Making Natural Cleansing Products

Making your own cleaning products allows you to limit the number of chemicals you are exposed to, saves you money and helps the environment as well. Some natural things to clean with include, Vinegar, baking soda and Essential oils. ESSENTIAL OILS: Essential oils are great disinfectants because they are all antibacterial, antimicrobial.   They can be used in a variety of ways to help clean, deodorize and sanitize your home.   LeDeliverance is a favorite for disinfecting but many people prefer LeSunburst because of the citrus aroma.   There is nothing quite like orange sweet for a degreaser. VINEGAR: The disinfectant properties of vinegar have been verified by numerous studies including those conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute, as reported on 48 hours (on CBS) in 2000.   A straight 5% solution of vinegar kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of viruses, however in the USA, Heinz can't claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency.   However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. BAKING SODA: Baking soda is a favorite for those of us trying to reduce chemicals in our home because it absorbs odors and makes a great polishing and scrubbing agent.    It is also very inexpensive. Below are some recipes collected from people that make and use these products in their own homes.   The ingredients are fairly easy to find - in fact you may already have most of them in your cupboards.

OVEN CLEANER Make a paste of one-cup vinegar and 1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent. Heat your oven for 5-minutes at 350 degrees and turn off. Spread the paste around the oven, applying it more heavily to very greasy areas. Leave paste on for an hour, and then use a plastic spatula to gently scrape the dirt away.  To prevent greasy buildup in the first place, dip a sponge in full-strength vinegar and wipe down all sides of the oven. HARD FLOOR CLEANER To clean hard floors, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water. Add 5 - 10 drops of lemon, pine, or spruce essential oil. If the floor is especially soiled add a few drops of castile soap. from Karen Logan’s book Clean House, Clean Planet. ALL PURPOSE CLEANER Ingredients: Liquid Castile soap, white distilled vinegar, borax, purified water, and an essential oil for fragrance Place in a clean 16-oz. trigger spray bottle with a few drops of our favorite essential oil. DISINFECTANT SPRAY 2 Cups Water 1/4 Cup White Vinegar 1/4 tsp. Tea Tree Oil 1/4 tsp. Lavender Oil (Of course I would use LeDeliverance!!) Combine and store in a spray bottle. Shake occasionally.  Use where ever a disinfectant spray is needed.  DRYER SHEET REPLACEMENT A few drops of any essential oil on a wool ball. Throw in with your load. FABRIC SPRAY 1 T baking soda 10 dr of Purify 1 T white vinegar and  2 C of water in a spray bottle  Kills the smell on the mattress of a 7 year old bed-wetter. Amazing stuff!  CARPET DEODORIZER 2 cups baking soda 10-15 drops of your favorite Essential Oil. Shake onto the carpet ad allow to sit for a few minutes. Vacuum.