I have found it is super inexpensive to make my own dusting spray and it literally takes 2 minutes. So I could spend 15 minutes or longer browsing a long aisle for different products and spend a lot more money or I can skip it, save my money and still get a decent product to defeat the dust bunnies. Hmmm, not a tough choice if you ask me.
Here’s my personal dust bunny weapon of choice:
Choose a cute spray bottle of your choice. I find these all the time at the dollar store with a seasonal variety so I can update the look if I want or give them as gifts for others to try
Fill with 1 cup water. Yep simple tap water, cheap and clean
1/4 cup white vinegar. I purchase a gallon of white vinegar from Wal-Mart for $.85 to $1
2 tablespoons olive oil
15 drops doTERRA Lemongrass, Lemon or Wild Orange essential oils (your choice but I tend to stick with a citrus for the support in cleaning and cutting through dust)
Shake well
Go forth and conquer dust bunnies!
I use this spray everywhere that I used to use Pledge. It helps the wood furniture stay hydrated and the surfaces are protected as much as they were with Pledge from dust. It also smells clean and fresh. In fact, it honestly smells better and more true to what I think clean and fresh need to smell like.
Interested in more?
You don’t need to forego the convenience of having handy products to help with tasks like dusting in order to live more naturally. In fact, you can enjoy the same level of clean without the harmful side effects and added expense!
If you have questions about the recipe or oils I mention in this post, please reach out. I’m happy to help.
amyk@dragonspitapothecary.com
With a doTERRA account you can save at least 25% off all doTERRA natural products and oils. doTERRA is the leader in high quality, pure natural products that contain no synthentics, chemicals or manufactured smells. To learn more and get your account visit our website or email me!
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