Thieves Cleaner… Does It Really Work? Is it really eco friendly and biodegradable? And why should we switch to non-toxic cleaning products anyways? Find out the science behind this 100% plant and mineral based cleaner!
What is Thieves Household Cleaner?
Thieves essential oil is a blend of clove, cinnamon bark, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus. This blend is based on a historical account of four thieves in France who protected themselves from the black plague with these 5 essential oils, while robbing victims of this killer disease. Thieves, and the individual oils contained in this blend, have been tested and proven to be highly effective against many kinds of bacteria.
Young Living has created a line of Thieves cleaning products, including an all purpose cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent... the list goes on! What I love about Thieves all purpose cleaner, is that it is made from 100% plant based and mineral ingredients, and it is so environmentally friendly. It is actually biodegradable! It contains thieves and lemon essential oils, which are both so great for natural cleaning. Using thieves cleaner is so easy, effective, and safe!
Why You Should Make The Switch
Most conventional cleaning products are loaded with toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and synthetic fragrance. Pull out your phone, and download the app “Think Dirty”.
You’ll be able to scan the barcodes of your cosmetic and cleaning products, and see for yourself what the ingredients mean. Think dirty gives you a simple rating on a scale of 1-10 to see how toxic (or clean) each product in your home is – you might be amazed at how many “green” branded cleaning products were filled with carcinogenic toxins.
For example, this Clorox product is so green-washed, you would never expect that it would rate a 9 (10 being the most toxic) the Dirty Meter! Another great example is this lysol all purpose cleaner, which rated a 9 on the Dirty Meter:
Coming from a home that already used what we considered to be "green" cleaning products, I was very surprised & concerned to find so many toxic ingredients - hiding in the products in our cupboards! After I realized this, I started to make my own cleaning blends, using water, vinegar, castile soap, and essential oils - or even better, using Young Living Thieves all purpose cleaner!
Does it Work? Here's the Scientific Proof :
Effect of a Diffused Essential Oil Blend on Bacterial Bioaerosols
Authors: Chao, SC | Young, DG | Oberg, CJ
Journal: Journal of Essential Oil Research
This study, conducted at Weber State University in Utah, found that diffused Thieves essential oil blend has a 99.96 percent kill rate against airborne bacteria after only 10 minutes of exposure: "There was an 82% reduction in M. luteus bioaerosol, a 96% reduction in the P. aeruginosa bioaerosol, and a 44% reduction in the S. aureus bioaerosol following 10 min of exposure. Results for the time exposure threshold of diffused oil showed that after only six min a 90% reduction in M. luteus viability occurred. "
Conclusion:
Diffusion of the oil blend, Thieves, can significantly reduce the number of aerosol-borne bacteria and may have application in treating air for enclosed environments and preventing transmission of aerosol-borne bacterial pathogens.
Antibacterial properties of plant essential oils
Authors:SG Deans, G.Ritchie
Journal: International Journal of Food Microbiology
This study examined fifty plant essential oils, for their antibacterial properties against 25 genera of bacteria. The 10 most inhibitory oils included cinnamon and clove.
Antimicrobial activity of clove and rosemary essential oils alone and in combination.
Authors: Fu Y, Zu Y, Chen L, Wang Z, Sun S, Efferth T.
Journal: Phytotherapy Research
This study looked at the antimicrobial activity of clove and rosemary essential oils: "Both essential oils possessed significant antimicrobial effects against all microorganisms tested. The antimicrobial activity of combinations of the two essential oils indicated their additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects against individual microorganism tests."
Low Cost
Thieves all purpose cleaner is a concentrated liquid. You only need 1 part cleaner to 30 parts water, for most of your cleaning purposes. This means that a 64 oz bottle of cleaner goes a long way! When you do the math, each 30 oz spray bottle you make, only costs 83 cents. That is absolutely amazing! Not only is this cleaner environmentally friendly and non toxic, but it is also saving you money (and time running to the store all the time to purchase cleaning products).
Truly, All Purpose...
There are so many applications for thieves cleaner in your home! We really have replaced all other cleaners with thieves. It's so easy to do, and there are endless possibilities. Here are a couple of ideas on how to use thieves in your home:

Ready to try Thieves Cleaner for yourself?
Click here to
I hope this post inspires you to make the switch to a more natural cleaning products! Be sure to follow along @nourishmintkitchen on Instagram for more daily wellness tips and inspiration. For more eco-friendly swaps, check out my post on 5 Natural Household Switches, and this post about my favourite Natural and Non-Toxic Makeup.

Bonnie J Johnson says
I'm new to YL...and I have to say, your website is one of the BEST! Very creative and helpful in many ways...besides just FUN to look at! You go Girl!!
Jasmine Ouellette says
Hi Bonnie! Wow, thank you so much. Your kind words mean so much to me. Please enjoy!!
RayneLynne says
Great post! I love the recommendation! 🌸 Your site is really great! I can tell you spend a lot of time on it. 🌸 Made my day to see that you've locked in a financial b-plan (exit strategy) that creates more time and balance in your life! Go girl!
Kassy | https://syrahandsmoothies.com
Jasmine Ouellette says
Thank you so much for your kind words! I appreciate your feedback. Yes, plan B is the DREAM! You know what they say... the best way to predict the future is to create it 🙂
RayneLynne says
Yes ma'am!
Laurie says
I tried to get a free copy of the Thieves cleaner printable, but it keeps sending an error message. Is this still available?
Jasmine Ouellette says
Hi Laurie! Thank you for letting me know about this and sorry for the inconvenience. Yes you can download it here: https://mailchi.mp/bd107d9f30a8/thieves
Thank you!