Household Products
These are just a small sample of homemade, non-toxic, "green" recipes. Please feel free to find and try others and let us know how they work for you, as well as what you think of any of these recipes. It is amazing what you can do with just a few simple ingredients. Have fun going GREEN!
* Essential oils (e.o.) can be a wonderful addition to any of your cleaning or personal products because they smell great, but they also have other benefits as well ~
Antibacterial (antiseptic) and/or antifungal/viral properties - rosemary, spearmint, ginger, orange, lavender, pine, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon, thyme, pine... and the list goes on and on!
Please use care when trying any of these recipes for the first time, as certain ingredients may cause damage to some surfaces, as well as using new e.o.'s, as some people may have sensitivities to certain ingredients. Enjoy creating!
Kitchen:
Basic General Cleaner ~
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
5 drops liquid organic castile soap
OR
1t Borax
5T white vinegar
20 drops orange e.o.
OR
1T castile soap
3 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1T lemon juice
These are all great general surface cleaners. Vinegar alone is an amazing cleaning alternative. Check out some more ideas for using vinegar to clean! VINEGAR
Baking soda is another natural cleaning wonder!! Check these out!BAKING SODA
dishwashing soap (liquid)
~I guess this can actually be used for handwashing dishes OR in your dishwasher~
3Tbls organic liquid castile soap (this comes in a variety of scents or unscented)
2 cups warm water
2 tsp veg. glycerin
2Tbls white vinegar (can also use lemon juice - the grease cutter)
10 drops essential oil ~ lavender and/or any citrus is nice!
Mix all ingredients together in a jar with air tight lid. Shake well before each use.
dishwasher soap (powder)
1 cup Borax (can leave out. Please do so if using grey water system for garden)
1 cup bicaronate soda (baking soda NOT powder)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup citric acid (can find in most grocery stores baking or bulk section)
30 drops essential oil (optional, but again citrus is a nice choice.)
Store in air tight container. Might clump, so just give a good shake before each use
disinfectant
1tsp Borax
1cup water
1/2cup vinegar
1/4tsp tea tree oil
5 drops each spearmint, lavender, rosemary
appliance (heavy duty) cleaner
Mix equal parts lemon juice and coarse salt. Leave on surface for few minutes and then
wipe away with damp cloth and warm water. Please use care on some surfaces that
might be too sensitive. Best to do a test spot first. Does work great on ovens and no
icky chemicals in your home!
Bathroom:
toothpaste
3Tbls baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1Tbls water
20-30 drops peppermint extract or e.o.
Mix soda and salt, add water gradually to form paste, then add peppermint. Store in air tight container.
deodorant (liquid - roll on)
1/4 cup with hazel
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1/4 cup mineral or filtered water
1tsp veg. glycerine
few drops tea tree oil (natural antiseptic)
10 drops your preferred e.o. (optional, and use precaution for skin sensitivity)
Use an old roll-on container to store in. You can pop out the roll-on ball to fill. Shake well before each use.
Shampoo ~ soon to come!
General:
laundry soap (powder)
4 cups Fels Naptha bar soap ~ grated
2cups Borax powder
2cups super washing soda
Grate the bar of soap as fine as possible, mix and store all ingredients in an airtight container. Use approx. 1Tbls per load of laundry. Can add extra Borax for tough stains. A little goes a long way. Super money savings!! And easy~peasy to make! The Fels Naptha bar soap has a scent, so if you don't care for it, you can use any pure soap bar as an alternative. I love this!
fabric softener
white vinegar
your favorite essential oils
I use a 32 oz bottle to store my vinegar fab softener in ~ to this full bottle I add 4 droppers full of orange e.o., 2 droppers full of lemongrass e.o., 1 dropper full of lavender e.o.
Add approximately 1/8-1/4 cup to each load of laundry. Shake well before each use. The vinegar also helps prevent soap build up too.
furniture polish
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 drops orange e.o.
Check back soon! Much more to come!
Liquid / Gel Handsoap
ReplyDelete2 cups soap flakes or grated bar soap
1/2 gallon water
2 tbsp glycerin
Mix ingredients together in a large pot or dutch oven. Set over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soap has dissolved. Transfer to a jar and cover tightly. For a less thick gel soap, use 1 gallon of water.
this is really great for people with eczema, other skin issues...