The Smell of Clean
My husband came home yesterday just after the cleaning lady left. He looked at me and said, "Do you feel like our house just doesn't smell clean anymore? I used to come home after it was cleaned and it just smelled all nice and fresh." After thinking for a moment I realized what he really meant was that he didn't smell chemicals.
A few months ago I realized that all my healthy eating, nutritional supplements, and filtered water were great, but that using harmful cleaning products that contain bleach, ammonia, alcohol, and degreasing solvents - all masked by harmful chemical fragrances - were not good for my health either. So I did some research and found a few natural cleaning recipes that work well for our home. Our cleaning lady balked at first because she, like my husband, has always associated strong chemicals with cleanliness. But really, cleaning my home with natural cleaners is good for HER health too!
Let me share a couple cleaning recipes that I gathered from various sources and have used successfully in our home:
Disinfectant Cleaner: 2 teaspoons borax, 4 T. distilled white vinegar, add hot water to fill up spray bottle. (I usually add more vinegar than this).
Tub & Tile Cleanser: This recipe is like "Soft Scrub." 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup liquid soap (I like 7th Generation Free and Clear Liquid Dish Soap), and 1/4 cup water. When you're ready to use it, add 1 T. vinegar. The vinegar will react with baking soda and make lots of foam. Only make enough to use right away because this cleaner hardens after it sits.
Hard Floor Cleaner: 1 cup distilled white vinegar to a gallon of water. If tile floors are very dirty, you can add washing soda (not to be confused with baking soda), but I wouldn't do this on wood flooring.
Multi-purpose Cleaner: I use this on counter tops and for quick spills on the floor. Just fill a spray bottle with 3 parts water to 1 part distilled white vinegar. You can add a little sea salt to help scrub up dried messes, but you will have to shake up the mixture each time.
Another tip I have is to sprinkle baking soda on the carpeting about half an hour before you vacuum. This helps to get out any pet odors, etc.
And if you truly associate "clean" with fragrance, you can add a few drops of essential oils to your cleaning "concoctions," as my husband fondly refers to them. I recommend DoTERRA Lemon, On Guard, or Citrus Bliss.
But the best part is, you will not be breathing in or absorbing harmful chemicals into your body. And the little ones who spend more time on the floor - be they two or four-legged - will benefit even more!
*This article is featured today on The Healthy Home Economist blog's Monday Mania.
4 comments:
When you want a REALLY natural smell to permeate your home, beeswax is fantastic. If you like to make your own stuff you can melt some in a bowl (placed over a pan of simmering water) and add essential oils or oils you've made yourself (a large handful of lavender soaked for a week in a little linseed oil then strained where the oil retains the fragrance), pouring it carefully into a short pot and let cool and harden. It smells clean and fresh and looks great too!
Thanks, Anonymous. So it gives off a scent after it hardens, or just while it's melting?
My friend just sent me this recipe for natural, homemade laundry detergent:
Powdered Laundry Detergent – Recipe
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
Looking forward to trying this too!
Thank you for sharing this. I knowsome people who sometimes try and impress people with their chemical smelling homes. My husband was raised that way too. I have found out though that you really shouldn't smell anything good or bad. That it what clean is!
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