DIY Eco Recipes for a Fresher and Cleaner Home
(A Guest Post)
Want to save money and live healthier with simple changes at home?
You can reduce the use of chemicals and toxic detergents by applying household ingredients which are safer and as effective if not more. There are plenty of ingredients which you can use to make your own cleaning eco recipes. Some of them are ammonia for all purpose cleaners, borax for making laundry detergents, baking soda, cornstarch. Use essential oils for scenting, lemon, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, olive oil and other ingredients to make your cleaning and refreshing products. Here you will learn some DIY eco recipes for keeping your home cleaner and fresher.
Home-made Spray Cleaner
This cleaner is suitable to be applied on worktops, mirrors, windows and kitchen floors. The ingredients you need for making it are:
- 2 glasses of white distilled vinegar
- 2 glasses of water
- 20 to 30 drops of any essential oils you like (this is optional)
If you have to clean stubborn stains and very messy areas you can slightly heat this cleaning solution recommended by CarpetCleaning Highbury. For this purpose use only glass containers resistant to heat.
Home-made Soft Scrub
This cleaning scrub can be used on worktops, stoves, kitchen surfaces, bathroom sinks and other areas.
To make it you need the following ingredients:
- 2 glasses of baking soda
- ½ glass of liquid castile soap (use such that doesn’t contain sodium laurylsulfate or Diethanolamine which are harmful )
- 4 teaspoons of vegetable glycerine
- 5 drops of any essential oil that has antibacterial properties (rosemary, lavender, tea tree or other you like)
To make this soft scrub mix all ingredients and store the product in a glass jar with cap. It has 2 years shelf life.
For cleaning very tough grime spray with concentrated or diluted vinegar first and let it sit for a while. Then apply the scrub and rub to remove the filth.
A dry variation of this scrub is using baking soda or/and salt and 10 to 15 drops of essential oils.
Tile and Tub Cleaner
This easy and efficient cleaner consists of:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
You can clean the tiles and tub in you bathroom with a damp sponge and baking soda. Scrub them well and then rinse with water. If you have to clean dirtier surfaces use vinegar to wipe first and then apply baking soda as a scrubbing agent. Rinse with water in the end. Be careful when using vinegar on grout because it can damage it.
Disinfecting Spray
The ingredients you need for making this spray are:
- 2 teaspoons of borax
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
- 3 cups of hot water
- ¼ teaspoons of liquid castile soap
Mix these ingredients till you create a smooth substance. Apply on a clean cloth or pour in a spray bottle. This isn’t an antibacterial spray and can be used in bathrooms and kitchens.
To sterilise your kitchen sponges put them in your dishwasher for a full cycle.
Room Spray
The ingredients you need for making this refreshing room spray are:
- Water
- Essential oils (the exact quantity is up to you depending on how strong the scent you want to have)
- 1 tablespoon of castile soap
- A spray bottle
Fill ¾ of the spray bottle with water, pour the castile soap and the quantity of essential oils you decide to use. Shake the ingredients well and spray to freshen up any room.
These home-made cleaners and sprays will keep your home germ-free and deodorised. They don’t contain harmful ingredients and will reduce your expenses for cleaning supplies. Using eco and safe for the environment ingredients you can make efficient cleaning and refreshing detergents and sprays.
-This article was written by Abby Fowler, a small business owner who is passionate about home improvement, cleaning and organizing.