Spring Cleaning -- Bath Blend of the Month

Here are two recipes to clean the shower that can give you a sparkly clean shower and bath so you can enjoy your bath blends.

My hubby uses bar soap to wash, which leaves tremendous amounts of residue in the bathtub and shower walls.  He loves to spray a shower spray as he gets out of the shower to stop the possible build up and it works very well to cut down the number of times we have to scrub clean the shower.

Get your shower and bath spring cleaned and enjoy the bath blend we share next month!

So here are the two items we use:

Shower Spray

• 1 tsp liquid dawn or castile soap
  
• 1 T jet dry / Finish
• ½ cup hydrogen peroxide
• ½ cup rubbing alcohol
• (the rest) 3 cups water

Add active ingredients, then add water to fill a 32 ounce spray bottle.

To USE: Spray the shower after each use and spray water on the walls the next time you get in to cut down on the build up of soap scum on the walls, shower doors and shower curtains.

Shower Cleaner

• 1 cup dawn or liquid castile soap
• The rest white vinegar

Fill a 32-ounce spray bottle.  Shake well to combine.

To USE: Spray on shower let sit 30 min and rinse away. If the surface is super dirty, get a scrub brush or scrubber on a stick and scrub the walls after you spray them, then re-spray wait 30 minutes and rinse.  Repeat as needed.

Spring Cleaning with Herbs: Natural Solutions for Your Home

That time of year again, weather is warming and you want to open up the house and refresh after being closed up for the winter.  I love using herbs to wake up my senses and  make my home feel extra clean for the new season.  I wanted to share a few recipes to help you do the same.

The natural ingredients used in these recipes are:

Baking Soda – A gentle abrasive that helps scrub surfaces, deodorizes odors, and neutralizes acids. Great for removing stains and freshening fabrics.

Vinegar – A natural disinfectant that cuts through grease, dissolves mineral buildup, and neutralizes odors. Works well for glass, countertops, and descaling. Herbal vinegar ups this ability and I have several posts on making vinegar.

Castile Soap – A plant-based soap that lifts dirt, grease, and grime without harsh chemicals. Safe for most surfaces and great for all-purpose cleaning.

Essential Oils – Provide antibacterial, antifungal, and deodorizing properties while adding a natural, pleasant scent. Common choices include lemon, tea tree, and lavender. I love Now Brands for my oils because they are local and Illinois, like I am.

Hydrosols – Milder than essential oils, hydrosols have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, making them great for gentle cleaning, refreshing fabrics, and surface sprays. I get my hydrosols from individual suppiers if I don't make it myself. Check out Mountain Rose Herbs

Now to the recipes:

Herby Soft Scrub

• 12-ounce glass jar with lid
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup castile soap
• 15 drops of antimicrobial essential oils, like rosemary, thyme and sage

Mix well until you have a nice consistency like cake frosting. If you have leftovers, add 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin to keep the blend nice and moist.

Super Surface Spray

• 16 ounces spray bottle
• 14 ounce - 1:1 solution of distilled white vinegar and water
• 7 drops tea tree essential oil
• 7 drops lavender essential oil
• 7 drops lemon essential oil

Use this aromatic and disinfecting solution for cleaning kitchen counters, cabinets, refrigerator shelves, blinds, painted wood surfaces, painted walls, molding, fan blades, and more.

Antibacterial Soap Spray

• 16-ounce spray bottle
• 14 ounces water or rosemary hydrosol
• 3 tablespoon castile soap
• 15 drops tea tree essential oil
• 15 drops oregano essential oil

Use this cleaning spray to disinfect your bathroom surfaces. You can use the Super Surface Spray to rinse away any residue left behind by the castile soap.

Natural Lemony Furniture Polish

• 16-ounce spray bottle
• 1 cup olive oil
• 25 drops pure lemon essential oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• Fill remainder of the bottle with purified water

Shake well and spray onto your rag or directly onto furniture. Buff dry immediately.

Lavender Dryer Sachet

•          1 3 x 3 inch muslin draw string bag
•          ½ cup lavender buds
•          Cotton balls

Place lavender buds in muslin bag, place 2 to 5 cotton balls in top of bag.  Pull draw string closed and tie in a knot.  The cotton balls keep the buds from slipping out of the tied bag during the tumbling.  Use multiple drier loads.  Spritz with a bit of water after three loads to rehydrate the lavender.  Stop using it when smell is gone.

Do you have favorite scents or cleaning agents that get you ready for the Spring season?  Share them with us.

House Cleansing Simmer

To link with my scented herb bundles of a few days ago, here is a simmer you can do on the stove to cleans the air and freshens the house.


It is raining here again and just chilly enough we can't open the doors, so I pulled together this scented simmer to clean the air and brighten and freshen the house.

I am making dried lemon peel, a task I ususally have trouble finding time to accomplish, but not right now!  As a result I purchased a couple dozen organic lemons and am zesting them.  Then I took several lemons and made this simmer.

House Cleansing Simmer

2 lemons, sliced
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 sprigs Rosemary

Place all items in a pot with water and simmer together.  Remember to continue to add water as it boils away.

Use some simple ingredients to clean your air and continue to stay safe indoors!

Spring Cleaning the Green way

Previously I mentioned a few naturally available cleaning agents that you can employ to make your own cleaning materials.  Now I will expand on that list to include a few more items you can use and how to use them.

In the first post I talked about baking soda, vinegar, borax and castile soap along with herb essential oils.  This time we will add a few more.

Baking soda. It's the grit. When you're scrubbing, you sometimes need to be like Mike--mildly abrasive, but in a good way. Baking soda also fizzes when you mix it with water, vinegar or lemon, and that can speed up cleaning.

Borax. Even without the twenty mules, this helpful cleaner disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes.

Distilled white vinegar. This natural disinfectant also breaks up dirt. Apple cider and red vinegars work, too, but they can stain. All three do windows. Vegetable based (liquid castile) soap This is a non-petroleum cleaner you can use for all kinds of jobs. 

Hydrogen Peroxide. Put the 3% solution you get at the drugstore into a spray bottle and use it instead of your usual kitchen and bath cleaner. It cleans, disinfects, and bleaches.

Lemons Lemon juice is a good grease cutter. Bottled works almost as well as fresh squeezed.

Olive oil It's a furniture polish. No need to use extra virgin.

Washing soda It removes stains and helps unblock pipes, but it is caustic. You need to use care and gloves.

RECIPES

Fruit & Veggie Wash 

Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.

 

Food Stain Dissolver 

Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off. 

All-Purpose Cleaner with Lavender

You can bump up the intensity of the lavender scent, use a castile soap that is already imbued with lavender.  This spray is perfect in a spray mop.

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon borax
Distilled or purified water

1/4 cup lavender liquid castile soap

10 drops lavender essential oil 
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix vinegar and borax in a 16-ounce bottle. Fill the bottle 3/4 full with hot water. Shake until borax is dissolved. Add the soap, essential oil and lemon juice. Shake well.

Antibacterial Soap Spray 

16 oz. spray bottle
14 oz. water or rosemary hydrosol
3 Tbls castile soap
15 drops of tea tree essential oil
15 drops of oregano essential oil

Use this cleaning spray to disinfect your bathroom surfaces. You can use the Super Surface Spray to rinse away any residue left behind by the castile soap.

Thyme Counter Cleaner

This recipe makes cleaning your counters a breeze! Castile soap lifts dirt and grime, while the water helps rinse it away. Germ-busting thyme is infused into common isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, which helps the spray dry to a non-streak shine. If you’re sensitive to the scent of rubbing alcohol, try using clear vodka instead.

 3 tablespoons (45 ml) isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

 2 teaspoons (10 ml) liquid castile soap

 2 tablespoons (1 g) dried thyme

1 cup (250 ml) water

Thyme Infused Alcohol - place the thyme leaves in a small cup or jar and pour the alcohol over them. Cover, and infuse overnight. Visual bonus: the alcohol will turn a pretty shade of green.

To mix counter cleaner - Fill a spray bottle or jar with the water, then gently stir in the castile soap. Pour the infused alcohol into the mixture and stir once more. Be sure to label your counter cleaner, so no one mistakenly thinks it’s an herbal mixture that can be ingested, and keep it out of the reach of small children.

To Use: Shake gently before each use. Spritz over your counters, paying extra attention to especially dirty spots. Use a rag or paper towel to wipe and buff dry.

Spring Green Cleaning 2017

A few years ago I started being serious about removing chemicals from our cleaning materials.  Chas had some asthma symptoms and we always knew he was allergic to preservatives so I began to realize that the chemicals in the cleaning products probably contributed to indoor air pollution.  I started with the easiest things like the dishwasher detergent, and laundry detergent, then moved  to floor and window cleaning, now I have moved to specialty cleaning in the bathroom and kitchen.

I wanted an all purpose cleaner that we could spray on the counters.  My husband cleans up every little spill while cooking and i wipe down the island regularly so we keep the spray bottle on the counter for quick use.

I love the spray bottles that come with our commercial shower solution (I make a shower solution but my hubby goes through it faster than I can make more, so he buys it at the grocery when I am not looking.) The bottles have a built in tube so you can get every last drop from the bottom so I wash out the bottles and save them to use for kitchen and bathroom cleaner.

All-purpose Essential Cleaner
This simple solution will smell good, clean and disinfect.
     1/4 cup vinegar
     1/2 tsp washing soda
     15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil *
     15 drops of lemon balm essential oil *

Place all of these in a spray bottle then add enough warm water to fill the bottle and shake well.  You now have an all-purpose cleaner. You can substitute tea tree essential oil and/or lavender essential oil to replace one or both of the other oils.


To scour the sink you may need something a bit stronger, so make an abrasive cleaner with grapefruit  that smells good and inhibits microorganisms.  To give it more punch you can also add bergamot and lemon oil too.

Do not use this on a fiberglass tub or sink.

Abrasive Grapefruit and Lemon Scrub

1 cup fine grade pumice
1/2 cup clay powder
2 Tablespoons grapefruit essential oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water

Mix all ingredients together and stir.  Store in a labeled airtight container.

To Use: Apply gently with a damp sponge or cloth and scrub.

Creamy non-Abrasive Scrub
Use this on any fiberglass surfaces and anyplace else you do want scratches but need some serious cleaning.

1/4 cup borax
castile soap
1/2 teaspoon lemon grass essential oil

In a small bowl, combine borax and just enough castile to create a thick paste.  Add essential oil and bend well.

To Use: Scoop a small amount of cleaner onto a damp sponge.  Scrub surface and rinse well.

Herbal Vinegar Around the House - spring cleaning

There are many uses for herbal vinegar, and it is simple and easy to make.  Check out these recipes I have shared before.  I am cleaning up the house for summer visitors and pulled out the vinegar from last summer to use it up before I make more from the garden. I have thyme, sage, lemon herb, and lemon and peppercorn, and several others.  Each of them or just plain white vinegar can be used with these great tips.

My Top 10 Springtime Uses For Vinegar

1. Clean out the refrigerator with a vinegar / water solution. Apple cider vinegar helps to absorb bad odors for a couple of days if left in an open container.

2. Cleans wooden cutting boards. Works as a great substitute for baking soda, making the boards clean and free of germs.

3. Insect repellent. Vinegar is a safe and effective insect repellent, chasing away ants and other insects once you wash the counter tops with a vinegar solution.

4. Fruit Fly Trap. Place a small bowl of vinegar on counter, add a few a drops of liquid dish detergent. The detergent creates a skim on the top of the vinegar, and the gnat or fruit fly can’t escape and drowns. Works like a charm!

5. Weed killer. Vinegar is a great natural way to kill weeds in the lawn.  Over the counter weed killers are full of harmful chemicals, and vinegar is a great alternative. Be sure to just spray your unwanted plants and not the ground. Vinegar will kill your grass as well, so be careful to get it just where you want it!

6. Enhances the acidity in soil. When some plants call for high acid soil, use a gallon of water to a cup of vinegar then water these plants.

7. Alternate fertilizer. Vinegar, used an in eight to one mixture with water helps to fertilize plants that are in need of help. Do not use on healthy plants.

8. Soap scum remover. Rub in white distilled vinegar followed by a nice scrub with baking soda to remove soap scum from tubs and showers. Rinse well with water.

9. Toilet cleaner. Vinegar works as a substitute for baking soda to clean the toilet, inside and out. Allow vinegar to stand in bowl for half an hour before flushing.

10. Shower cleaner. If you soak a towel in vinegar then wrap around the shower head to remove the corrosion and buildup of hard water.

Green Cleaning with Baking Soda and Herbs

It has been an unending winter.  I want Spring to be here so badly just to be able to throw open  the windows and let the fresh air fill the dark and dusty corners of my home.  If only it would stay above 60 for more than a day!  This year I am going to speed the freshening process by crafting a few herbal cleaning products. In honor of Earth Day this week, these are chemical free, natural, earth friendly cleaning solutions.

I made a blend of great cleaning herbs, like thyme, sage, marjoram, lavender and lemon peel.  I ran the herbs in the coffee grinder to give them a uniform size and blended about 3 Tablespoons of this powdery mixture with 3 cups of baking soda.  I have a shaker of table salt handy to add when I need some abrasion too.

Here is breakdown of the herbs I used and why:

Lemon peel: Purification. It's no accident that so many cleaning products are lemon-scented; lemon smells fresh and uplifting and cleanses negativity.

Lavender is more than just a delightful, summery scent. The essential oil of this fragrant plant has disinfectant properties, and its cleaning powers have long been known. 

Thyme is a natural disinfectant to help keep the bathroom clean and germ-free. It also gives off a fresh scent. 

Sage: A cleansing herb use to spiritually cleans common sage is what I use for house cleaning.  The antifungal properties make if perfect for kitchen, bath and laundry.

Marjoram has a long history of being used for cleaning purposes, but I think I just like the very clean scent it gives.

To use this baking soda and herb combination, you simply add it to cleaning water.  Now sometimes I go a step further and make a cleaning water that is has a cup of strong herbal tea added to it as well.  Just boil a couple of cups of water and throw in a handful of herbs, steep for several minutes, and strain the tea into your cleaning bucket, fill the rest of the way with clear water and then pour in between ½ to ¾ cup baking soda mixture.  Use this to wipe down counters, mop floors and do general cleaning.

Recipes for Cleaning Supplies

Here are a couple recipes you can also make using the baking soda and herb mixture.  For windows, however, you cannot use baking soda as it will leave streaks.  So check out the last recipe for how to get your windows sweet and clean.

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER

Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting.

Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn't leave grit.

Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

OVEN CLEANER

1 cup or more baking soda
Water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn't work for you it is probably because you didn't use enough baking soda and/or water.

WINDOW CLEANER

1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
3 tablespoons lemon herb or plain white vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

We do programs teaching green clean methods and recipes, look for an upcoming program on our events page. To see our available Green Clean line of products, visit the website.

Cleaning Sprays - Spring Cleaning Occasional Series #5

Okay it is time for quick cleaning so we can get outside and enjoy the spring weather.  Here are three great liquid cleaners you can use to wash the windows so you can see the garden, clean the kitchen and bath so you can enjoy the garden and swab out the toilet so you can enjoy the smell of the garden!

courtesty of Hattatt

Window Cleaner

It seems like an old wives tale to clean your windows with newspaper, but it works.  For shiny windows, use sheets of newspaper (black and white only) to scrub and shine.  Be careful, though, the newspaper ink may darken your hands, but it shines the windows without streaking.

Juice from one fresh lemon

2 cups water or club soda

1/2 teaspoon peppermint essential oil

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Mix all ingredients and pour into plastic spray bottle. Shake well before using.

Cleaning Spray

This recipe came from Sandy Maine of SunFeather Soap Company.  She is an author of several books on cleaning and is someone I met in my Yahoo Herb group.

1 teaspoon sodium lauryl sulfoacetate*

1 teaspoon borax

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 cups hot water

1/4 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil

1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil

3 drops tea tree essential oil

Mix all ingredients together and stir until dry ingredients dissolve. Pour into spray bottle for use

and long-term storage. 

To use: Spray as needed on any surface except glass. Scrub and rinse with a clean, damp cloth.

Toilet Bowl Spray Cleaner

1/4 teaspoon sodium lauryl sulfoacetate*

2 tablespoons baking soda

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon orange essential oil

1 teaspoon grapefruit essential oil

½ teaspoon tea tree oil

2 cups water

Mix all dry ingredients in a 4-cup bowl. Then combine the vinegar, water, and essential oils in a glass  measuring cup.  Slowly pour the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.  Be careful it will foam up. Let this mixture rest for 10 minutes before pouring into a spray bottle to use.

To use: Spritz in and around the toilet bowl and swab out with a brush.  Will kill germs and leave a fresh scent.

* Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a powdered granulated material derived from coconut and palm oils and is a versatile ingredient to use in powdered bubble baths, cream and paste shampoos, cleansing creams and bath bombs due to its excellent foaming agent. Especially great as a soap replacement for sensitive skin.

You can order this product from a place called Ingredients to Die For that has all the makings for cleaning, soaps, and cosmetics.

Stinky Shoes - Spring Cleaning Occasionally Series #5

I am not one for wearing shoes.  If it were not for the snow and cold, I might never wear them at all.  As it is I still wear clogs in the winter if there is no snow and if the temps are higher than 20 degrees.  Now just because I where clogs rather than tennis shoes does not mean that I do not have to deal with perspiration odor.  So these three recipes have all worked for me.  The Sage & Citrus one that I share first came from the book "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier.  She gives lots of recipes for crafting chemical free cleaning solutions, so check it out.  

This recipe gives my shoes an herby smell that most people assume is from the garden and I rarely admit to anything else.

Sage Citrus Sneaker Tamer

If your sneakers advertise the fact that you've been working hard, this recipe will help you keep the news to yourself.

2 cups dried sage

1 1/2 cups dried lemon balm

2 cups cedar chips

1/2 cup baking soda

2 tablespoons grated orange rind

10 drops rosemary essential oil

5 drops lemon essential oil

Combine the dried herbs, cedar chips, baking soda, and orange rind in a glass or ceramic bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add the essential oils and stir to blend. Place half of the mixture in a clean sock and tie the open end shut. Stuff another sock with the remaining mixture and tie off. Place a stuffed sock in each sneaker overnight or when not in use.

I use baking soda and clay kitty litter (the cheapest kind you can get with no fillers or odor reducers is fine) to craft shoe deodorizers.  They impart the herbal scents and work great at absorbing the odors present.  I get mine at the dollar store.

Mint Shoe Odor Remover

With this recipe you get the germ fighting aspects of thyme and lemon grass.

2 cups natural clay cat litter

1 cup baking soda

1 cup calendula flowers

1 cup lemon grass

1 cup peppermint or spearmint leaves

½  cup thyme leaves

10 drops peppermint essential oil

10 drops wintergreen essential oil

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Combine the cat litter and baking soda in a glass or ceramic bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the herbs and mix again. Add the essential oils and blend. Place half of the mixture in each of two clean socks and tie the open ends shut. Place a stuffed sock in each sneaker overnight or when not in use.

Stinky Shoe Sachet Blend

Makes 4 sachets

2 teaspoons essential oil of sandalwood

1 teaspoon essential oil of tea tree

1/2 teaspoon each essential oils of lemon and grapefruit
1/4 teaspoon each essential oils of spruce and lavender
4 cups natural clay cat litter
4 clean socks
4 rubber bands

Stir the oils into the cat litter in a glass jar with tight fitting lid.  Cover and let the mixture age for a week. Divide the mixture evenly between 4 socks and close them each with a rubber band. Place a sachet in each shoe and leave overnight. You may reuse the sachets for as long as the scent lasts.

Spring Cleaning #4 - general houshold cleaners, Occasional Series

Before we went out of town recently I had some work done at the apartment, so of course with workmen in I needed to give everything a spit and polish.  Since they were replacing my bathroom fan I needed to clean the bathroom and my front hall laundry area.  That is the place were you want a good cleaner that can cut through grime and leave a fresh scent.  I turned to vinegar for that.

Normally when I clean I use the vinegar left over from last season which would not longer be the best for cooking, but of course has not gone bad making it perfect for cleaning.  This year, I sold all the vinegar I made so I had to craft something for just this job.

VINEGAR CLEANERS

Herbal Vinegar Spray

The spray is perfectly safe and very effective to use at full strength, but can be diluted 50/50  for lighter jobs.

Fresh or dried herbs

Distilled white vinegar

Roughly chop 1 to 2 large handfuls of fresh or dried herbs and place in a glass jar with a wide mouth and a plastic lid (good choices are lemon verbena, peppermint, rosemary, lemon balm or lavender.)  Add vinegar to fill the jar.  Replace the lid and leave for a few days or weeks to infuse. (I generally like to wait 2 weeks, but in a pinch you can heat the vinegar and herbs in the microwave let them steep for an hour or orvernight and use them for cleaning purposes with all the scent and disinfecting power you need. ) Then strain out the herbs.  Pour into a plastic stray bottle.   

Lemon Vinegar

If you love a lemony scent when cleaning, try this mixture.  For added germ fighting use regular thyme and/or sage.  This is my favorite version which i like to point out makes a killer salad dressing or marinade too!

1 1/2 c. lemon basil



Lemon grass



1 c. lemon verbena

1 c. lemon balm

1/2 c. lemon thyme sprigs

Lemon peel from one lemon

4 c. white vinegar

Place all ingredients in a large glass container and cover.  Steep for 3 to 4 weeks and strain and rebottle.  Remember do not use metal containers or metal lids.

OTHER USES for Vinegar

Once you make the vinegar you can also use it to produce a stronger disinfecting cleaner.  This one is great on soap scum in the shower and you can use the soap version to clean around the toilet and the sink. 

All-purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant

2 cups hot water

¼ cup white vinegar

½ tsp. washing soda

15 drops tea tree essential oil

15 drops lavender essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a reusable spray bottle and shake well.  To use, spray on surfaces, especially cutting boards, counter tops and toilets.  Wipe with dry cloth.  Variation: add ½ teaspoon of liquid castile soap to 2 cups of this cleaner for a great all-purpose cleaner.

NON-VINEGAR

Vinegar-free Cleanser

For those who do not like the slightly acid hint of vinegar, you can make this vinegar-free cleaner.  It does not keep as long, so make in small batches so you can toss it after a week or so or keep in the refirgerator for 2 to 3 weeks.

1 cup Dried or 2 cups fresh herbs

Hot water to cover

1/4 tsp. borax

Essential oil

Gather and bruise fresh or dried herbs and place in a glass jar and cover with hot water.  Allow to steep for a few days.  Strain, then add the borax and a few drops of essential oil.  Shake well and decant into spray bottles.