Last week on Facebook I came across a recipe for homemade Febreeze. I was intrigued because I have always liked Febreeze but as I get more cautious about the number of chemicals around the house, and the expense, and toll they are taking on the environment I started wondering about this. The recipe that I saw was this:
1/8 cup fabric softener (like Downy April Fresh)
2 tablespoons Baking Soda
24 oz hot tap water
Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to combine. Make sure to shake before using it.
This sounds great. Fabric softener has a wonderful smell and the baking soda will certainly absorb odors which is what you want from Febreeze. But, we are back to using chemicals to make this air freshener.
Of course, if all we are looking for is fabric softener then why won't my homemade fabric softener work? My homemade fabric softener is:
1/2 gallon white distilled vinegar
20 drops of essential oil (I prefer lavender for sheets and citrus for everything else)
The big problem with the homemade fabric softener and the above recipe would be the baking soda/vinegar combination. While it would be fun for the kids to watch, it would not really help with the air freshener issue. Vinegar is a natural odor destroyer as well but only loses its own odor when it dries.
I also came across one other natural odor absorbing ingredient, but only for those 21 years or older. Vodka. So, here is my twist on the fabric softener Febreeze:
1/8-1/4 cup vodka (the cheap stuff works just as well as the expensive)
2 tablespoons baking soda
24 oz hot tap water
20 drops essential oil of your preference
I tend to use a lot more of the essential oils than others but I love the smell of them. Adjust them to your liking. I have come across a different recipe that calls for 100 drops of essential oil.
Just a note of caution: always spot test anything you are using on your furniture to make sure it doesn't discolor. This goes for the fabric softener air freshener as well. Remember, you never know how your upholstery will react to anything sprayed on it!
Showing posts with label natural cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural cleaning. Show all posts
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Spring is Here!
Or so I think. I am often wrong on these things. I don't check the weather often and consequently am normally dressed wrong or don't have an umbrella. However, spring makes me think of spring cleaning and since on of the things I wanted to address in this blog is natural cleaning it seems like this would be a good time to start!
I have several recipes for home cleaning products but the one I toy around with the most has got to be my daily shower cleaner. My shower does not have enough ventilation in it. This is great for keeping steam from the rest of the bathroom and generally makes for a great shower. The draw back is that it takes hours for the shower to dry. It also has very deep grooves between the tiles that catch a lot of water. All this adds up to the possibility of mold in the shower.
I have on occasion had to go after it with bleach. I take a day when I can usher the children out of the house and spray the entire shower (ceiling included) with a 50% bleach solution. Not natural cleaning, I know, but the only thing I have found to be truly effective.
On a daily basis though I don't want to use anything nearly that harsh. I also love the daily cleaners you can get for the showers that make cleaning so much easier. I have made one of my own.
1 part white vinegar
1 part water
2 drops essential oil
I normally make this in a 24 oz. spray bottle so it is 12 oz vinegar, 12 oz water, and 48 drops of oil.
My question was always what kind of oil to use. I have used both tea tree and grapefruit. I have read that tea tree oil is anti-septic and anti-fungual but I haven't had as much luck with it as I have the grapefruit oil. The grapefruit oil kept the mold away. The vinegar will also keep the mold down. It also reacts with any soap left in the shower to help make it go away as well.
Once every two or three weeks, I will use a cloth with some baking soda to scrub the walls and floor to remove anything that has been missed by the daily cleaner but it normally isn't much. The spray also makes a fantastic glass cleaner so I use it to clean the glass in the bathroom and the sinks.
It is easy and economical. And my daughter loves getting to make the cleaner with me. She gets upset if I don't wait for her to do it. The other plus side to this, I don't have to worry about my children helping me clean and the chemicals they are getting into. I have only seen positive things come from this!
I have several recipes for home cleaning products but the one I toy around with the most has got to be my daily shower cleaner. My shower does not have enough ventilation in it. This is great for keeping steam from the rest of the bathroom and generally makes for a great shower. The draw back is that it takes hours for the shower to dry. It also has very deep grooves between the tiles that catch a lot of water. All this adds up to the possibility of mold in the shower.
I have on occasion had to go after it with bleach. I take a day when I can usher the children out of the house and spray the entire shower (ceiling included) with a 50% bleach solution. Not natural cleaning, I know, but the only thing I have found to be truly effective.
On a daily basis though I don't want to use anything nearly that harsh. I also love the daily cleaners you can get for the showers that make cleaning so much easier. I have made one of my own.
1 part white vinegar
1 part water
2 drops essential oil
I normally make this in a 24 oz. spray bottle so it is 12 oz vinegar, 12 oz water, and 48 drops of oil.
My question was always what kind of oil to use. I have used both tea tree and grapefruit. I have read that tea tree oil is anti-septic and anti-fungual but I haven't had as much luck with it as I have the grapefruit oil. The grapefruit oil kept the mold away. The vinegar will also keep the mold down. It also reacts with any soap left in the shower to help make it go away as well.
Once every two or three weeks, I will use a cloth with some baking soda to scrub the walls and floor to remove anything that has been missed by the daily cleaner but it normally isn't much. The spray also makes a fantastic glass cleaner so I use it to clean the glass in the bathroom and the sinks.
It is easy and economical. And my daughter loves getting to make the cleaner with me. She gets upset if I don't wait for her to do it. The other plus side to this, I don't have to worry about my children helping me clean and the chemicals they are getting into. I have only seen positive things come from this!
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