Following on from Tuesday’s post, Chemical-Free Cleaning Made Easy, Delena from The Modern Aboriginal Mama shares five recipes for a naturally clean house. Please ask her any questions in the comment section below!
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Cleaning house can be such a chore, but it doesn’t have to be! Ever since I made the switch to natural cleaning products, I have discovered the rewards and joy of keeping a clean house. A big thanks also to this TMF Storehere for providing me the best products I need for my home!
And when it comes to keeping your home in good condition, it’s not just the inside that matters. Roofing services like those at Triple R Roofing can help ensure that your home’s roof is in top shape, protecting your family and belongings from the elements. As noted by Kihle Roofing and Construction, we’ll make sure the general maintenance is done and ensure the safety of everyone in case there’s damage to the roof.
In the last post about chemical-free cleaners, I wrote about your fundamental cleaning agents: baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. You can use bottled lemon juice, or fresh-squeezed; it makes little difference as long as the bottled juice is as close to natural as you can find.
With apple cider vinegar, you want to encourage something called “mothering.†Let the vinegar sit in a dark, dry, cool place until it develops that cloudy sediment at the bottom. You want this to happen because you’ll add it to your new bottle of vinegar. This helps the apple cider vinegar mature, which increases its effectiveness. If you give it a good sniff, you’ll notice that the sharpness of the scent is curbed a little, becoming stronger but also richer. This is a sign of good mothering!
The ingredient of natural cleaners that makes all the difference is completely customizable to accomplish different objectives: essential oils, or E.O. Essential oils are the volatile oils distilled from leaves, flowers, bark, roots, stems, and other elements of herbs. What makes it so potent is that it is not diluted into a neutral carrier oil like you find at the store. Be careful because they can be harmful if it comes into contact with skin, the mucous membranes, or if swallowed.
Some are safe for ingestion in small quantities, but just to be on the safe side, stick with using it in your cleaning agents. For parents with little ones, make sure to keep the E.O.’s in a cupboard out of reach!
The basic Essential Oils I use are lavender, tea tree, rosemary, eucalyptus, and lemongrass.
Tea Tree is my favorite: it is anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial, as well as effective against mites and head lice. It’s effective even diluted as much as down to a 5% solution. I use it in every single one of my cleaning mixtures.
Lavender is a gentler anti-bacterial E.O. It’s not as powerful as Tea Tree, but it has other soothing benefits and more people like the scent of lavender, finding Tea Tree a little harsh.
Rosemary is another anti-septic, as well as Eucalyptus. Used in tandem, they’re my next best thing if I run out of Tea Tree Oil.
Lemongrass is great for an insect repellant. Ants absolutely hate the smell of lemongrass and won’t come near it.
Recipes
Chemical-Free Carpet De-Odorizer
- 2 cups baking soda per room
- 5-7 drops Lemongrass E.O. Per 2 cups baking soda
Stir E.O. into the baking soda, spreading it evenly. It should form the consistency of wet sand. Let dry. Sprinkle over carpet and let sit a minimum of 20 minutes. Vacuum. I got this tip from the bestcarpetcleaning near me.
If you seek for the best carpet cleaning services, you can check out sites likewww.zerorez.com/charlotte to opt with your concerns.The best carpet cleaner is a green certified cleaner.
Chemical-Free All-Purpose Surface Cleaner
- 1 part apple cider vinegar to 4 parts water (can be diluted to 5 parts water if the vinegar smell really isn’t your thing)
- Optional: 3-5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil OR 2 drops Rosemary & 3 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Mix into a spray bottle and use as you would any all-purpose cleaner. The vinegar smell will disappear as the solution dries.
Chemical-Free Cleaner
- 1 cup baking soda
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 7-8 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
- water
Mix ingredients into a paste. (It will not stay mixed, so you’ll need to mix it back up occasionally.) Spoon a dollop onto the surface you wish to clean. It’s non-scratch, so it’s safe to use on porcelain and sink fixtures. Also safe to use a little extra and allow to sit on stained surfaces. Use a rag or a soft scrubber to scrub and disinfect the surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth, or with the All-Purpose Surface Cleaner or All-Purpose Rinse Solution.
Natural Fabric Softener
- ½ cup to 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Add to rinse cycle of your wash instead of fabric softener. Fortify the softening process with 6-8 dryer balls inside the dryer for soft clothes without the chemicals!
Natural All-Purpose Rinse Solution
For all you gardeners out there, here’s a recipe using fresh herbs:
- 1 lg handful fresh rosemary
- 1 lg handful fresh sage
- 1 gal hot water
Steep herbs in sink (or other container) like you would any regular tea. When the water is as dark as it’s going to get (it won’t get really dark), dip in a rag and wipe down any surfaces like counter tops, stove tops, surface of the fridge, walls, and can even be used as a mopping solution for the floor. It’s a gentle disinfectant and wonderful deodorizer!
Frozen pipes, major leaks, backups, problems with the water main and more can cause you to lose water. You should call plumbing contractors in Oshkosh quickly because either the water was turned off or the water that should be going into your home is leaking somewhere else.
Any questions? Ask away!
Tags: Chemical Free domestics Eco Friendly house work Natural Cleanser
Categories: Alternative Medicines and Remedies Mama Stuff Non-Food Recipes
