I started slowly replacing our commercial cleaning supplies years ago after learning about some of the ingredients in my commercial cleaners. Things like carcinogens (ingredients known to cause cancer), endocrine disruptors (ingredients that alter hormones), and neurotoxins (ingredients that are poisonous to the brain) were not things I wanted in my home – especially if there was a better alternative!
After a little research and a little trial and error, I ended up with baking soda, vinegar, and castile soap and used this trio for pretty much everything. For the most part, it worked well. It meant a little more elbow grease and the not-so-pleasant smell of vinegar lingering around for a while after I cleaned but I didn’t mind it too much. Occasionally there was a job that was a little too tough but I honestly don’t remember how I tackled those (I probably saved one bottle of commercial cleaner for whatever the Trusty Trio couldn’t handle).
You know one thing I really missed about cleaning with my little trio? A clean smell after cleaning! There is just something about having a clean scent remain when you’ve finished that last wipe that feels so good – it’s almost like the smell testifies to all the hard work and lets you know that the area really is clean. Anyone else feel like this? By this time I knew that “clean” wasn’t a smell and that synthetic fragrances were as dangerous as second-hand smoke so to me, it wasn’t worth the trade – but I did miss the clean smell! Not to mention the ease of spraying a liquid on something stubborn and letting it do more of the work than my hands.
Enter: Thieves Household Cleaner
We started using Young Living essential oils in 2013 and I think it was the next year that I finally discovered the beauty of Thieves Household Cleaner. It was concentrated, it worked amazingly well, it was cost-effective (very important for back then), and it was non-toxic so it meant my (then) 3 year old could help me clean (which she LOVED). In my book, when you have all three of these things, it’s a major win.
Fast forward 4 years and this same cleaner has replaced every single other cleaner in our home and has never let me down. I don’t buy glass cleaner, carpet cleaner, stain remover, disinfectant spray, bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner, all-purpose cleaner or expensive “baby-safe” cleaners. I walked down the cleaning aisle at the store the other day and the sheer force of the perfumey smell almost took my breath away. It was floor to ceiling, two entire sides of an aisle of just household cleaning products and I just smiled, because I only need ONE now. It does what all those other cleaners do and I don’t have to get a dose of chemical cocktail to do it. It feels SO good! And yes, it SMELLS GOOD, too!!
What is it?
Thieves Household Cleaner is a concentrated plant-based all-purpose cleaner that comes in a large or small bottle. We get the small (14 oz. ) bottle and it typically lasts our family about 4 months or so. It’s easy for any of us to mix up in a snap – we almost always use a dilution of one capful of cleaner in a 16 oz. spray bottle for our all-purpose spray. The main thing that makes Thieves products work so well is the blend of essential oils they contains: clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon, and cinnamon bark. A quick search on pubmed.gov will show you pretty clearly what these essential oils do and you’ll see why Young Living decided to create a household cleaner out of them and why you can feel confident that they will clean your house and clean it well.
What does it do?
You may have seen a picture of Thieves Household Cleaner or heard a friend mention how wonderful it is but I don’t think you realize just how amazing this little concoction of plant juice is!
I had originally started a long list of words describing where and how we use Thieves Cleaner – it is a LONG list – but I thought it might be more helpful to give a little more detail about HOW we use it in our home. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- In the Kitchen:
Clean kitchen counters, fridge, stove, oven, and floors. I works great on granite and glass tabletops.
If your oven is extra grungy (no judgement here), spray Thieves cleaner in it, sprinkle baking soda on top, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub. I love using it for cleaning up after prepping raw foods, cleaning the fridge, and keeping the sink clean (have you read that the kitchen sink is the dirtiest place in most people’s homes?).
- Pet Accidents (let’s just stick kid accidents in this section, too):
Clean up the pee or poo (I feel like such a mom right now). If it was pee, soak the area well with a rag soaked in water to dilute any remaining pee then dry the area with a separate rag. Spray the area generously with Thieves cleaner, let it sit for a few, then wipe it up. You can sprinkle baking soda infused with Purification essential oil after and let it sit before vacuuming if you want but a thorough cleaning with Thieve Cleaner usually does the trick at our place.
Thieves cleaner also works great to clean pet kennels, chicken coops, milking equipment, and pet bowls and toys.
Don’t dump it in your fish tank and keep your pets out of the coop or kennel for a minute after cleaning since the smell is strong for some animals.
- Second-Hand Deals:
Thieves cleaner is great for second-hand toys, shoes, etc. (because you don’t really know where an item has been or what’s been done to it or used on it before but you got a killer deal on it). Thieves it thoroughly and you won’t have to worry about any of that.
- Kids Toys:
You probably don’t want to clean baby or child toys with any product that you wouldn’t want them to put near their mouth. I know this seems obvious but since there are harsh chemical cleaners marketed for use on children’s toys I’m here to share that there is a SAFE alternative that is incredibly effective! Spray a damp rag with Thieves Cleaner then do a thorough wiping of all your Little Love’s paraphernalia.
- Laundry’s Best Friend:
Namely, laundry that has developed “the stink”. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s that load you let sit a little too long that now has its own offensive odor that you can’t seem to get rid of even by washing over and over. Thieves cleaner, my Friend! Add a capful of concentrated cleaner to a full load of laundry, let it agitate a few minutes, then let it soak for a good hour or two before washing. I’ve done this more times than I care to admit.
A capful of Thieves Cleaner also works great as a laundry boost for extra dirty laundry.
For spot removal, the sooner you get the stained item treated, the better the cleaner works. I shared how we use Thieves Household Cleaner for laundry here.
- Clean Your Car:
Test a small area of carpet first. I’ve never once had an issue with it but it seems like a good thing to suggest for your first time using it! Use diluted cleaner on a clean damp rag for carpet stains, to clean windows, and on dashboards, consoles, and in cup holders (give the kids some Q-tips and some cleaner and let ‘em go to town on it). Don’t forget the essential oil air freshener to leave in your CLEAN car after (this one is cute!).
- Clean Air Inside:
We don’t live the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex anymore but when we did, we used a wonderful company called The Cleaning Cure to clean our air ducts. The owner used Thieves Household Cleaner on our request to scrub out all our air ducts and vents. He did a very thorough job and we felt really good knowing that everything was cleaned with Thieves (if you looked up the single oils on pubmed earlier, you can see why they are so good for cleaning the air inside).
- Squeaky Clean Bathroom:
This is a room you will probably want to have some baking soda on hand for a little scrubbing action. My friend, Shanna, shared this Thieves Scrub recipe that is easy to whip up and works fantastic.
In a very large glass bowl, combine:
2/3 cup Thieves cleaner concentrate
1 TBS distilled white vinegar
About 30 drops of Young Living lemon oil.
Slowly start adding:
3 cups of baking soda and stir to combine.
There will be a lot of foam for a few minutes. Once everything is mixed and foam has lessened, transfer to your desired container. Any time you need some extra scrubbing action, “plop” (Shanna’s words) some of the Thieves Scrub on the area to be cleaned, spread it out, and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing it off. This works great for tile counters, sinks, backsplashes, tubs, toilet bowls, etc.
If I don’t have any Thieves Scrub made, spraying the affected area with Thieves Cleaner then sprinkling baking soda and letting it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing is pretty effective, too (I do this often for the inside of the toilet bowl).
These are just a handful of ways we use THC (Thieves Household Cleaner) in our home. We are saving money by not buying multiple cleaners every month and getting the one we do use at a big discount; we are saving the air that we breathe in our home from being junked up with loads of extra chemicals; and the job is a lot easier than it ever was with the cleaning trio I used to use.
How do I get it?
I can’t leave without telling you where to get it! If you have a Young Living account, it’s easy – just sign in and add a bottle to your next Essential Rewards order for the biggest discount.
If you don’t have a Young Living account, it’s also easy! You can order retail anytime but I highly suggest a wholesale account because you get access to a private Facebook support group for help using your Young Living products, you get wholesale pricing, and you can enroll in Essential Rewards at any time for free to get points back for free product, ALL of which you will very much want after you start using Young Living and see the difference it makes. You can check out the different ordering options here. UPDATE: The Premium Starter Kit now comes with a sample of Thieves Household Cleaner!
And that’s all I have for today! If you use Thieves Household Cleaner, what all have you tried it on?