GREEN SPRING CLEAN - Part 2
As promised, here is Part of of my Green Cleaning Recipes. This week, I am focusing on the heavy hitters. These are the recipes for those splotches, spots, and smears that resist the lighter approach. The first one is one I developed after trying the milder blends.
Heavy Duty General Cleaner: I use this for sinks, laminate counter tops, and tile. This one took a lot of research, trial, and error before I found a blend that I liked the results as well as the scent.
My Recipe in a quart spray bottle:
Just under 1/2 bottle - vinegar,
1/5 Castile Soap,
1 TBS lavender,
1 TBS Tea Tree,
25 drops of each of the following: orange, lemon, lemongrass, and peppermint.
Fill the bottle with warm water (you can use room temperature; however, it may clump at first, which can easily be lightly shaken to dissolve). I was amazed at how well this one worked. Here are a few pointers about this one:
Avoid using this one on marble, unless you omit the vinegar and citrus.
If someone is allergic to citrus, use peppermint and or eucalyptus.
Shower, Sink, Tub, and Counter Scrubs: So, I'm cleaning my bathroom, and I get to Bernie's sink. I thought I cleaned it, but it still looked dull. I tried using a toothbrush to clean it, and looked in horror at scratch lines; it appeared that the toothbrush top scratched the marble. When I examined it more closely, I realize that his sink was covered with a residue from the bar soap he was using. I needed more than just my gentle cleaner, so I pulled out my abrasive cleanser that I made a few months ago. It was hardened, so I just added more castile soap, and it was back to its old consistency. To apply, I spread it on the sink like a paste, wiped it with a a soft scrubber for dishes, and it cleaned right up. I learned about the base recipe from Aromahead's Facebook page.
There is a YouTube lesson on how to put it together if you want. You can find it at: https://www.facebook.com/Aromatherapyeducation/videos/10154555381906677/.
Even though I learned about this from Aromahead, I created my own blend for my marble counter tops. (Note that her recipe uses vinegar and citrus; I did not want vinegar or citrus with marble, so mine is different).
My blend (using basic ratio from Aromahead): In a regular food storage container, mix
1 Cup of Baking Soda,
3 TBS of castile soap,
25 drops of Tea Tree (a great anti-microbial), and
10 drops of Lavender (another great anti-microbial).
It will form a paste. You just spread this on a sponge or the surface itself and clean. Note that the Aromahead recipe used vinegar and other essential oils. I did not use the citrus or vinegar because of the marble. I also like lavender.
Do you have a favorite recipe for a Green Cleaner? If so, please feel free to share below. If you use someone else's, let us know where you found it so that we can learn from that source, as well. I also am big on citing sources and giving credit where it is due.
