Natural Cleaning Recipes

Natural Cleaning Recipes

Citrus Floor Mopping Solution 1 cup citrus vinegar 2 gallons water Combine in bucket & mop as usual. Four Thieves Vinegar 4 Tablespoons each chopped fresh rosemary, mint, lavender leaves, sage, thyme, and oregano few whole cloves 1 ½ cups vinegar Place the herbs into jar and fill with vinegar. Seal and allow to sit for 2 weeks, occasionally shaking. Remove herbs by straining. Dilute with equal parts water and spray to kill germs. *From 101 Easy Homemade Products for your Skin, Health, and Home by Jan Berry Natural Drain Cleaner & Toilet Bowl Cleaner ½ cup baking soda 1 cup vinegar Pour baking soda down the drain or into the toilet, then pour vinegar a bit at a time into the drain after it. Flush with the hottest water in the tap for a few minutes or clean the toilet as you normally would. Grapefruit & Salt Shower Scrub 1 grapefruit, halved salt Score the grapefruit half and sprinkle with salt. Using the grapefruit as a scour pad, scrub the tub, applying more salt as necessary.

Homemade Disinfecting Wipes 1 cup water 2 Tablespoons white vinegar 2 Tablespoons castile soap 20 drops Thieves Oil, or thyme, tea tree, lemon, lavender, or rosemary essential oil Mix together and pour over cotton rags in an airtight container. Shake before using. * Adapted from Homemade Cleaners by Mandy O Brian Homemade Laundry Detergent 1 bar of soap, preferably 100% coconut oil soap or Ivory, grated 1 quart water 1 cup washing soda 1 cup borax Melt the grated soap in a quart of water over low heat. Do not stir too vigorously. Mix in the washing soda and borax, stirring gently and well. Pour into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill half way with hot water and stir in the soap mixture until the soda and borax are dissolved. Allow to sit for 24 hours. A gel will have formed over the top, stir it into the water. You can add in your favorite laundry detergent for an extra boost or 1 teaspoon of your favorite essential oil, such as lavender. Use as you normally would use liquid laundry detergent. Mirror Cleaner ¼ cup vinegar 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 2 cups warm water Put all ingredients into a spray bottle. Shake well to dissolve cornstarch. Spray liberally on mirror, wipe with a clean cloth buffing to a streak free shine with a wadded up piece of newspaper.

Mold Killer Spray Use full strength vinegar in a spray bottle to kill mold or use regularly as a mold preventative. Lemon Balm Dusting Spray 1 cup fresh lemon balm leaves 1 cup white vinegar 2 Tablespoons olive oil Bruise the lemon balm leaves and steep in the vinegar for a week or two. Remove the leaves. Mix 2 Tablespoons oil to ¼ cup of Lemon Balm Vinegar into a spritzing bottle and use it as a dusting polish, rubbing it into the wood until it shines. Reserve the remainder of the vinegar until you need to make more spray. Rust Stain & Hard Water Deposit Remover Apply full strength vinegar or lemon juice and let stand until spot disappears, then rinse. Repeat if necessary. Scouring Powder 1 cup baking soda ¼ cup washing soda Combine sodas to make powder to sprinkle for scouring. Try it on your stove and oven. Use gloves to avoid skin irritation.

Stainless Steel Cleanser baking soda, for pots and pans rubbing alcohol hydrogen peroxide Sprinkle the surface with baking soda. Use water to make a paste with the baking soda and work it in with your fingertips or a scour pad to remove any build up. Rinse the baking soda off and dry the pan. Rub the alcohol onto the stainless steel with soft cotton, removing any remaining food or surface dirt. Mist with hydrogen peroxide and allow it to sit for a minute. Use a microfiber cloth and wipe downward left to right with the grain to prevent scratching and polish the surface. * Adapted from Natural Solutions for Cleaning & Wellness by Halle Cottis Window Cleaner ¼ cup rubbing alcohol ⅛ cup ammonia couple drops of liquid dish detergent water Combine the rubbing alcohol & ammonia in a repurposed window cleaner bottle. Fill to near the top with water. Add a drop or two of detergent. Wood Cutting Board or Butcher Block Cleanser sea salt or kosher salt fresh lemon or vinegar Sprinkle the surface with the salt and then the vinegar or juice of the lemon. Work it into the wood and wipe clean.

Wood Spoon Cleaner and Conditioner 3 Tablespoons beeswax 1 Tablespoon coconut oil 4 Tablespoons walnut oil ¼ teaspoon vitamin E oil 30 drops sweet orange essential oil Set up a double boiler and melt the beeswax and coconut oil. Drizzle in the walnut oil. Cool slightly and stir in the vitamin E oil and essential oil. Pour into a 4-ounce tin and cool to solidify. Polish clean, dry wooden utensils and allow it to soak in for a few hours or overnight. Polish off the excess. * From The Beeswax Workshop by Christine Dalziel Fresh Lemon Uses Bleaching white linens, drying in the sun Remove cooking stains and odors from hands Remove counter stains by allowing the juice to sit on stain for a few minutes. Scrub with baking soda. Clean & sanitize wooden cutting boards by sprinkling a lemon half with salt and using as a scour pad. Rinse with water and allow to dry. Use on your laundry to remove rust and mildew stains. Freshen your air by slicing a lemon. Alternately, you could simmer it on the stove with (or without) some cloves. Lemon juice works as an insect repellant, particularly for ants. Sprinkle some in your hot spots or wash your floors with the citrus vinegar Substitute lemon juice for CLR or Lime Away. Soak the area for up to several hours and then wash away. Clean your metal with a lemon juice/baking soda paste. Place a lemon half in the refrigerator (or anywhere stinky) to remove odors.

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