Spring Cleaning with Homemade Non-toxic Cleaners!!

I have had several requests to post about "healthy cleaning".  1 Corinthians 14:40  "But all things should be done decently and in order."

At my house we have the big spring clean out every year.  We take each room one by one (usually takes a day/room ha ha) and clean out every drawer, every shelf, everything in the whole space.  Then we give it a good cleaning all over once everything is organized.

I have spent fortunes on chemical cleaners trying to get everything disinfected, wood floors shining, pen marks off walls, whatever I needed to clean, I had a separate cleaner for that. The cost of commercial, chemical based products can be high AND have long term health concerns for the family, pets, and environment.  In the US, 1 in 3 people suffer from allergies, asthma, sinusitis, and bronchitis.  Treatment for these conditions should include reducing synthetic chemicals in the home..which include cleaners.  They can be inhaled and even absorbed through the skin for long periods of time after you are done cleaning with them.

I discovered you only need a few items to clean everything, they are so healthy to use and non-toxic to your family and your environment and THEY WORK!!!

Items You Need For Homemade Cleaners

Baking Soda: Provides grit for scrubbing. It reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times.

Borax: Disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes. Very handy in laundry mixes.

Distilled white vinegar: Disinfects and breaks up dirt. Choose white vinegar over apple cider or red, which might stain.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Disinfects and bleaches.

Lemons: Cuts grease. (Bottled lemon juice also works well.)

Olive Oil: Picks up dirt and polishes wood.

Vegetable based (liquid Castile) soap: Non-petroleum all-purpose cleaner.

Lavender Oil – A natural anti-bacterial oil that smells wonderful.

Tea Tree Oil – A natural oil that cleanses and disinfects

 Washing Soda – Sodium Carbonate which is just a strong base that works great as a laundry detergent. It has a million uses around the house. You can find it in the aisle with the laundry detergent.

Cornstarch

Most of the items can be found at your local grocer.  Ingles has the castile soap (in picture above) and the essential oil.  Mac's Medicine Mart and Earthfare both have essential oil..but they are cheapest online.

Next you need some bottles to put them in..these are too cute...not my idea, but I am so doing this now and making cutie pie labels on my computer!!

Recipes For Cleaners
I am going to post several different recipes for different cleaners and they all work great! You probably need about 4 or 5 squirt bottles to keep the different ones premixed in for general everyday cleaning.

All-Purpose Cleaner (Watch out for a reaction! It will bubble a lot.)
- 3 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon washing soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon castile soap
- 2 cups hot water

Grease Cutter
- 2 Cups water
- 1/4 Cup castile soap
- 10 drops Lavender oil

Bath, Sink, Tile Cleaner (Again, watch out for some bubbling.)
NOTE: Ideally, mix this one in a SQUIRT bottle, not a SPRAY bottle. It’s pretty thick and almost a paste.
- 2/3 Cup baking soda
- 1/2 Cup Castile soap
- 2 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 Cup water
- A few drops of Tea Tree oil
- 10 drops lavender oil
- 2 Cups hot water


Lavender Anti-Bacterial Spray


- 1 Cup water
- 20 drops lavender essential oil

Easy right?! It’s smells great and lavender is very high in linalol, which is naturally antibacterial.


Wood Floor Cleaner
2 tablespoons plain white vinegar
4 cups hot water
A few drops lavender oil or grapefruit seed extract

Here are some bonus recipes for specific needs:

Oven Cleaner:
½ cups baking soda
½ cup salt
½ cup water
Squirt of plant-based liquid soap

Directions:
• Dampen the oven with a sponge and water.
• Combine ingredients to make a thick paste, and spread all over the interior of the oven. Let the mixture sit overnight.
• Wipe off the mixture with a sponge using a bit of the soap and wash the rest of the oven clean.

Dishwasher Detergent (safe for your dishwasher!!)
2 cups washing soda
2 cups Borax
Directions
• Mix equal amounts of both ingredients. Add more washing soda if your water is hard.

Laundry Soap
1 oz. liquid Castile soap or one bar castile soap shredded
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
1/4 cup baking soda or white vinegar
Using Castile as a base, combine with washing soda, borax (for stains and bleaching). Add baking soda or vinegar for static control and to soften clothes. (Vinegar also bleaches.) If you don’t think your clothes are clean enough, adjust the amount of Castile soap. Use 2 tablespoons of the mix per load.

Furniture Polish 
Mix 1 cup lemon juice with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water. Lightly apply to furniture using a soft cloth. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then buff.

No-Streak Glass Cleaner
For sparkling mirrors and windows, combine 1/4 cup undiluted white vinegar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 1 quart warm water. Divide into spray bottles. For a lint-free shine, wipe dry with a sheet of crumpled newspaper or a coffee filter.

Tile and Grout Paste


Marks on the Walls
Ink spots, pencil, crayon, or marker spots can be cleaned from painted surfaces using baking soda applied to a damp sponge. Rub gently, then wipe and rinse.

Bathroom Mold:   Mix one part hydrogen peroxide(3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold.  Wait about an hour then rinse.

Have fun and spring clean away, safely!!

Brandy Kisner, Health & Wellness Coordinator
ISBC Women's Ministry