Cast Out All Ills: Floor Cleanser

Commercial cleansers are chock full of chemicals and potential toxins so I urge you to rethink using them. Simple herbal DIY cleaners are much healthier for you and your loved ones and always smell more natural. Who doesn’t love the smell of lavender, citrus, and fresh mint?

Gather together

    * a ceramic bowl

    * hot water

    * 1 quart (1 liter) of white vinegar

    * 2 limes

    * 2 lemons

    * a handful of fresh mint

    * 6 drops lavender essential oil

    * a bucket

    * a clean mop

In a ceramic bowl, pour 2 cups (480ml) of hot water and half a cup (120ml) of lime and lemon juice, then add the fresh mint leaves and the lavender oil. Stir and let steep for a half hour, then strain out the leaves and compost them.

Take a clean bucket and fill it with two gallons of warm water, then pour in the essential oil mixture. Dip your mop into the bucket, wring it out, and clean the floor very thoroughly. Chant this charm as you use the mop:

    Nothing but health and happiness here

    Brightness and joy only remain in this sphere.

    Anything dark and ill, I cast you out!

    Harm to none, blessing throughout.

Baking Soda Fresh

Baking soda is wonderful deodorizer around the house and can be used to freshen and launder clothing as well as to freshen furniture or carpets. It can also be used as an eco-friendly oven cleaner. Since the oven is where you cook your food, it’s better to skip oven cleaner chemicals, which leave a residue that could be quite unhealthy. Make a paste by adding water, or equal parts water and vinegar, to one cup of baking soda. Coat the inside of the oven and leave overnight. In the morning, turn the oven on low heat for an hour, then let cool. Use a spray bottle of water and vinegar to soften the hardened paste, then use elbow grease to scrub it off. When you are baking that batch of cookies for your loved ones, you can rest assured no fumes are getting into the yummy treats!

Natural Cleaning with Vinegar

If I could only use one item to clean my home with, it would be vinegar. A natural disinfectant that only costs pennies, vinegar deals with dirt, smells, stains, grease, and mold—especially in the shower. I’ve cleaned my whole house with just a spray bottle of vinegar and a little liquid soap. To make it smell really clean and good, add a few drops of calming lavender oil (also a natural disinfectant), easily found at a reasonable cost at your local health food stores. Just remember, you’re not making gallons, you’re making a small bottle. Because they contain no preservatives, DIY cleaning mixes don’t last very long, so use regularly for a clean green home and then fill your spray bottle anew!