A few years ago, as our children got old enough to start helping more with household chores, I had a moment of horror as I watched one of them grab a rag and start scrubbing with one of the commercial products that we were using at the time. The thought of bleach and who knows what other chemicals touching my little ones' hands was frightening. I shooed them off, opened the windows for a bit of ventilation and started thinking.
If those cleaning supplies were toxic for the children, they probably weren't too good for adults, either. I was very excited then, when a fellow pre-school mom offered a class at our school's silent auction to learn to make homemade, safe cleaning products. It was quite an eye opener.
Virginia has a business, called Flora and Fauna, giving workshops and selling cleaning supplies. She showed us how to make a variety of cleaning products that day, but she is much more ambitious than I am, so I have winnowed it down to two products. One is a spray for general cleaning such as kitchen counters, walls, etc., and the other is a scrub that we use primarily in the bathrooms and the kitchen.
Both use Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap as a base, and the scrub adds vinegar and baking soda, those classic cleaning supplies, to give it some added scrubbing punch. My favorite of the two is the spray. I have found it to be the best for cleaning the countertops in the kitchen. It cuts through whatever mess we have left behind without leaving a residue or just smearing the dirt around. (I'll post the recipe for the scrub next week.)
The other thing I love about it is the scent. Virginia recommended adding grapefruit oil for a fresh scent and I don't know if it has ever been studied, but I am fairly certain that it has some addictive property. I'm telling you that one whiff and you will be looking for opportunities to pull out that spray bottle just so you can get another hit. And I'm not the only one.
Happy Spring cleaning!
Grapefruit All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
I bought the oils for this recipe right from Virginia, which you can do too, by contacting her directly. Just e-mail me and I'll send you her contact information. I understand that they are also available at many grocery stores, too, including MOM's Organic Market in this area. When you are looking to buy the oil, note that it need not be food-grade quality, which is usually more expensive.
Makes about 2 cups
10 minutes preparation time
1 tablespoon Dr. Bronner's Unscented Pure Castille Soap
1 teaspoon grapefruit essential oil
Mix the Castille soap and grapefruit oil together in a spray bottle. Add 2 cups of water. Put the top on and gently shake the bottle to mix the ingredients together. Use on countertops, walls, tile, stove, sink, etc.
I love the smell of grapefruit and am going to add it to our next batch of homemade green cleaning spray! Thanks for the wonderful idea!
Posted by: Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama | May 10, 2011 at 10:39 AM
Should any of your readers ever find themselves wavering, just tell them to read this and reinforce their determination:
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110509/LIFE04/105090314/1006/OPINIONS/?odyssey=nav|head
Posted by: Susan | May 10, 2011 at 10:59 AM
Thanks so much! I've started using non-commercial cleaners, and much prefer them.
Posted by: Christina | May 10, 2011 at 11:56 AM
The laundry detergent I make (which does not take ten minutes) is scented with grapefruit too!
I use Mrs. Meyers in the kitchen. I'm pretty sure the scent of lemon verbena makes me pick up a rag.
Posted by: Anna | May 10, 2011 at 01:21 PM
This recipe looks great - can't wait to try it. Another anti-bacterial ingredient I might add to this recipe is Grapefruit Seed Extract - Kills staph, e-coli and salmonella so is great for the kitchen.
Thyme oil is also a good option and is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal - makes a good bathroom sanitizer.
Posted by: Katrina | May 10, 2011 at 02:30 PM
Thanks for the excellent suggestions, Katrina. We'll have to try them. Anna, I'm going to have to try your detergent formula.
Posted by: ollie | May 10, 2011 at 09:25 PM
THANK YOU!!!!!! I will add this to my collection of non-toxic cleaning recipes. Mary
Posted by: Mary | May 11, 2011 at 09:02 PM