If you've ever wondered how to detox your home naturally, spring cleaning is the perfect time to start making a few simple swaps. In this blog, you'll learn easy natural cleaning swaps and DIY recipes that help reduce chemicals in your home using ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils.
Freshening Your Home for Spring: Simple Swaps to Reduce Toxins
There’s something about spring that makes us want to open the windows, let in the sunshine, and start fresh.
But can we talk about how the sunlight suddenly exposes everything in the house?
You think your home is fine… and then March hits. The angle of the light changes and suddenly you’re staring at dust in places you didn’t even know existed.
Spring has always been a natural reset for me. It makes me want to open the windows, clear out drawers, wipe down surfaces, and bring a little order back into the house.
But over the years I’ve realized that spring cleaning can be about more than just getting things tidy. It can also be a great opportunity to reduce the chemical load in our homes.
Many conventional cleaning products contain ingredients we may not want lingering on our counters, floating in the air, or coming into contact with our families every day.
The good news? Making changes doesn’t have to be complicated.
We’re focusing on simple swaps. The kind that don’t require a full lifestyle overhaul. Just easy changes that help freshen your home while supporting a cleaner environment for your family.
Whether you enjoy making your own cleaners or you prefer grabbing something ready-made, there are options that actually work.
If you’ve been thinking about freshening things up anyway… consider this your sign.
Start by Taking a Look Around
Take a second and look around your house.
The spray under the sink.
The plug-in in the hallway.
The “gentle” shampoo in the shower.
Most of us buy these things assuming they’re fine. If it says clean, green, plant-based, or natural, it must be safe… right?
Unfortunately, that’s not always how it works.
A lot of everyday products still contain synthetic fragrance, phthalates, and other ingredients that can irritate the body over time. And we use them daily on our skin, around our kids, and in the air we breathe.
I’m not saying you need to throw everything out tonight. But it is worth paying attention.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s awareness and making small changes where you can.
A Simple Tool That Can Help
If you’ve ever tried reading ingredient labels, you know they can feel like another language.
One tool I like using is the Think Dirty app. It’s available on iPhone and Android and makes things surprisingly simple.
The app was developed using data from the Environmental Working Group, which researches ingredient safety in personal care and household products.
Here’s how it works.
You download the app, scan a barcode (or type in a product name), and it gives you a rating. It also breaks down the ingredients so you can see why something scored the way it did.
Sometimes the results are surprising.
I challenge you to scan something from under your sink or in your bathroom today, just out of curiosity.
Simple Swaps for a Cleaner Home
You don’t have to replace everything at once. Start with one or two changes that make sense for your home.
Here are a few easy swaps you can try this spring.
Natural Grill Cleaner
Grill season will be back before you know it.
Before you throw burgers or veggies on there, take a look at those grates. Months of buildup, grease, and who-knows-what from last year are usually still hanging around.
Instead of reaching for a heavy chemical cleaner, here’s an easy swap that works really well.
Mix:
Then slowly add distilled white vinegar until the texture becomes thick but spreadable.
Brush it onto the metal grates and let it sit for 15–20 minutes. After that, scrub with a grill brush and rinse with water.
The baking soda helps lift grime, the soap cuts grease, and the lemon oil helps break down residue while leaving everything smelling fresh.
DIY Toilet Cleaning Bombs
If you're cleaning the rest of your home with better ingredients, it makes little sense to keep pouring neon-blue mystery liquid into the toilet bowl.
These simple cleaning bombs are surprisingly effective.
You’ll need:
1 cup baking soda
¼ cup citric acid
1½ tbsp unscented castile soap
15 drops
Abode Blend
Mix the baking soda and citric acid together first. Slowly add the castile soap and essential oils until the mixture feels like damp sand.
Press the mixture firmly into molds and let them dry for at least four hours.
Store them in an airtight container.
When it's time to clean, drop one into the bowl. It will fizz as it activates. Give it a good scrub and you're done.
Natural Oven Cleaner
Oven cleaning is the task we all pretend we don’t see. You open the door, glance at the baked-on splatter, and quietly decide it can wait another week.
If you’ve been avoiding harsh oven sprays because of the fumes, this is a much gentler option.
Mix together:
½ cup baking soda
1 tbsp coarse salt
¼ cup liquid dish soap
5 drops
Lemon essential oil (or another citrus oil)
Stir until it forms a thick paste. Spread a generous layer all over the inside of the oven and let it sit for a few hours. Then wipe everything down with a damp sponge.
The baking soda loosens buildup, the soap breaks down grease, and the citrus oil leaves everything smelling fresh instead of chemical-heavy.
DIY Dishwasher Tablets
Most people don’t think twice about dishwasher pods. But whatever is in that little tablet ends up coating the plates, cups, and silverware you use every day.
You’ll need:
Mix everything together until the texture is uniform. Press the mixture firmly into silicone molds and let them sit for about four hours to harden. Once set, store them in an airtight container and use them just like store-bought ones.
And if DIY isn’t your thing, no problem. You can always use doTERRA dishwasher tabs instead and skip the mixing altogether.
Washing Your Produce
Warmer weather usually means more fresh fruits and vegetables in the house. The downside? Most produce has been sprayed or coated before it ever reaches your kitchen. The first thing I do when it comes home is wash it.
Option 1: Produce Spray
Fill an 8 oz spray bottle with distilled water. Shake, spray your produce, and rinse.
Option 2: Produce Soak
Let produce soak for 5–10 minutes, then rinse.
Bonus: I’ve noticed my produce tends to stay fresh longer when I wash it this way.
Start Small
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be. You don’t have to change everything overnight. Start with one swap. Then another when you’re ready.
Over time those small changes add up, and your home begins to feel lighter, fresher, and a little more supportive of your family’s health.
And honestly… spring is the perfect time to start.
If you’re feeling inspired to detox your home a little, my best advice is to start small. Choose one or two things to swap out and begin there. You don’t have to change everything overnight. Those small changes add up over time and before you know it, your home starts to feel cleaner, lighter, and more supportive of your family’s health.
Now, I’ll admit… I wasn’t exactly slow and steady when we started using essential oils. I was the mom who jumped in with both feet, mostly because we weren’t finding much help with conventional products and we were ready for something different. While I’m not much of a DIYer myself, I do love using natural products that actually work. That’s one of the reasons I’ve come to appreciate the solutions doTERRA offers and why essential oils have become such a simple part of our daily routine. If you’re just beginning your natural solutions journey, give yourself permission to take it one step at a time.
If you’d like more ideas for natural cleaning and simple ways to use essential oils around your home, come join us inside the Drops of Healing community where I share tips, recipes, and monthly doTERRA specials.
Favorite Essential Oils for Natural Cleaning
If you're just beginning to reduce chemicals in your home, a few essential oils can make a big difference. Many people enjoy using citrus and protective blends because they smell fresh and work well in DIY cleaners and everyday routines.
Here are a few favorites to start with:
Lemon Essential OilLemon is one of the most popular oils for natural cleaning. It has a bright, fresh scent and is commonly used to help break down sticky residue, grease, and buildup. It’s also a favorite for cleaning kitchens, washing produce, and freshening the home.
On Guard BlendOn Guard is a warm, spicy blend often used during the colder months, but it’s also helpful year-round for supporting a clean environment in the home. Many people like adding it to cleaning sprays, dishwasher tablets, and laundry routines.
Abode BlendThe Abode blend was designed specifically for natural home care. Its fresh scent works beautifully in toilet bombs, surface cleaners, and other household cleaning recipes.
These oils are simple to use and can be added to many natural cleaning recipes like the ones shared in this post.
If you're not sure where to begin, starting with one or two oils and experimenting with a few simple swaps is a great way to begin your natural solutions journey.
Ready to Start Your Natural Solutions Journey?
Are you ready to start making a few simple swaps in your home? Essential oils can be a wonderful place to begin. Oils like Lemon, On Guard, and Abode are some of my favorites for supporting a cleaner, fresher home.
If you already know what you’d like to try, you can explore the oils and natural cleaning products on my website and place an order anytime.
And if you're not sure where to begin, I’d be happy to help. I offer
Natural Wellness Consults where we can talk about your goals, your home, and the products that may be the best fit for you and your family.
Sometimes a short conversation makes the whole process feel much simpler.
Or browse natural cleaning solutions and essential oils here:
Natural Product
***I earn a small commission from the links in this blog and on my website.***