Living in Harmony

Here are some recipes for the cleaners I use. Some of these I got from books, some from the internet or from friends. I don’t remember in most cases, because I write out the recipe on labels and tape the labels to the bottles so I can easily make the recipe when it gets low without having to search for it. I use Dr. Bronner’s unscented soap for the soaps and always add the soap last. When adding essential oils, keep in mind what you’re using products for. Having a different scent in each product seems like a good idea, but if you’re using them all while cleaning a bathroom it might end up being too much. I usually only use one or two different scents for all my products.

All-Purpose Cleaner

This has Borax in it which makes it mildly toxic, but only if ingested, unlike some chemical cleaners that are toxic just using them. We use this on everything. I’ve had friends who love bleach, Lysol, etc use it and fall in love with it. It is the only natural cleaner I’ve found that works on the grime in the bathtub. I just spray it on, let it sit a few minutes, then scrub off. For really tough stains, I might spray it on, sprinkle a little baking soda over it, then scrub clean. I usually don’t bother rinsing this, but you could spray a bit of vinegar rinse (see below) on it and wipe if you’d like.

In a 24 oz spray bottle, add 4 Tb white vinegar and 2 tsp Borax. Fill the bottle most of the way with very hot water (leave some room) and shake well until all the Borax has dissolved. Add 1/2 cup of soap and enough water to fill the bottle the rest of the way, and gently mix it up. Add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil. Lavender is popular, tea tree oil adds some disinfecting qualities, and citrus or peppermint scents smell fresh and clean.

Mild Cleaner

This is a great, very mild cleaner for wiping counter tops, spills, etc. Like the one above, I don’t always rinse it but sometimes will spray a bit of vinegar rinse and wipe.

Fill an 18 oz spray bottle almost to the top with water. Add 1/2 cup of soap and stir gently. Add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil if you like.

Vinegar Rinse

This is a great way to easily rinse soap residue or baking soda. It also doubles as a window cleaner or an air freshener (with scent added). Fill a spray bottle with half water and half vinegar. Add scent if desired.

Pet Odour Recipe

I hate the smell of cat pee (luckily my cat is pretty good about using his litter box!). This is great for that, as well as any other pleasant surprises your pets (or babies) might throw at you. Check for colour fastness on a hidden area first though, as hydrogen peroxide can act as a bleach. Black lights work great to check if you’ve missed any. Hydrogen peroxide loses its potency over time, especially when exposed to light, so it’s best to make it up as you need it or store it in a dark container.  I got this recipe from my sister.

In a 16 oz spray bottle, add 15 oz of hydrogen peroxide (3%), 2 tsp of baking soda, and 2 drops of soap. Mix gently. Blot up any wet area first, then spray solution on. If the area you’re treating has been heavily saturated, you may need to pour the solution on to get it everywhere. Test for odour after about an hour and add more if needed. (Usually not necessary.) After 24 hours, blot up any remaining liquid.

Natural Bug Sprays

Catnip is easy to grow, and you can add the herbs to apple cider vinegar in a jar, shake frequently for two to three weeks, and then strain and rub the liquid on or put it in a spray bottle.

You can also use the essential oil.  I’ve seen various combinations of oils suggested, including pennyroyal (with cautions not to use on pregnant women or small children), tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and cedarwood.  Use a carrier oil as a base.  Neem oil and soybean oil are also known to repel mosquitos, so might be a good choice for the base. Even a 1% concentration of catnip oil has been shown to be effective.  A 5-10% concentration would be about 2.5-5tsps of pure catnip essential oil to 1 cup of carrier oil.

Other Misc Tips

To get rust out of stainless steel, sprinkle the stain with salt and then sprinkle a bit of lemon juice over that. Let it sit overnight. Normally the stain will wipe clean easily the next day.

Baking soda is abrasive and works well on walls, crusted on food, etc. When we had a dishwasher we used it in the first tray on our dishwasher, to lower the amount of dishwashing detergent used. (Now if we had a dishwasher I will likely make my own soap nut dishwashing detergent for it, and use baking soda and the soap nuts.)

Pumice stones are like magic for cleaning ovens. It does take longer and is more work than oven sprays, but you don’t have that awful smell permeating your house (and your food) for days/weeks after. We always use a metal tray at the bottom of our oven, when that gets dirty it’s easy to replace.

To clean a microwave, put a bowl of water and lemon juice in it and microwave for 30 seconds. The steam and lemon juice loosens the gunk and makes it easy to wipe clean.

The sun is a miracle stain remover, especially for organic stains. I sun out diapers, clothes, cutting boards, etc. I keep a little bottle of water with lemon juice and/or vinegar and spray the stain first, then stick it out in the sun. This will sometimes bleach clothes, so don’t do it on clothes unless the stain is so set the clothes would be ruined anyway otherwise.