Safe Home Cleaning

I’m always looking for new options for safely cleaning my (and your) home. I don’t have little ones of my own, yet, but I do live with 2 (sometimes 3) four legged children who are into everything and always licking everything. Because of this, I try to stick as natural as possible with my cleaning products. And let’s face it, I also try to be as frugal as possible, and usually home-made cleaners tend to be a lot easier on my pocket book than store bought ones are, too! Especially the organic, healthier store bought cleaners. Here are a couple new recipes I just found to try all around the house.

For your mirrors, in an empty spray bottle, just combine 1 ½ cups of water with ½ cup of vinegar. Add 5 to 10 drops of lemon essential oil if you would like to add a fragrance, as well as extra cleansing/disinfecting properties.

Keep your toilet clean and chemical free with straight vinegar. When you want to sanitize and deodorize your toilet, pour a little (or a lot) of scented or regular vinegar straight into the bowl. Keep additional vinegar in a spray bottle to wipe down the seat. When you need an extra scrub, sprinkle baking soda into the bowl and scrub it around with a sturdy brush.

For a great disinfectant for walls, door-knobs, toys, etc (anything that hands and mouths may touch) make a diluted vinegar spray of equal parts vinegar and water. To keep your home from smelling like a salad (as mine often does) add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to keep your home smelling fresh and clean.

For your floors and countertops, a castile soap mixture will do the trick. This also works great on your walls, too, when you just need to brighten them up and not disinfect. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of castile soap and 10 drops of lemon essential oil to a gallon of hot water. Stir well and you’re ready to go. If your floors or countertops are greasy, add an additional 1/8 cup of vinegar to the mix, as well.