2007-May-2 - Spring Cleaning~Au Naturel
Natural Spring Cleaning
by Lisa Barthuly
It's springtime, and that means SPRING CLEANING! (No grumbling allowed.) Try some of these natural cleaners to make the job more pleasant and nontoxic!
- Weed killer: Did you know that dumping vinegar on weeds instead of chemical weed killer will do the same job without poisoning the ground and getting into our water systems? It will.
- Toilet cleaner: Rather than using the chlorine-laden can of toilet scrubbing powders, take a pint or quart size canning jar, fill 3/4 full of baking soda, put a straw down the middle of the jar into the baking soda, and pour about 20 drops of lemon essential oil (or tea tree, lavender, or orange) into the hole the straw made. Put the lid on and shake, then take a small nail and punch about five decent-size holes in it. You have your own 'shaker' of cleaner that contains NO CHLORINE and works even better!
- Antibacterial all-purpose cleaner: Mix 20 drops lavender essential oil with 1 cup water in a spray bottle.
- Dishwasher detergent/stainless steel cleanser: Mix 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup borax in a plastic sealed container. Be sure to label!
- Drain cleaner: Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain and follow up with a thorough rinse with boiling hot water.
- Glass cleaner: A solution of equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle - it works great!
- Laundry detergent: One of the simplest yet most important differences I have made to our family's "clean routine" is homemade laundry soap. Everything we wash touches us in some fashion, and the chemical residue is absorbed through our largest organ, our skin. This was one of the first big changes we made some time ago, and it's been healthier, simple to do, and cheap! Click HERE for the recipe.
Comments
2007-May-10 - Thank you
Posted by Vickie
I just wanted to thank you for these recipes. I do try to use natural cleaners when I can. I did not know the toilet cleanser one and I will be trying that one out soon!
Thank you!
