Cleaning your home is so satisfying but since making the switch to natural all purpose cleaners it’s been even more so. I’m excited to share my favorites!
2020 has me in a cleaning frenzy and I’m whipping up natural cleaners left and right! If you know me then you probably think I’ve lost my mind. I am NOT a “clean freak” by any stretch of the matter. I’m usually quite opposite actually but once I get motivated I’m on a roll.
This likely won’t last very long so I’ll take advantage of it before I start to slack again.
I never thought I’d make a “clean with me” video for a couple of reasons. Number one being that I couldn’t understand how anyone would want to watch someone else clean their home. I was wrong! I find myself watching them all the time. So funny isn’t it?
The main reason I never planned to make one is simply the fact that I never have a clean home. With 2 young kids it doesn’t exactly come easy and I can think of a million things I’d rather do then clean all day.
You know what though, new year new me! (it’s okay to laugh) I’m totally joking but couldn’t move on without saying that at least once 😉
Clean With Me Video
Making The Switch To A Natural Cleaner
Two years ago I made the switch from conventional cleaning products to natural cleaners. I haven’t used Clorax wipes or sprayed Lysol in ages and I don’t miss it! Instead of having 8 different cleaning bottles under my sink I now only have a couple.
I don’t remember why I made the switch other than simply health reasons. I used Clorax wipes for years to clean and always hated the “tingly” feeling it left on my hands. I didn’t like knowing that the same table I cleaned with harsh chemicals was the same table my toddler was eating off of.
The more I used natural cleaners the more I fell in love with them. My hands stopped tingling, I saved money and cut back on waste a TON. Turns out cleaning with washcloths is much more sustainable than throwing out disposable wipes. Go figure!
How To Make DIY All Purpose Cleaner
Within the last couple of months I have started making my own DIY natural cleaners. My kids love Oranges and I seen this idea somewhere, but I can’t quite remember the original source but they were soaking orange peels in vinegar to make a cleaning solution. I was ecstatic to be able to use up all those orange peels!
I use this as my everyday cleaner for just about everything and it works quite well! If the smell of vinegar is a bit off putting to you then give this a try! The longer you let the orange peels ferment in the vinegar the more of a citric scent you’ll get. It’s my husband’s favorite!
Ingredients
Vinegar
Orange peels
Orange and Thieves Essential Oils (optional)
Instructions
To make it’s SUPER easy. Fill up a jar with orange peels. Any size will work depending on how much solution you want to make. There are several “recipes” online but honestly, I just guess at it. Sometimes I pack my jar as tightly as I can with orange peel and other times I don’t have near as much.
Next, you’ll want to fill your jar up with vinegar and loosely put the lid on. I’ve seen some recipes where people have diluted it with water but I’ve always just done straight vinegar.
Let your jar sit in a dark spot for several days. I’ve let mine sit for 3 days and sometimes 2-3 weeks. The longer it has to ferment the more citric and less vinegar smell it will have.
Alternatively you can use lemons to make this as well! Personally, I rarely have lemons so I’ve only done orange peel so far.
After your solution has fermented it’s time to strain. To do this I place a funnel over my glass amber spray bottle and my reusable coffee filter acts as a strainer. This reduces the amount of pulp that would otherwise end up in your spray bottle.
Lastly, if you want to add essential oils go ahead! Sometimes I add them and other times I don’t. I normally always use a combination of orange and thieves though if I go with the oils. I LOVE this combination together. I do a total of about 20 drops.
Thieves Household Cleaner
If you aren’t up for making your own cleaner then definitely check out Thieves Household Cleaner! This is what got me hooked to natural products from the start. My favorite part about this cleaner is that it lasts a VERY long time. If I only used this for regular cleaning then it would probably last about 2 years for me. I’ve been working on this bottle for a year now and it’s still got a lot in it.
Thieves Household Cleaner is extremely concentrated so you need to highly dilute with water. On the back of the bottle there’s a nice solution dilution ratio chart. To fill my 16 ounce spray bottle all it takes is 1/2 an ounce of the concentrate. This works for me because I typically only need it for “most cleaning applications.”
Typically, I’ll use this cleaner when I feel like I need the place extra clean. For example, if someone has been sick I’ll clean with the DIY spray and then the Thieves cleaner as well. I also love the Thieves cleaner for more tough to clean areas. It seems to have a bit more of a boost than the DIY.
Personally, I LOVE the way Thieves cleaner smells. It is filled with several essential oils but clove is the most prominent I’d say. My husband isn’t a big fan of clove so he prefers when I use the DIY spray but I’m totally the opposite.
Cleaning Day Essential Oil Diffuser Recipes
Essential oils are wonderful for cleaning and the cool thing is that there are many different combinations you can go with. I love turning on the diffuser after a clean house and especially if we are having company over. Here are a few recipes for your own diffuser!
Cleaning Motivation
- 4 drops Lemon
- 2 drops Peppermint
- 3 drops Lemongrass
Sparkly Clean
- 5 drops Lavender
- 5 drops Tea Tree
- 2 drops Lemon
Citrus Bliss
- 4 drops Lime
- 2 drops Lemon
- 1 drop Spearmint
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16 oz Glass Amber Spray Bottles
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