For any of the recipes calling for liquid soap, you can use castille soap which is all natural, but you won't have any suds. I however, usually just use plain dish soap (detergent) since it's for cleaning, and not for my body.
I use this recipe in the kitchen mostly, especially after working with raw chicken or any raw meat. It's great for plastic cutting boards, knives, and the counters! I also use it when there's been flu or colds going around the family for door knobs and sink handles and the like. Lavender and Tea tree oils are ideal for this recipe because they are both highly anti-bacterial, antiseptic, antimicrobial.
Super Simple Natural Disinfectant
You will need:
Spray Bottle I always sterilize my bottles with boiling water, just to make sure they're free from anything they might have picked up on the store shelves.
Warm water 'Organic Tea Tree Essential
Oil Organic Lavender Essential Oil
Fill a spray bottle with warm water and add 5-10 drops of each essential oil, swish around, and you're ready to clean!
For this cleaner and my floor cleaner, I use my own blend of citrus essential oils and a drop or two of tea tree for extra cleaning power! My favorite essential oil blend is (in order of highest amount I use) Tangerine, Lemon, Lime, and just a touch of sweet orange and grapefruit. Sometimes I match the oils to the season - in the fall I'll use clove bud, sweet orange and tea tree, and in winter peppermint and teatree.
I use this cleaner mostly for the bathroom - the vanity, mirror, toilet, tub and shower and the floors.
All Purpose Cleaner
You will need:
Spray bottle
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 -2 Tablespoons Borax
Hot water
A few drops liquid soap
Up to 10 drops essential oil(s) of choice
In a 16 oz spray bottle put vinegar, borax and hot water. Swish around until borax has dissolved. Add soap fill the rest of the bottle with water, add the essential oil.
I can only answer for how this works on porcelain kitchen tiles, I wouldn't use this on any other flooring without doing your research first!
Basic All Natural Floor Cleaner (adapted from Better Basics for the Home)
You will need:
A mop bucket
2 gallons hot water
1/2 cup distilled Vinegar
2 tablespoons Liquid soap
Approx. 15 drops essential oil(s) of choice. Citrus, lavender, and/or tea tree are recommended.
Pour soap, vinegar and essential oils into bucket. Fill bucket with hot water, and mop away!
Natural Cleaning tips
For scouring counters, stovetops, and stainless steel pots and pans, baking soda is a fantastic and super simple way to get things clean. For counters sprinkle the baking soda on the damp or dry surface and scrub away with a damp rag. For stainless steal, rinse the pot and dump the water, so it's just slightly wet, then either sprinkle the soda all over and scrub with rag, or take a handful of soda and scrub with your hands. This also works for bathtubs!
Adding a bit of sea salt to the baking soda adds more scrubbing power!
Carpet Deodorizer and Air freshener in one! Sprinkle carpets with dried lavender buds or rose powder
Leave for 5-10 minutes, then vaccum up. It will make your house smell lovely, as well as the carpet, and the scent will linger around for the next few vaccummings as well!
Simple toilet bowl cleaner
Pour half a cup of white vinegar into the toilet and add a handful of baking soda, let it sit for ten minutes then scrub with a toilet brush. Sometimes I add two handfuls if I need it.
Well, that's it for today, I hope you find some helpful tips and recipes here, please do tell me if you try any of them and how they work for you!!
~Elissa
1 comment:
Thanks for posting these cleaning "recipes"! I can't wait to try to them out. I've really been enjoying your blog.
~Rebecca
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