Natural Cleaning for a Healthy Home

Keeping you home clean doesn't always mean buying expensive chemicals that are potentially harmful to yourself, children, or pets. You can use all natural everyday items to keep your home healthy and clean!

To clean your carpets use this two-step process. First, combine 1 cup of white vinegar with 3 cups warm water. Lightly scrub the mixture with a brush. You do not need to saturate your carpet. Let the area dry to "release" the dirt and grime from the carpet fibers. If you are cleaning a small area and don't use all the water and vinegar mixture you can store the remains in a glass jar for 3 to 4 months!

The next step is to sift together 2 cups baking soda, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 4 drops of vanilla essential oil. Repeat this step as many times as you need to in order to evenly distribute the vanilla oils as the oil will clump at first. Sprinkle this mixture over your dry carpet and let it sit for an hour. As you vacuum your carpet thoroughly the powder will lift any oils and additional grime that was loosened during step one as well as deodorizing the carpet. This powder will stay good for two weeks.

If you love the smell of Pine Sol, this homemade, home healthy, pine cleaner is for you! Combine 1 cup liquid soap blend (you make it by grating ¼ cup gentle glycerin soap and ¾ cup boiling water) ½ cup pine oil or extract, and 6 cups of warm water. Mix all the ingredients together and store it in a plastic jug or squirt bottle. This pine cleaner is good for 6 to 8 months.

If you prefer the smell of lemon use this lemon fresh cleaner. Mix together 1 cup liquid soap blend, ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, ¼ eyedropper of tea-tree extract and 6 cups of warm water. The shelf life for lemon fresh cleaner is 9 to 10 months!

Bathroom cleaning is a chore no one enjoys! Use this tub and tile cleaner to help keep your bathroom clean and healthy. In a squeeze top container mix ½ cup ammonia, ½ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda, and 1-teaspoon borax. Make sure you stir or shake the container prior to each use. Use with a scrub brush or toilet brush. The shelf life of this cleaner is about 6 months.

Looking to disinfect your bathroom? Simply combine ¼ cup bleach, ¼ cup lemon juice, and 3 cups of water. This recipe is great for cleaning mold and mildew. Simply rub on and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then rinse! Make sure to keep this out of reach of children. As this disinfectant contains bleach, it is not safe for fabrics.