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Create natural, chemical-free, inexpensive, homemade cleansers for your house and office in just a few minutes for a fraction of the price.
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By Maranda Pleasant
Ingredients You Need to Keep Your Home Fresh, Clean and Toxin-Free:
-Essential Oils. They add a great smell to your cleaners. Buy the ones that come in dark glass bottles and store them away from heat and direct sunlight. Try lavender, lemon, orange, peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree oil.
-Olive oil
-Sea salt
-Lemon Castile soap
-Baking soda
-White vinegar -- Make sure it is made from natural sources like a grain alcohol rather than synthetically produced ethanol made from petroleum.
Floors
Fill up kitchen bucket it halfway with warm water and add a ¼ cup of dish soap, ½ cup of lemon juice or ½ cup of white vinegar and 4 drops of lemon essential oil. Start mopping in the furthest corner and work your way towards the door.
The Oven
Heat for 15 minutes at 350°F/175°C and then turn it off. When it has slightly cooled down, sprinkle baking soda and salt inside and wipe all the grease away.
The Shower
Mix 2 cups water, ½ cup vinegar, ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and 20 drops tea tree oil in a spray bottle. Spray the solution on the shower walls and floor, and then wipe them down with a washable cloth.
The Toilet
Combine 2 cups water, ¼ cup liquid Castile soap, 1 tablespoon tea tree oil and 10 drops eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil in a 1 quart spray bottle. Shake it well. Spray the solution on toilet surfaces and then wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge.
The Sink
First rinse with hot water, then sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda mixed with six drops lavender or tangerine essential oil. When it stops fizzing, scrub with a damp sponge and rinse again with hot water.
Windows
Combine 2 cups of water and ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice in a 1 quart size spray bottle and shake well. Spray the solution on the glass and wipe with newspaper in a circular motion to keep windows clean and streak-free.
Natural DIY Household Hacks
1. Deodorize a smelly garbage disposal by running hot water into the sink, adding lemon and orange peels and turning on the switch.
2. Polish your wood furniture with walnut oil.
3. Remove drip candle wax from a tablecloth or napkins by applying ice to solidify it and then breaking or scraping off as much as possible. Then sandwich the waxy area between pieces of brown wax paper and then use an iron on the lowest setting to iron over the stain. The wax should melt and be transferred to the paper. Repeat until the wax is gone.
4. Use hot water or white vinegar to remove sticky labels from recycled glass jars.
5. When you load a dishwasher, always face the cutlery handles up to prevent spreading germs as you unload it.
6. Use and reuse glass jars to store just about everything in your kitchen.
7. To keep mites and weevils out of your flour, add an entire nutmeg to the container.
8. Add a cloth or handkerchief scented with your favorite essential oils to your drawers and closets to keep clothes smelling fresh.
9. To create your own dryer sheet, add 6 drops of lavender essential oil to an old handkerchief or cloth napkin. Your clothes will smell wonderful, it saves you money, and you avoid the chemicals from store-bought dryer sheets.
10. A few drops of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are great for pretreating stains.
The Magical Wonders of Baking Soda
1. Baking soda is terrific for absorbing strange and unpleasant smells. Keep an open box in the back of your refrigerator, dust your carpet with it one hour before vacuuming and you can even sprinkle some in the bottom of your rubbish bins.
2. For a laundry detergent booster, add ½ cup baking soda to the water in your washing machine. Besides just softening and cleaning your laundry, it is effective at removing stains and eliminating odors, making it a real plus when you’re washing your yoga and gym clothes.
3. Freshen your kitchen sponges by soaking them for one hour in a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda and 1 quart warm water. Then just rinse and dry.
4. Keep your cut flowers fresher longer by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vase every five days.
5. Before you scrub those pots and pans, sprinkle baking soda on them with warm water and let sit for at least half an hour before you start scrubbing.
6. Refresh your mattress and remove stains by sprinkling 1 cup baking soda mixed with 6 drops of your favorite essential oil all over your mattress. Leave it for 1 to 3 hours and then vacuum completely.
Before You Call the Plumber
If your kitchen or bathroom sink has a clogged drain, pour a package of baking soda down the drain. Then slowly pour 1 cup white vinegar. Wait five minutes and then pour 7 cups boiling hot water. Run the tap briefly to see if the water is going down the drain. Always try this first. It might save you a small fortune.
Buyer Beware. Toxic Cleaners
So many chemicals contained in popular brands of cleaners and household products have been linked to serious health problems diseases like cancer, asthma and autism, just for starters. We really suggest supporting companies making non-toxic brands and purchasing pure ingredients to make your own cleaners to protect your and your family’s health. We recommend never buying any products with the following ingredients: ammonia, butoxyethanol, chlorine, perchloroethylene (often used in the dry cleaning process), phthalates, sodium hydroxide, triclosan.
Natural Air Fresheners
Stay away from those artificial, chemical laden, plug-in kinds. Mix 1 cup distilled water, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 20 drops essential oil in a dark glass spray bottle. Shake the solution well before you use it. It keeps for one month. Experiment with a nice mix of essential oils like geranium, orange, sage, lemon and rosemary.
Make Your Own Natural Laundry Detergent for Pennies
Save money with natural detergent. This mixture could last your family for an entire year. Think of the money you will save! Make your own washing powder by mixing 16 cups baking soda, 12 cups borax, 8 cups Castile soap flakes, and 3 tablespoons essential oils into a metal bucket. Stir well to mix them evenly. Store the powder in sealable containers. Bam!
Making All-Purpose Cleaner
Make your own all-purpose spray cleaner by combining 1 cup white vinegar and 10 drops tea tree oil and orange essential oil in a 1 quart spray bottle and then adding enough water to fill almost to the top. Shake it well and it is ready to go. The vinegar and the tea tree oil both have antibacterial qualities and the orange oil gives the solution a fresh scent.
