Clean House, Clean Earth

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Every day we continue the fight against germs and dirt in our houses with an army of cleaning products in hand. We have sprays for the counters, the oven, blue goo for the toilet, happy scrub brushes for the tub, a different spray for the tiles, the windows, the floor and furniture. Then to top it all off, we spray more chemicals on our clothes and in the air to make them smell better. All that’s left are glistening surfaces, unbreathable fumes that last for hours, irritated skin and eyes, damaged kidneys, liver and nervous systems. And don’t forget a depleted ozone and a slightly warmer Earth.

For those of you who cling desperately to your bottle of “kills 99.9% of bacteria” spray, let it go. You are doing more harm than good.  Most bacteria are benign and the natural bacterial flora in our bodies is instrumental in protecting us from the disease causing kind. Killing 99.9% of any bacteria means that the .01% that are resistant to the chemicals are going to go forth and multiply, thus rendering your cleaning products useless. Remember, you’re living in your house, not trying to perform surgery in it. Keep it livable by switching to safer, natural and often, much cheaper cleaning products that you can make yourself. Most ingredients are already in your kitchen. Here are some basic recipes to get you started. For more natural cleaning alternatives, visit The New Homemaker.

All Purpose Cleaner

1tsp borax or washing soda
2 cups warm water
2 Tbs distilled white vinegar
½ tsp natural liquid dishwashing soap
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops rosemary essential oil

Combine the borax or soda and water in a spray bottle and shake well. Add the rest and shake again. Lavender and rosemary oils have natural antiseptic properties and are pleasing to the nose. Spray on just about everything!

Window Cleaner

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar

Combine and shake in a spray bottle and use newspaper instead of paper towels to stay streak free. If there is a waxy build up from previous cleaners, add ¼ tsp natural liquid dishwashing soap.

Sink and Tub Cleaner

1/3 cup baking soda
1/3 cup borax
1 tsp natural liquid dishwashing soap
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Mix in a small plastic container. This gently polishes without damaging porcelain or fiberglass. The oils help disinfect and of course, smell good.

Air Fresheners

Air fresheners can be as easy as putting a few drops of essential oil in some water on the stove for humidity as well as fragrance, or mixing 25 drops of essential oil with a teaspoon of vodka and water in a spray bottle.

To keep flies away and add a lovely scent to your home, use either lavender, eucalyptus or cedar oil in a diffuser or on cotton balls placed around the room. Alternatively, set out bowls of fresh lemon and orange peels mixed with dried cloves.