Spring Cleaning-the Green Way
SPRING is in the air, the outside world is a-quiver with new life, birds are busy making their nests, flowers are poking their heads out of the soil and we are all getting that inevitable urge to spring clean!
My cleaning supplies have changed drastically over the past year; they are entirely homemade and they smell better than ever! They are made from pure, natural ingredients and are free of nasty chemicals. Today, I am going to share four of my favourite DIY cleaning recipes:
1) All-Purpose Cleaner
2) Glass Cleaner
3) Wood Polish
4) Bathroom Cleaner
Why?
First, you may be wondering, why would we want to make our own Natural Cleaning Solutions when there is an entire aisle at the grocery store dedicated to cleaning supplies?! The answer is easy, you will end up saving money, you will minimize the amount of harmful chemicals in your home and best of all, I find that ALL of these recipes work better than any store bought cleaning supplies I have used (I am especially amazed with the window cleaner, no more streaks, no more rubbing in tiny circles!).
As for the chemicals in our every day household cleaners, you may think that you are using a non-toxic product. I know I did! Why on earth would we want to clean our homes with products that add more harm than good? It is counterproductive, and unfortunately, it has been the norm for years. When I first began my natural mama journey I was cleaning with Nature's Source Natural All-Purpose Cleaner. I cleaned my tables and counters with this product, the very surfaces where I fed my children and made my family's meals. I also cleaned my floors with this product, the floors that my babies crawled around on before shoving their little fists into their drooling mouths.
I was given the link to the Environmental Working Group website about a year and half ago, my children would have been 5 and 3. I didn't look up my cleaning products right away because I considered them to be "Natural." I mean, it says Natural and Nature right on the label, right?! Right?? So I assumed I was doing it right. Well, it turned out that my product was, on a scale from A-F, listed as an F!!! Giant Fail! It had links to Asthma (something that both twins now have), the levels of toxins were considered "High Concern" towards developmental and reproductive toxicity (did I mention that I used this product while I was pregnant) and it was listed as a moderate risk to the environment. I felt so very, very fooled and vowed not to let it happen again. Do I know that this caused or contributed to the twins' asthma? No, I have no clue, but I bet you can imagine how awful I felt when I realized that the very thing I was using to keep their environment safe and clean may have actually caused them harm.
If you're curious about the chemical rating of any of your cleaning products click the link below and search for any product to find the toxicity rating.
In the meantime, here are my 4 favourite NATURAL cleaning recipes, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!
Ingredients for All 4 Recipes:
1) Castile Soap - (one bottle of this is enough to make over 30 All purpose cleaners)
2) Lemon Essential Oil - (1 bottle of Essential Oil has approximately 250 drops)
3) On Guard Essential Oil - (The Protective Blend - optional, adds extra benefits but can be substituted for lemon)
4) Wild Orange Essential Oil
5) Vinegar - I prefer to use Apple Cider Vinegar but White Vinegar can be substituted.
6) 500mL Glass Spray Bottle found here.
7) Olive Oil
That's it!
All Purpose Cleaner
1) 2 TBS of Castile Soap
2) 10 Drops of Lemon Essential Oil
3) 10 Drops of On Guard Essential Oil Blend (or just 10 more drops of Lemon)
4) Combine all ingredients into a 500mL glass spray bottle and then fill with water.
5) Shake before use.
Glass Cleaning Spray
1) 20 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
2) 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3) Combine all ingredients into a 500mL glass spray bottle and then fill with water.
4) Shake before use.
Wood Polish Spray
1. 3/4 Cup of Olive Oil
2. 1/4 Apple Cider Vinegar
3. 10 drops of Wild Orange
4. Combine all ingredients into a 500mL glass spray bottle and then fill with water.
Bathroom Cleaner (More Deep Clean than All Purpose Cleaner)
1) 5 TBS of Castile Soap
2) 10 Drops of Lemon Essential Oil
3) 10 Drops of On Guard Essential Oil Blend (or just 10 more drops of Lemon)
4) Combine all ingredients into a 500mL glass spray bottle and then fill with water.
5) Shake Before Use
Happy Cleaning!!
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