If I’m being honest, I can’t remember the last time I really truly cleaned my own house. I actually don’t think I’ve cleaned my new house from top to bottom since moving in over a year ago. Cleaning is one of those things that I genuinely dislike. 🙂 Plus, I was introduce to the most amazing woman who does a much better job at cleaning than I ever could. I definitely pick up my home, wash dishes, wipe down counter tops on a daily basis, but every other week we have our house cleaned and it’s definitely money well spent!
Just because I don’t clean my own house doesn’t mean that I don’t care what types of products are being used! Six years ago I discovered the line of Thieves cleaning products from Young Living (click here to read why I’m using Young Living essential oils in another blog post). I received a bottle of cleaner (photographed below) and had no idea what to do with it. I lived at a different house at the time with a different house cleaner – shame on me for thinking she would know what to do with it! She poured the whole bottle on the floors and counter tops in one cleaning. I now know that one 14.4 fl oz bottle of concentrated Thieves cleaner makes roughly THIRTY glass spray bottles (one capful and the rest water) and it should last about 6 months as you only need one capful per 2-3 cups water for most needs. After figuring out how to actually use this stuff (only a few years later) and I have fully converted to all things Thieves – toothpaste, mouthwash, laundry detergent, cough drops, etc!
Thieves The Day!
There are two main reasons why I wanted to take control of the cleaning products in my house: 1) Smell and 2) Chemicals. I was so sick of coming home to a chemical smell so strong that it made me cough at entry. Not only did it smell unpleasant, but I can’t even image the harm those chemicals did to my poor immune-compromised body. I was purchasing some cleaners from Target that said “natural” on the bottle and added peppermint or lavender to hid the chemical smell that I had been used to. It wasn’t until discovering the app, Think Dirty (Apple Store, Google Play) that I scanned the barcode and had right in front of my eyes all of the crazy chemicals that make up that perfume-scented “natural” cleaner. (This app works for beauty products too! Read my blog post about how I discovered not all beauty products are created gluten free.)
Some of these chemicals found in common store bought cleaners are:
- Phthalates = Endocrine disruptors that alter hormone levels. The impact on each individual is different, but mostly they increase or decrease estrogen, can cause preterm labor, may be risk factor for birth defects, and interfere with the intellectual development of babies/kids. There’s also a correlation between phthalates and a higher incidence of food and environmental allergies. (Cool, thanks for my gluten allergy Phthalates!) Getting this chemical out of our homes makes us more tolerant to wider variety of foods and prevents adverse reactions to our environment.
- Triclosan = High rates of food and skin allergies, increases both estrogen and testosterone, and is well know to pass into blood, urine and breast milk. That’s not all! The worst thing is that it gets out into the environment and combines with chlorine in water to create dioxan, which is well know to be toxic to mammals, such as birds and fish. Of course those happen to be the mammals we eat!
- 2-butoxy ethanol = Can cause skeletal defects, inhibits coordination especially in young childrenÂ
- Perchlorethylene = Central nervous system depressant, World Health Organization class 2 carcinogenÂ
- Chlorine, ammonia, sodium hydroxide = All are irritating to the lungs and skin, and may have other harmful effects
There are so many cleaners on the shelves that have fragrances, dyes, chemicals, and other additives you don’t want in your home. The Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976 grandfathered in an estimated 65,000-100,000 chemicals currently on the market today. Conventional cleaning products wreak havoc on the respiratory system, cellular health and even mental clarity of those who are exposed to them.
This is why it was so easy for me to ditch these store bought cleaners! Having two auto-immune diseases, I do not need anything else that is going to impact mine or my families health. I started spinning in circles trying to find a “safe” or “natural” cleaning product only to find out that most weren’t, or if they were they didn’t even worked. Well, I’m so happy to report that I now have one cleaner that is all of those great things and more! Plus it’s safe for our pets and our little nieces and nephews.
How do I love Thieves? Let me count the ways…
On the Young Living website, it refers to the Thieves household cleaner as, “Formulated with the power of Young Living’s Thieves essential oil blend, Thieves Household Cleaner is a concentrated, versatile solution that gives you a deep clean when scrubbing, degreasing, spot cleaning, dusting, and more—all without harsh chemicals. With its spicy-sweet aroma and plant-based formula, it’s great to use around everyone in your family, including pets. Create a clean, welcoming space that’s perfect for everyone with the fresh, inviting scent and sparkling clean of Thieves Household Cleaner,” which simply means that Thieves Household Cleaner = superior cleaning power that is just as safe as it is effective, is multipurpose, and is 100% safe for every member of family (children and pets)!
Let’s recap the amazing benefits of Thieves Cleaner:
- Plant-based formula is free from SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), SLES (sodium lauryl ether sulfate), dyes, formaldehyde, phosphates, and synthetic perfumes
- Formula uses the power of Thieves essential oil, which is an exclusive Young Living blend that supports our immune systems and is a powerful combination of Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lemon, and Rosemary essential oils.
- Instead of that other yucky stuff, Thieves cleaner, dish soap, laundry soap, etc. has two different, naturally occurring sulfate molecules. These sulfates act as surfactants that go and find dirt/germs on surfaces and stick to them, then bring them into solution, puling them out of clothes, dishes, surfaces. These sulfates are naturally occurring -one sulfate from sugar and one from coconut.
- Contains Decylglucoside, a natural surfactant found in many Young Living products that is gentle and mild. It’s the surfactant of choice in baby shampoo! Super gentle on the skin but highly effective. Many of the products, including the dish soap, also contain a plant based moisturizer for happy skin!
- Thieves history is that it is inspired by the legend of four 15th-century French thieves who used this combination of ingredients to cover themselves for immunity while robbing the dead/dying. Kinda creepy, but now at least we understand the name.
Thieves Premium Starter Kit
With so many amazing Thieves products, Young Living makes it easy on us and compiles everything into the most perfect starter kit. I wish I knew about this before I stocked up on all things Thieves! It could have saved me a small fortune. In case this kit looks different to you than before, Young Living made a few updates on May 1st, 2020 to the Thieves Premium Starter Kit – one being the price! With the significant price reduction, the name changed from the Thieves Premium Starter Kit to the Thieves Starter Bundle. The offering is a bit more streamlined too!
Above is an image of the kit (except I’m missing the 15 ml bottle of Thieves essential oil) and below is the kit listed out. Please note that the starter kit can change at any time, so if it’s not exactly shown online like I have it listed out here please go off of what is shown on the Young Living website and reach out to me with any questions that you may have.
The Thieves Premium Starter Kit includes:
Thieves® 15-ml
Thieves® AromaBright™ Toothpaste
Thieves® Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash
2 Thieves® Household Cleaner
2 Thieves® Foaming Hand Soap
2 Thieves® Spray
2 Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier
Essential Oil Magazine & Wholesale Membership
If you were to purchase each item on its own at regular price it would be $212.97 including tax and shipping. If purchased in the Thieves Starter Bundle it costs $140 after tax and shipping — which is a $73 savings!
You may noticed that there is almost duplicates of everything in this kit — if you’re wanting to split this in half with a friend and/or invest the other half of your kit towards more oils, message me or click on this blog post and I’ll help you get exactly what you need!
How to Sign Up for the Thieves Starter Bundle:
- Click the link oilwith.me/TFK
- Select the Thieves Starter Kit by going to “Step 1”, clicking “Other Premium Kits” and check the box for “Thieves Starter Bundle”
- Under “Step 2: Essential Rewards Enrollment”, you simply select yes or no to the question, “Would you like to enroll in Essential Rewards and earn free products?” if you’d like to register for Young Living’s Essential Rewards (ER) program, which is a monthly auto-ship program. I highly recommend selecting “Yes” at sign-up in order to receive a a special gift (usually a free essential oil bottle). You have the option to skip a month at any time or completely canceling the Essential Rewards (ER) auto-ship program before the next month’s order is placed.
- If you clicked yes to the Essential Rewards sign up above, click yes again to “use your Premium Starter Kit (PSK) as your first Essential Rewards (ER) order.” This step is key and is easily missed! This will allow you to get that free monthly order with this order and start earning points right away!
- Next, under “Step 3: Set Up Your Monthly Essential Rewards Order” you’ll select the best option for you under “Choose your Essential Rewards Kit”, by checking one of the three boxes. To make things simple, I would check the box for “Thieves Essential Rewards” to continue with my order and change this later. If you’d rather customize your next monthly order, you can do that by checking “Customize Your Kit”. By clicking that option, it will take you to a new page to select products that you’d be purchasing next month. Click Next when you’re done with this step. It will require you to select enough products that add up to 50 PV — Some oils that I recommend would be selecting lavender, peppermint, lemon, valor, stress away, etc. in a 5 ml or a 15 ml bottle. Or if you’d like to switch more toxic products for Thieves non-toxic options, I highly recommend the dish soap, laundry detergent, fruit & veggie wash, etc.
- The next page is for “membership” information. Things to note here are that it will ask you for “Commission Processing Information”. Since you are becoming a member through the purchase of your Premium Starter Kit, you’ll receive wholesale pricing and the option to sell the products. If you’re not sure if you’d like to sell at this time, select the first option “Individual No social security number required.”Â
- Another important area on the “membership” tab is the “Sponsor/Enroller Information”. Under both “Sponsor ID” and “Enroller ID”, enter the number 1604750. That number corresponds to my account, so when you make a purchase I’ll be notified. You’ll automatically receive member perks from me and be connected to my Young Living community for all of the recipes, tips and hacks!
- After that tab, you’ll fill out your “Shipping & Payment” info and finally you’ll “Checkout”.Â
The Young Living Community
Other than the amazing products, my favorite thing about being a Young Living member is the fact that I am connected to so many others who are sharing their recipes, tips, trick and hacks. Seriously, joining the Young Living community that I’m a part of today has completely changed my entire experience for the better. I’m finally rebuilding my immune system that has been suffering for years and finding ways to make my own gluten free products that I can’t find any where else. I’ve never been a DIY’er, but acting like a chemist and creating these super easy recipes is actually very empowering and liberating because now I know what is going into each product that I’m using! Click here for “The Clean Book” that outlines how to best use the Thieves products.
Bilingual Labels
One thing that I really love from the community that I’m a part of are these Thieves Household Cleaner and Foaming Hand Soap labels (as shown below). I wanted to create all of the Thieves Cleaners in the recipe card that I shared above, but wanted to be sure that the labels can be understood by our house cleaner who only speaks and reads Spanish. With help from a friend who was born and raised in Mexico, my Thieves cleaning labels have both English and Spanish descriptions so that they’re easy to read!
Sign-up Gift
After sign-up, I will send you glass spray bottles to jump start your cleaning supplies as well! I’m happy to print and mail bilingual labels or have the professional Thieves Household Cleaner and Foaming Hand Soap labels mailed to you – your pick!Â
Essential Rewards (ER) Gift & 100 PV Gift
Each month Young Living changes the monthly gift that ER members receive. For the month of June 2020, each member who is registered on Essential Rewards (ER) and spends 100 PV (this starter bundle is 100 PV) is sent a free bottle of Citronella which is the primary oil in the bug spray recipe that I shared earlier this week. I’ll do my best to update this with the promo each month, but please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if I haven’t updated it in a while.
Some of my Favs in the Thieves Premium Starter Kit
- Thieves Foaming Hand Soap: I have this at every single sink in my home. It smells amazing, cleans amazing and it’s safe for those precious little hands it is washing! Not to mention getting Thieves on us in as many ways as possible through the day for it’s immune boosting super powers!
- Thieves Hand Purifier: Put this in every backpack, every bag, every car. Have a bottle by the diaper changing station, at the kitchen sink. Have this little powerhouse everywhere so that those little hands will be extra clean in a safe and non-toxic way in those fall and winter months, especially!
- Thieves Essential Oil: Thieves essential oil is a powerful combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils for an aromatic blend that fills any space with a rich, spicy aroma. Thieves in one of Young LIving’s most popular products due to its absolutely incredible immune and cleaning properties! There is also a convenient roll-on applicator that I keep on me all the time! IMMUNE POWERHOUSE – I roll this on the bottom of my feet daily!
Some of my Thieves Favs that are not in the Starter Bundle (in case you’re wondering what’s next for your switch and ditch journey)
- Thieves Laundry Detergent: Laundry detergent is such an important household product that we take for granted. We use it every week in our house (sometimes more) and it wasn’t until a couple years ago that I realized the impact laundry detergent was having on my skin and overall health. The Thieves Laundry Soap is made of plant-based ingredients and leaves no chemical or synthetic residue. I use the smallest amount of any detergent I’ve used before and it gets my clothes the cleanest without the harsh fading that other detergents cause on my clothes. The 32 ounce bottle that is sold is concentrated to wash 64 loads, but it seems as though it’s lasted me longer.Â
- Thieves Dish Soap: Similar to the laundry detergent, this soap is highly concentrated and plant-based. I use the littlest bit when I’m doing the dishes and it works great! It’s enhanced with Jade Lemon and Bergamot essential oils, which are both favorites of mine. I especially like it because it’s free from sulfates, phosphates, dyes and perfumes, which means it’s gentle on my poor rough hands. I have a fear of washing dishes because of the tenderness it used to leave my hands with other dish soaps that contain harsh chemicals.
- Thieves Cough Drops: Sore throats, coughs, irritated nasal passaged and all that goes with them is soothed and kicked with these amazing drops. They are a great way to get some extra immunity support in your system PLUS they are minty, spicy, and sweet without processed sugar, dyes, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
Suggested Ratios According to Usage
All Purpose Cleaning Spray: Combine 1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner and 2–3 cups water. Add this to a glass spray bottle and use on:
Counters
Surfaces
Kitchen Sink – Daily Cleaner
Fridge
Stove Top
Bathroom Sink
Bathroom Faucet
Spills
Degreaser Cleaning Spray: Combine 1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner and 1-2 cups water. For heavy cleaning, use half or quarter the amount of water. If necessary, use a cloth to apply Thieves Household Cleaner undiluted. After cleaning, wipe the area with a cloth dampened with water.
Add this to a glass spray bottle and use on:
Kitchen Sink – Deep Cleaner
Toilet Seats
Bathroom Sink
Bathtub
Floors and Tile
Glass and Mirror Cleaning Spray: Combine 1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner, 5 drops Citrus Fresh™ essential oil blend, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, and 3 cups water.
Sink and Tile Scrub Recipe: This recipe WORKS!!!! If you are new to DIYs, then you can always stick with just two ingredients, the Thieves Cleaner and the Baking Soda!! Mix in a bowl and use throughout your whole house on grimy surfaces!
Use this mixture on:
Tubs with tough grime
Toilet Bowls
Grimy Sinks
Grimy Tile
Who else has tried 1,355,543 natural cleaners for the bathtub with no success? Who will be trying this one soon?
And the last tip – if you are a lover of soapy, sudsy cleaners, and you want more bubbles with your Thieves cleaner, get some of those automatic soap dispensing brushes to increase the bubbles!