Non-Toxic
Cleaning Solution Recipes
Better
Basics for the Home
Simple
Solutions for Less Toxic Living
By
Annie Berthold-Bond
The
entire book is available and published by Three Rivers Press,
New York
Flea
Powder
5 teaspoon
each dried eucalyptus, fennel or rosemary, and pennyroyal
1 cup
cornstarch
Grind
the herbs into a powder in a spice mill or a blender. Combine
with the cornstarch in a glass jar. Shake to blend. Sprinkle
on the pet and work into the fur. Makes x cup. Preparation
Time: About 15 minutes. Shelf Life: Indefinite, although
the herbs will lose their potency in a few weeks. Storage:
Glass jar.
Tick
Repellents
The
best choice for tick repellent Essential Oils
Rose
Geranium
Palmerosa
Other
herbs and essential oils: Bay, Eucalyptus, European Pennyroyal,
lavender, lemon balm(citronella), myrrh, rosemary or tickweed
(American Pennyroyal). Caution: Pregnant women should avoid
pennyroyal
General
Bug Repellant for People:
Garlic,
chives, leeks, onions. These work best when eaten raw in
a salad or just slightly cooked. Also, there are three different
versions for each. You can buy it from the conventional
store, organic food store or eat homegrown from the garden.
The best of the 3 choices is homegrown, these foods contain
a lot more nutrition in them and a little goes a long way.
Garlic, especially, has antifungal, antivirus, antimicrobial
and antibacterial powers.
Alkaline
Cleaner
(This
is the all-purpose cleanser you should reach for first,
because it works on most dirt)
5 teaspoon
washing soda
2 teaspoons
borax
5 teaspoon
liquid soap or detergent
2 cups
hot water
Combine
the washing soda, borax and soap in a spray bottle. Pour
in the hot water (it will dissolve the minerals), screw
on the lid, and shake to completely blend and dissolve.
Sprits every 6 inches or so of surface once or twice wiping
off the cleanser with a rag as you go. For tough dirt, leave
the cleaner on for a few minutes before wiping it off. Shake
the bottle each time before using. Makes 2 cups Preparation
time: About 1 minute. Shelf Life: Indefinite Storage: Leave
in a labeled spray bottle.
Variations:
Basic
Borax Spray: Eliminate the washing soda.
Baking
Soda Spray: Substitute baking soda for the washing soda
for a gentler, less caustic spray cleaner.
Epsom
Salt Spray: To make a spray full of alkaline but non-caustic
minerals, substitute Epsom salts for the washing soda.
Club
Soda Spray: Use only enough hot water as needed to dissolve
the minerals, and substitute club soda for the rest of the
water. Club soda is rich in alkaline minerals.
Acid
Cleaner
(If
you have hard water, pets, young children, or an ill person
in your home, this all-purpose cleaner will be useful. The
acid will dissolve mineral buildup and neutralize and deodorize
many body fluid odors.)
1 cup
white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
5 teaspoon
liquid detergent
5 cup
warm water
Combine
the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend before
use. Spray the problem area generously (three or four sprites
per foot), then wipe with a clean cloth. Makes 1 cup, Preparation
Time: Less than 1 minute, Shelf Life: Indefinite with vinegar,
a few days with lemon juice. Storage: Leave in the labeled
spray bottle, or store in a labeled glass jar with a spray
top. If the cleaner is made with lemon juice, store it in
the refrigerator.
Basic
Formula for Antiseptic All-Purpose Cleanser
(Not
only does this preparation clean, but also the essential
oils disinfect and provide a natural fragrance.)
Up
to 1-teaspoon antispectic essential oil (thyme, sweet orange,
lemongrass, rose, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary,
birch, lavender or tea tree)
1-teaspoon
washing soda
2 teaspoons
borax
5 teaspoon
liquid soap or detergent
2 cups
hot water
Combine
the ingredients in a labeled spray bottle. Shake to dissolve
and blend the minerals. Spray onto surface and leave for
15 minutes or so before wipi ng with a clean rag. Makes
2 cups. Preparation Time: about 1 minute. Shelf Life: Indefinite.
Storage: Leave in the spray bottle, or store in a glass
jar with a screw top.
Variations:Clove
and Cinnamon Holiday Cleanser: use x teaspoon each clove
and cinnamon essential oils.
Lightly
Lavender Antiseptic Spray: Use 1 teaspoon lavender essential
oil.
Sweet
Orange: Use 1-teaspoon sweet orange oil.
Note:
Pine oil is an essential oil disinfectant, and you can use
that here instead of other essential oils. However, many
people are allergic to pine, so use with caution.
Basic
Carpet Cleaner
(Many
hardware stores and even large supermarkets rent steam extraction
carpet cleaners, which can be used with this formula)
1 cup
concentrated all-purpose liquid detergent (perfume free
and biodegradable)
4 gallons
water. Fill the machine's water and detergent dispenser.
Follow the manufacturer's directions. Makes 4 gallons. Preparation
Time: a few minutes. Shelf life: Use it all up each time
it is mixed. Do not store.
Variation:
Heavy-Duty
Cleaner: Sometimes the addition of alkaline minerals helps
remove dirt. Dissolve 2 teaspoons each borax and washing
soda in about 4 cups of hot water, and then add the mixture
to the water dispenser in the machine. Be sure not to add
too many minerals; they can leave a white residue that will
require extra rinsing to remove.
Basic
Floor Cleaner Formula
(You
can use this preparation on all floors except when directed
by the manufacturer to avoid even mild detergent)
1 cup
liquid soap or detergent (perfume free and biodegradable)
Up
to x cup white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
2 gallons
warm water
Combine
the ingredients in a large plastic bucket. Use with a mop
or sponge. Makes about 2 gallons. Preparation Time: About
1 minute. Shelf Life: Discard unused portion.
Variations:
Heavy-Duty
Grease-Cutting Floor Cleaner: Add 1 cup washing soda to
the bucket before adding the warm water. Stir to dissolve.
Do not use on waxed floors.
Antiseptic
Floor Cleaner: Add 10 to 20 drops (depending on how strong
a fragrance you want) lavender, rosemary or tea tree oil.
Deodorizing
Floor Cleaner: Borax helps eradicate musty odors and lift
dirt. Add 1 cup borax to the bucket before adding the warm
water. Stir to dissolve.
Herbal
Tea Floor Soap For scent, add a few cups strong peppermint
tea or lavender infusion.
Oven
Cleaner
Small
to medium box baking soda
Water
Sprinkle
the bottom of the oven with baking soda to cover. Spray
with water until very damp, and keep moist by spraying every
few hours. Let set overnight. In the morning, simply scoop
out the baking soda â€" all the grime will be
loosened â€" and rinse the oven well. Baking
soda needs lots of rinsing, but it is well worth the effort
because it produces no toxic fumes.
Variation:
Washing
Soda for Tough Jobs: Substitute half washing soda for half
the baking soda. Washing soda is a little more heavy-duty
than baking soda, but it needs more rinsing, so bring it
out just for really tough jobs.
Antibacterial
Spray
(Keep
a spray bottle with this mixture near the cutting board,
thoroughly clean the board, then spray it two or three times
a week)
1 cup
water
20
drops sweet orange essential oil
10
drops lavender essential oil
10
drops eucalyptus essential oil
Pour
water into a labeled spray bottle. Blend the essential oils
in a glass jar. With an eyedropper, add 8 drops of the essential
oil base to the spray bottle. Spray on and let set for at
least 15 minutes, or don't rise at all. Makes 1 cup of spray
and enough essential oil base mixture for 5 cups spray.
Preparation Time: A few minutes. Shelf Life of Base Mixture:
Indefinite (if properly stored, essential oils last for
years). Shelf Life of Spray: Indefinite. Storage of Base
Mixture and Spray Bottle: In a cool, dark place; screw tops
on securely and label accordingly.
Variation:
Antibacterial
Spray II: For a different blend of essential oils, substitute
20 drops sweet orange oil, 10 drops lavender, 5 drops eucalyptus
oil, and 5 drops lemongrass oil.
Basic
Soft Scrubber Formula
(Use
it on the bathtub, sinks, Formica countertops, and the shower
stall.)
x cup
baking soda
Enough
liquid soap or detergent to make a frosting-like consistency
5 to
10 drops fragrant essential oil such as 5 drops each rose
and lavender (optional)
Place
the baking soda in a bowl; slowly pour in the liquid soap,
stirring all the while, until the consistency reaches that
of frosting. Add a few drops of essential oil (if using).
Scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, wash the surface,
and rinse. Makes x cup. Preparation Time: About 1 minute.
Shelf Life: Make only as much as you need at a time.
