I've been wanting to make my own household cleaner for some time. I don't mind supporting Method or Seventh Generation and (until recently) would have said that you can pry my Clorox Cleanup from my salmonella-covered hands, but the idea of making my own and knowing precisely what is in that bottle is very appealing to me. Also, natural cleaners made with herbs and essential oils can disinfect thoroughly and are not known to cause antibiotic resistance. I did some research and tried a few recipes and have been absolutely flabbergasted that what I make with a few simple ingredients cleans better than storebought. Unbelievable!
Tea Tree oil has antispetic/antiobiotic properties, so I include it. I'm uncertain about the efficacy when diluted in a half-gallon of liquid. I don't have near a 5% ratio of TTO in my cleaner, but my kids are almost old enough to warrant purchase of a microscope so I will run my own little experiment on this and report back soon. Regardless, vinegar is a very effective natural disinfectant so we're good either way.
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| You probably have most of these in your kitchen already! |
Becky's All-Purpose Household Cleaner
Mix 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup white vinegar with 2 qts hot water. Add a squeeze of liquid dish soap, 1/2 tsp drops of tea tree oil and 5-10 drops of essential oil that smells good to you (lemongrass and sage are quite nice). Put in a spray bottle and feel good about cleaning. For tough grime, spray on and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping.
If you live in Nashville and want to try this, let me know and I'll be happy to make you a batch! I know it sounds odd, but I have been amazed by how well this cleans. I am also working on a spray formula with water/vinegar for cleaning hardwood floors. I refuse to use a mop bucket.
Essential oils
are fairly easy to find; I purchased mine from the Plantlife store at Amazon.com and they combined shipping for several small bottles.
Update from Spring 2014: I started making this with castile soap vs. plain dish soap, and found that it separated. As it turns out, mixing castile soap directly with vinegar actually de-saponifies it, based on this post from Lisa at the Dr. Bronner blog. So, for now, I will stick with unscented dish soap.
Essential oils
are fairly easy to find; I purchased mine from the Plantlife store at Amazon.com and they combined shipping for several small bottles.Update from Spring 2014: I started making this with castile soap vs. plain dish soap, and found that it separated. As it turns out, mixing castile soap directly with vinegar actually de-saponifies it, based on this post from Lisa at the Dr. Bronner blog. So, for now, I will stick with unscented dish soap.
