home care–natural ideas for all around your home

Starting with the basics.  Caring for your home, naturally, is easy.  Let’s start with the basic ingredients that you’ll need to have on hand: 

• White distilled vinegar.
• Cleaning with vinegar does so much! It disinfects, deodorizes, cuts grease, and can even remove tarnish.
• Hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is often used as a whitener and sanitizer and is available at most pharmacies.
• Sodium Bicarbonate. (baking soda). This is a mild abrasive, whitener, deodorizer and water softener.
• Washing Soda. This is sodium carbonate and is sometimes called soda ash. It is similar to baking soda, but more alkaline and, therefore, more powerful. Should be used with appropriate caution.
• Castile Soap. This is soap made exclusively from vegetable oil (many times olive oil) and is mild.
• Salt. This is used as an abrasive.
• Olive oil. Makes a great base for furniture polish. It is safe on cutting boards and wooden bowls.
• Lemon Juice. Good but expensive—use it for the smell.
• Essential Oils.  These are ‘essential’ for adding an antimicrobial factor (disinfecting) and for smell.  Use sparingly.

Recipes

Dishwashing Soap

• 1 cup liquid castile soap
• 3 cups DistilledWater
• 30 drops in total of the following essential oils: (lemon, rosemary, chamomile, thyme)

Blend in a bottle and shake well.