3 natural cleaning products you can make at home
Can’t get your hands on your everyday cleaning essentials or simply want to move over to the natural side? Try these 3 cleaning products you can make at home.
Image: Crema Joe
During these challenging times you might be finding it harder to get your hands on some of your everyday cleaning products. Well, it’s the perfect excuse to try to be more environmentally conscious and make your own out of natural ingredients you can find in your home.
Fern Green, author of Natural Home Cleaning: Over 100 Ways to Clean Your Home Naturally, lets us know 3 of her top natural cleaning products.
1. Washing up liquid
Image: Annie Spratt
Most of us use washing up liquid to do our dishes on a daily basis, so swapping your chemical cleaner for a more natural version will definitely make a difference.
Ingredients
- 11⁄2 teaspoons washing soda or sodium carbonate
- 160 ml Castile liquid soap
- 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerine
- 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
- 5 drops grapefruit essential oil
Method
- Boil 500 ml water and leave until warm
- Add to the washing soda and stir until dissolved.
- Add the Castile soap, glycerine, aloe vera and essential oils and stir.
- Place in the bottle ready to use.
All-purpose bathroom cleaner
Image: Phil Hearing]
Not only will this natural all-purpose cleaner effectively disinfect your bathroom but it’ll make it smell nice, too!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
- 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- 1 teaspoon Castile liquid soap
- 5 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
Method
- Add the hydrogen peroxide, liquid soap and 21⁄2 tablespoons water to a small spray bottle.
- Add the essential oils.
- Shake well.
Washing detergent
Image: Caple
If you suffer from certain allergies or can’t find a washing detergent that is gentle enough for your skin, try making this natural liquid detergent.
Ingredients
- 250g borax
- 250g washing soda or sodium carbonate
- 250 ml Castile liquid soap
- 15 drops lemon essential oil
Ingredients
- Boil 1.5 litres water, then turn off the heat and add the borax and washing soda.
- Stir thoroughly. In a bucket, mix the Castile soap with 2.5 litres room-temperature water.
- Add the lemon essential oil. Pour the hot mixture into the bucket and stir.
- Pour into glass jars for storage.
- Use 60 ml for each wash. If you have a stubborn stain, put some detergent directly on the stain and leave for 30 minutes before washing with the rest of your load.
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