My 3 Favorite Herbal Cleaning Product Recipes
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely can’t stand what dish soap does to my hands and nails after I have washed the dishes. My skin feels paper-thin and my nails look as if they will break off at any moment because they are so mushy. It’s just gross, not to mention the underlying reason for it: chemicals! chemicals! chemicals!
Bleach, ethanol, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, and petroleum distillates are all common (TERRIBLE) chemicals found in household cleaners these days. While I appreciate that these chemicals do their job and really can clean the tough stuff, their abhorrent toxicity to humans and to the environment calls for an intervention.
So how do I clean these days? Well I have found a few herbal cleaning recipes that have rocked my world (in the good way). Seriously, these recipes are much kinder and gentler to our skin, lungs, and eyes, not to mention how much better they are for the environment. The added Silver Linings are that herbal cleaners are also a fraction of the cost of commercial products and smell so much better.
Common ingredients in herbal cleaners include ginger, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme, and many more. Each of these possesses antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, and antiviral properties, which will enhance your homemade recipes. Distilled white vinegar is commonly used to eliminate mineral deposits found in the sink, bathtub, and cookware. Acidic lemon juice kills germs on places like cutting boards and countertops. Baking soda is used to dissolve grease and dirt without leaving an odor. All-natural castile soap can be used to wash various household surfaces and is gentle enough to use on your own body or laundry.
By adding a few drops of these ingredients to homemade cleaning products, you will find a Silver Lining in that they are just as effective as commercial products… just without the scary ingredients!
Here are a few of my favorite herbal cleaning recipes:
Gentle Scrubber
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon liquid castile soap
- 10-12 drops spearmint essential oil
- Warm water
- Add each of these ingredients together to create a pourable paste. Apply to surfaces, wait for 5 minutes or more then scrub with sponge. Follow by rinsing with water.
All-Purpose Cleaner
- 1 cup liquid castile soap
- 6 cups water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup eucalyptus leaf or thyme leaf tea, strained
- Mix all ingredients together in a cleaning bucket. Use by dipping rags into mixture and scrubbing surfaces.
Floor Cleaner
- ¼ cup castile soap
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 20 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 20 drops of sweet orange essential oil
- Mix all ingredients together with 2 gallons of hot water for a fabulous orange scented floor cleaner. This mixture is safe to use on tile, linoleum, and vinyl floors.
Do you have any herbal cleaning products that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear!