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“I've been wanting to start making some of my own household cleaning products for some time now. It looks so easy, saves money, a no brainer, huh?
Thing is, a person like me is always thinking way too big - as in 'I need to buy every possible ingredient, read every source of information and experiment like crazy before I write a post about this topic.' Aaaah, but I caught myself - and this time I'm taking baby steps.
No, I don't have the borax or the soap flakes or the washing soda yet. But I do have ingredients that I already have in my house: baking soda, vinegar and some essential oils.
I whipped up a simple sink scrub that made my stainless steel kitchen sink shine and left the whole kitchen smelling fresh. Oh, and the 'volcano' action you get when you mix the baking soda and vinegar is a fun little science experiment for the kiddos - so get them in on the action!
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup white vinegar
3-5 drops of essential oil (those with antibacterial properties include lavender, lemon, lime, orange, sandalwood, cypress, chamomile, rosemary, thyme, lemongrass and others)
I used an essential oil blend from Aura Cacia. I love their Essential Solutions blends because I don't have to buy a bunch of individual oils. They create the blends for various effects: Creative Juice is energizing, Pep Talk is refreshing, Chill Pill is soothing and Mellow Mix (the one that I use) is calming with lavender, lemon, sandalwood, roman chamomile, petitgrain and neroli oils. It smells SO good!
I also made a garbage pail freshener using the same essential oil blend. Just fill a spray bottle with water, add 8-12 drops of essential oil and viola - you're armed and ready to overcome the stench of a stinky pail - without filling the air with toxic chemicals.
Watch out, I just might try some more! I'll keep you posted as I work my way through the book The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier. It's got some great tips and over 100 recipes for anyone inclined to DIY.
