1. Washing Up Liquid/Dish Soap
• 3 tbsp liquid Castile soap
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tsp glycerine
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
The lavender in this recipe makes the water smell lovely, and also has anti-bacterial properties. The scent doesn’t linger on the dishes, however.
Recipe: backwoodshome.com
2. Detergent
• 2.5kg Natural Borax Substitute
• 2kg Soda Crystals
• 500g Bicarbonate of Soda
• 3 bars of soap
• 35 drops of essential oil
Be prepared for the lack of suds. It can be a little difficult to get used to, but suds don’t mean clean! You can add 1kg of chlorine free oxygenated bleach to this recipe if you have really stubborn stains to get rid of, or you can scrap it completely and go for soap nuts if you have particularly sensitive skin.
Recipe: thevillagewitch.co.uk
3. Window Cleaner
• ¼ cup of white vinegar
• 1 tbsp of cornstarch
• 2 cups of warm water
Streak free, easy to use and the cornstarch is a surprisingly effective addition to the usual vinegar/water mixture. If you can get hold of rubbing alcohol, even better!
Recipe: crunchybetty.com
4. Toilet Cleaner
• ¾ cup baking soda
• ¾ cup white vinegar
• 10 drops of tea tree oil
• 10 drops of lavender essential oils
Smells lovely and really scrubs even the most limescale stained toilet bowls clean. As an added tip, pouring oil around the bowl after cleaning can help prevent “things” from sticking to the side…
Recipe: frugallysustainable.com
5. Multi-Purpose Cleaner
• ¼ cup of white vinegar
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 litre of hot water
• ½ a lemon
If you’re looking for something to clean your kitchen surfaces, bedroom furniture, bathroom and general odds and ends with then look no further! This general, all-purpose household cleaner will freshen up, scrub and naturally disinfect all in one handy mixture.
Recipe: simplebites.net
Where to find ingredients: naturalselection.biz