Monday, March 18, 2013

Where do you begin??

In your pantry of course!  If you're going to be making natural cleaners they should be safe enough to eat (use common sense here and please don't eat anything just because I say it's edible).   *Side note, Wikipedia helped to write some of the definitions, just a little.

Let's begin with the basics:

Vinegar- It is mostly used in the kitchen for cooking and salads however it has historically been used as a mild acid.  It has a wide variety of domestic uses, including as a household cleaner.  Vinegar is a staple ingredient for my cleaners and my hair and I bet it's already in your kitchen!  The most basic cleaner you can make is equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  Using a sponge and some liquid dish washing soap, you are good to go!  For those of you worried about the smell of vinegar, it wears off once dry.  

Baking Soda- Another standard kitchen ingredient used in baking (obviously) however it is very effective when used for cleaning and scrubbing, especially the kitchen sink.  I haven't scrubbed anything that baking soda hasn't been able to shine!  (Dump the Comet and use this!)


Castile Soap- is a soap, (either in liquid or bar form), that is mainly made from plant oils, such as olives, palm and coconut.  The one I use is Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (shown in the middle picture above) and here in Canada it's available at Loblaws/Zehrs in their natural food aisle.  It runs at about $17 which may sound hefty, but you get a generous 944ml size bottle, and only need a tablespoon in your spray bottles.  It is without question a very multipurpose product. 
You may substitute regular liquid dish washing soap, however I haven't tried this in my cleaners.  I'm not sure about how it will work on mirrored surfaces, but no harm in trying when I post my cleaner mixes!

Tea Tree Oil- is an essential oil which has historically been used for its antiseptic/antibacterial properties.  I've read there may be allergens related to tea tree oil if you use it undiluted, (please do your research), however I use a few drops in my cleaners and have had no issues.  (Also the smell of tea tree oil reminds me of that clean hospital smell)!  I use Aura Cacia Tea Tree Oil, which is 100% pure and available again at Loblaws/Zehrs in their natural food aisle. 

Lemons- are a fantastic natural cleaner.  I use it to disinfect, remove stains and odors and as a natural bleach substitute. 

That's about it!  With these few ingredients you will be able to clean your ENTIRE house, I mean everything, the kitchen, bathrooms, mirrors, glass tables, floors, the list is endless (I sound like a broken record)!  


Stay tuned as I post the different mixes I use of these ingredients and the supplies needed to make your own cleaners.




4 comments:

  1. Easy to find ingredients, although I am skeptical about $17 castile oil. =)
    cant wait for the recipe though! :)

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  2. Yes I was skeptical too! However, vinegar, and baking soda are very affordable. The castile soap will last you easily 6 months or longer (as you are using very little at a time, it is very potent). Most importantly you are not spending any money on any other products. Stay tuned, will make you a believer! Thanks for the comment!

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  3. I can swear by the vinegar cleaner ... When I was selling one of my houses (years ago), the realtor who was from Hong Kong advised me to clean 'everything' with vinegar ... he said the smell of your home would be like a newly built home and people like that .... well it worked .. and it did kind of smell like a newish house ... Nice blog .. good luck!

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  4. Thank you for the comment and appreciate the kind words! I like you reinforce my love for vinegar! I hope you enjoy future posts!

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