Non-Toxic Cleaners

Ready to invest some time in spring cleaning but don’t want to inhale or touch all the chemicals? Or maybe, like me, you have a very curious toddler who likes to look in all your drawers and cabinets and prefer to be safe than sorry. I try to keep everything out of reach but I still prefer not to have any potentially dangerous chemicals in my house. To be honest, even laundry detergent makes me nervous (I haven’t made the switch to home made laundry detergent yet). Since Annabelle was born I’ve been a lot more aware of the chemicals we use on a daily basis, I don’t want them in her perfect little body and I also want to be a good role model. I started very slowly in the green cleaning department with a water and white vinegar spray to clean toys and the high chair. I’ve since added a few things that are simple to make and don’t take many ingredients. Since buying essential oils that I use in them I’ve also learned more about essential oils which has been fun and very useful.

What you’ll need to make 6 different types of cleaners:

• 16oz spray bottles
• white vinegar
• castille soap (or any other natural soap)
• baking soda
• hydrogen peroxide
• essential oils

Which essential oils? That’s really up to you. The ones I list are the one’s that I’ve used for different cleaners but you can make your own combinations. Here is a list of some antimicrobial oils since eliminating microbes is really what you want out of a cleaner, not just a fru fru smell (even though that is definitely an added bonus in my book).

basil, bergamot, cardamon, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, ginger, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, myrrh, nutmeg, orange, patchouli, peppermint, pine, rose, geranium, rosemary, sage, spearmint, spruce, thyme, and tea tree (my favorite disinfectant and all around home remedy cure all).

All Purpose Cleaning Formula (for bathrooms, kitchen, counters, any dirt and grime) I like this one when you need just a little bit of extra cleaning power.

• 16 oz bottle
• 8 oz. vinegar
• 8 oz. hydrogen peroxide
• 10 drops Essential Oil (I love orange)
• 2 tbsp. natural soap (castille soap)

Surface Spray (high chair, baby toys, fridge, windows, counters, anything and everything.)

• 16 oz. bottle
• 7 oz. vinegar
• 7 oz. water
• 15 drops tea tree oil
• 8 drops other essential oil (I usually use orange, peppermint or lavendar)

Soft Scrub

• 12 oz. glass jar with lid
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup castille soap
• 15 drops tea tree oil (or any other)

 Furniture Polish (safe for wood furniture)

• 16 oz. spray bottle
• 1 cup olive oil
• 25 drops essential oil
• fill the rest of the bottle with water                                                                                            shake well before using to incorproate the oil and water and buff dry with a smooth rag immediatley

Carpet Deodorizer (this comes in handy if you have pets that you want to give away that you love)

• 1 cup baking soda
• 10 drops essential oil (I like lavendar for this)                                                                                                                               mix and sprinkle on the carpet for at least 30 minutes before vacuuming. I like to use a pretty heavy coat of this so 1 cup doesn’t get me very far, adjust as needed.

Floor Cleaner (tile, vinyl and linoleum. Don’t use this on wood floors)

• 1/4 c. castille soap
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 20 drops tea tree oil
• 20 drops pine oil ( I like the pine smell so I can pretend I have wood floors)   pour this mixture into a bucket with 2 gallons HOT water. Or pour half of it into 1 gallon HOT water and save the rest for later)

 Surely now you’re going to go out and invest in some essential oils so you can make all these green cleaners. If you want to learn more about what you can do with all your new little treasures make a trip to the Chiropractic Wellness Cafe on Thursday, Dr. Whaley will be giving an essential oil class.

What other cleaning supplies do you make at home? Share the knowledge!!