Cleaners

These recipes are a bit different from what you would normally consider to be, well, recipes. They are for cleaners. Environmental health is a huge part of my life (it's what I do on a daily basis) and when I moved into my new apartment I didn't have to fight about not using chemical cleaners. I made the decision of not having any harsh, chemical cleaners in my home. You know, the ones that are bound to give us all cancer and respiratory issues sooner or later. I bought some plastic spray bottles from the dollar store (sadly, I love dollar stores...I feel so proud when I walk about with a bag full of items and spent $5) and went searching online for good, natural cleaners. These are recipes from that search and after a couple of months now of using them, I can tell you they work and work well.

Household Cleaner
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon castile soap (I like Dr. Bronners, which you can get at Whole Foods and lasts you forever)
1 squeeze lemon (either juice or essential oil)
1/4 liter water (I just filled up the rest of the bottle with water)
Add together and shake!

Drain Cleaner (great for slow running sinks)
1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, followed buy 1/2 cup vinegar. Cover the drain and let sit for 15 mintues. Then flush the drain with about 2 quarts of boiling hot water.

Toilet Cleaner
1/4 cup baking soda in the bowl and drizzle with some vinegar. Let sit for 20 minutes. Scrub with the toilet brush and flush.

Daily Shower Spray
For every one part vinegar, add two parts water (ie 1 cup vinegar + 2 cups water)
Several drops of essential oil (citrus and lavendar are my favorites - citrus in particular is a natural disenfectant)
Shake together!

Glass Cleaner
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
3 drops essential oil (I'm a fan of the citrus)
Shake together!