Did you know that home cleaning didn’t always look how it does now? Walk into any supermarket home cleaning aisle nowadays and you’ll see rows and rows of colourful, often un-recyclable plastic bottles filled with chemicals you can’t pronounce, some of which can often contain toxins or irritants. But less than 200 years ago life looked very different indeed, if you go back to the early 1800s you’ll find that people were cleaning their homes with products like vinegar, alcohol and salt (source, the American Frugal Housewife. Welp at the very un-feminist name). These products were great for cleaning and sanitation and still are today, but through years of rising consumerism and great marketing strategies, we’ve been convinced that we need hundreds of different products to clean our house, when we don’t.

Whether you’re looking to live in a more minimal and simple way, whether you’re looking to eliminate toxins from your life, or whether you’re just looking to save a few pennies, Cleaning Essentials is the one for you.

Cleaning Essentials makes it easy to make your own, fuss-free household cleaners that are safe, natural, and non-toxic. The company is the brainchild of Martha and Mike who, aside from being genuinely lovely people, are also a couple with three children. Mike had been creating natural cleaning products for years, and after the birth of their first child they started a project to remove unnecessary chemicals from their home to live more in line with their sustainable principles. Over the last three years they have expanded to now help others do the same, selling a range of zero waste durable, eco-friendly containers to last for life, and organic essential oils to use in cleaning product recipes – although the majority of ingredients you need can be found in your kitchen!

Martha and Mike kindly sent me one of their original glass bottles, glass wet wipe jars and organic cotton air diffusers. All of the containers are made to last and be reused again and again (although hopefully never necessary, they’re recyclable too), to the point that if you ever break a bottle you will get a free replacement. They’re also all ethically made in the USA, whilst the reusable cotton balls in the diffuser are organic and grown in North Carolina. All of their essential oils come from sustainable sources, and Martha and Mike work closely with suppliers and distributors to ensure they can sell the purest oils for the most reasonable price.

When we start making things for ourselves one of the most difficult things can be knowing what recipes can be trusted and will also work. But the cleaning essentials bottle and wipes have recipes printed on the container, along with markers to show how much of each product to put in the actual container, an actual GENIUS idea to help you get it right every time without freaking out about recipes. The wipes have gentle, all purpose and heavy duty recipes, whilst the bottle has recipes for cleaning tile, wood, bathroom, glass and kitchen. Instead of buying multiple cleaning products for each room, one bottle covers them all! And the cutest thing? It comes with a teeny tiny label to stick on the bottle, meaning you can remember which recipe you have in there at any given time.

When it comes to the diffuser I also love how much more environmentally friendly this one is. Not only is the diffuser 100% recyclable and the cotton organic and biodegradable, aka the zero waste dream, but this diffuser requires absolutely no electricity, providing a totally natural alternative and saving you some cash along the way. All you need to do is add 12 drops of essential oil every few days for months of aromatherapy; it’s so simple and small making it perfect for not taking up too much space and keeping your living space smelling divine. I love love love using this in my room, and am so happy I don’t have a plastic, electricity guzzling diffuser instead of this lil dreamboat.

Oh and as if that wasn’t enough, Cleaning Essentials is a member of the nonprofit organisation 1% for the Planet, pledging to donate 1% of annual sales to support non-profit organisations focused on sustainability. They also work with Plastic Pollution Coalition, a growing global alliance of organisations, businesses, and thought leaders working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, and the environment.

Look, I’m smitten with this company. I kind of was before I received these products to try out because of how darn lovely Mike and Martha are, but after trying these for myself, I can’t help but sing their praises. Stop wasting your money on hundreds of separate products, grab a multipurpose bottle or two and with a little vinegar, essential oil and other bits and bobs (recipe dependant) you’ll be living the non-toxic, zero waste cleaning dream. No hassle!

Until next time, stay magic y’all.

Post created in collaboration with Cleaning Essentials (who I seriously LOVE)