Wondering how to keep your home clean and healthy? But at the same want to avoid harsh chemicals and toxins that could harm you, your children and pets?
I am sharing a recipe of my favorite natural all-purpose cleaner that is highly effective and at the same time safe. We have been using it at home and in the van for a few years now. It can be made under 3 minutes and it is way more inexpensive than cleaners you buy at the store! The ingredients are all natural and bio-degradable so we not making a negative impact on the planet environment, the indoor environment, and our own health. What’s best of all is that it smells AMAZING, literally turning your home into a spa!
Wondering how to keep your home clean and healthy? But at the same want to avoid harsh chemicals and toxins that could harm you, your children and pets?
I am sharing a recipe of my favorite natural all-purpose cleaner that is highly effective and at the same time safe. We have been using it at home and in the van for a few years now. It can be made under 3 minutes and it is way more inexpensive than cleaners you buy at the store! The ingredients are all natural and bio-degradable so we not making a negative impact on the planet environment, the indoor environment, and our own health. What’s best of all is that it smells AMAZING, literally turning your home into a spa!
Why Use a Natural Cleaner?
Commercial cleaners contain chemicals and toxins that damage respiratory system, disrupt the immune system, set off inflammation, cause rash or skin disorders, damage various cells in the body, cause allergies and asthma, make indoor air poisonous, and destroy our environment and planet. They also negatively modify our skin and gut microbiome, which we are learning from recent research is extremely important for our well-being. Many bacteria are actually beneficial and are necessary for us to thrive and to ensure our immune system and gut health.
Natural ingredients are those that exist in nature in raw form and/or very minimally processed. They are bio-degradable, don’t cause VOCs, and generally don’t act as a disruptor to our health. Of course, if something is natural (for example, herbs or essential oils), it doesn’t mean it’s not potent or could not harm you. Natural remedies are often stronger than man-made solutions we develop in a lab. Do your research, talk to you doctor when necessary and also observe how your body behaves when interacting with these natural ingredients.
NOTE: With current global events you might be looking to completely disinfect surfaces after a potential exposure to Coronavirus. To fully disinfect use 160 proof alcohol and/or hydrogen peroxide. Go to CDC for guidelines and cleaner/sanitizer recipes.
You might be wondering why use a natural cleaner during the Coronavirus outbreak when you could be using stronger cleaners to completely disinfect everything every time. Again, this goes back to how harsh those strong chemicals can be on your body and weaken your immune and respiratory system (see above). If you are staying at home and practicing social distancing, your risk of exposure is minimal. Plus, to fight the virus you will need your body to be healthy. So support your body as much as you can and do what you or your doctors tells you is necessary.
Ingredients:
1 glass bottle
16 oz or 450 ml warm distilled water (or boiled purified water works!)
30 drops of essential oils (I love lavender, peppermint, tea tree, rosemary, lemon, orange, eucalyptus)
1 tsp of Castile soap
1.5 tsp of borax, washing soda or mixture of both
Directions:
Pour warm water in a bowl. Get a bowl that you usually don’t use for cooking.
Add 1 teaspoon of Castile soup
Add 1.5 teaspoons of borax, washing soda or mixture of both. Mix it very well until fully dissolved (it’s easier when water is warm; however, don’t make your water too hot – it’s not good for essential oils).
Pour the mixture into a glass bottle and add essential oils. If you have children and pets, lavender is the safest to use. Go easy on peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree.
Shake it well before use as essential oils tend to float to the top.
Makes 1 bottle.
I usually like to make at least 4 bottles at the same time – for kitchen, bathroom, and various rooms in the house. Use within one to two months while it is most effective.
Alternative 1 – simple method: Use distilled water with just essential oils.
Alternative 2 – if you are avoiding borax and washing soda: Add extra 0.5 tsp of Castile soap and a few extra drops of essential oils.
Here’s another van camper and traveling-related post you might enjoy!
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