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Get your home sparkly clean...naturally! Photo by horriblecherry

I think I told most of you before, that a lot of what I do in the home is based on the fact that I have parrots. Parrots, unlike humans, have small air sacs in their lungs instead of alveoli which are much more complex. The interchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in a bird is a much more delicate balance than in a human. If you remember the old song, “Canary in a Coal Mine” or have heard the old tales, birds were used to detect fumes before they effected humans. The birds saved the human lives by losing their own to toxic fumes.

So, you can see my entire post on my homelife being for the birds if you like, but one of the most important places that this mentality has affected us is in the use of cleaning products. I simply do not purchase anything or use anything that could be harmful to my birds. That usually means, I have to make it all by myself out of healthy ingredients.

Raine, over at the Agriculture Society did a marvelous post on antibacterial agents, allopathic medications, allergies and declining health, which also comes into play with my cleaning behaviors. I simply do NOT believe that an overly cleanly house is healthier for you than a house with natural dust and a little bit of grime. Studies are bearing this out and since Raine went into detail, I will recommend you read her article.

So, to me, cleaning is not a regular every day thing. Tidying on the other hand, and organizing are a pretty regular occurance around these parts. I need to know where things ARE more so than having everything in its place, and when you are as short on kitchen space as I am and you have four people sharing the main bathroom (it’s insane! WE have four bathrooms, why are we all crowded into one?) you need to clean up after yourself.

I wanted to share with you a few natural cleaning products that I use and my general cleaning attitude. These are all frugal, healthy, environmentally sound, sustainable and efficient. I suggest you give them a try!

All Purpose Cleaner

1 Empty spray bottle-can be recycled

2 cups water

20-40 drops grapefruit seed extract

2 drops method dish soap

2 TBS white vinegar

5 drops lemon essential oil

5 drops eucalyptus or tea tree oil (this is strong smelling stuff, but it has antiseptic qualities)

5 drops lavendar oil.

Fill botte with water, add the drops of oil, grapefruit seed extract, vinegar and shake well. Spray on all hard surfaces in kitchen and bathroom. Leave wet for 5 minutes and then wipe dry with a Shamwow type cloth. You can purchase these at Trader Joe’s.

This can also be used as a quick mop solution. Sweep or vacuum hard flooring and then spray cleaner onto the floor (do not used on unsealed wood), allow to sit for five minutes and then damp mop up.

You can use any combination of essential oils that you enjoy. I use only a very small amount because excessive scent can affect the birds. These oils tend to work well together and have a soothing and uplifting effect.

Toilet and Sink Scrub

1/4 cup baking soda

1/2 cup coarse Kosher salt

1/2 cup borax

1 recycled glass jar with lid

Mix powders together and store in tightly covered jar. Shake powder onto wet surface and use a sponge or scouring pad to work into surface. Rinse well with water. Do not use on very delicate or easily scratched surfaces. This is a pretty gentle scrub, but if you have antique fixtures, you might want to skip it.

Toilet Bomb (the kids love this one!)

1 Cup Baking Soda

5-10 drops grapefruit seed extract

1 Cup White Vinegar

Drop the grapefruit seed extract into the toilet. Using a toilet brush, swish the water around under the rim and leave for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the baking soda into the toilet and using the brush, scrub at any stains or lime scale. Stand with face away from toilet and pour in the white vinegar. The baking soda and vinegar will react, causing bubbling. After the initial reaction, use your brush to completely scrub the toilet. Leave for another 5 minutes and flush.

Dish washing powder

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup borax

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup citric acid crystals or 1/2 cup lemon juice

5 drops grapefruit seed extract

1 recycled glass jar with tight fitting lid

Mix all the dry powders together and store in a secure container. Spoon 4 Tbs of powder into ONE of the rinse cups in your dish washer (you only need soap in one cycle and use hot water to rinse the rest). Drop the grapefruit seed extract into the other rinse cup and leave it open. If you do not have citric acid powder, place the other powders into one rinse cup and keeping face away from the cup, pour in the lemon juice and quickly close the dishwasher.

Vegetable Wash and Counter Cleaner

1 Recycled plastic spray bottle

20-30 drops grapefruit seed extract

2 cups filtered water

Mix water and grapefruit seed extract and store in spray bottle. Soak counters, sink and stovetop daily after cooking. Leave 5 minutes and wipe clean. May be used as a preventative for mold and mildew on wood cutting boards. Spray on after washing and drying cutting board with soap and water. Allow the spray to air dry.

To use on vegetables, quickly rinse the vegetables with filtered water. Spray on the grapefruit seed mixture and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Using a vegetable scrubber, clean the vegetables and rinse. Peel or chop as usual.

Dehumidifier and Humidifier freshener

Add 5 drops of grapefruit seed extract to the water in a humidifier at each use. Place 5 drops into the collection container of a dehumidifier. Grapefruit seed extract is a strong natural antifungal and will prevent mold build up in the water and filter system.

As you can see, I use a lot of grapefruit seed extract. Up until recently, I recommended the product Pure Liquid Gold, which is an organic product, but when I tried to go to their website recently, the product they were selling is now called Nutribiotic triple strength grapefruit seed extract. I like the triple strength because it is more concentrated and economical, but using the regular Nutribiotic product is fine as well. Try to get the organic version is possible.

I also LOVE the swiffer dusters, but I found out by accident that they wash well in the laundry and come out fresh and clean and ready for reuse! One accidentally fell from my cleaning basket into the washer and went through the dryer as well without my knowledge. It came out like BRAND spanking new, so, instead of being a guilty disposable pleasure, I can be proud of recycling and reusing them!

With a quick sweep in high traffic areas a few times a week, I only have to vaccum about once a week. I have all wood floors so I mop them once a week or less often depending on the season. I have the kids dust about once a week and bathrooms are wiped down quickly every day and cleaned once a week if used and once every two weeks for the less used bathrooms. The kitchen is spot cleaned daily and given a good cleaning once a week. I don’t do EVERYthing on one day, but alternate so I spend about 30 to 45 minutes a day doing some type of cleaning. If you tidy regularly this keeps the house fresh and fine. I open all the windows and turn on the fans when it is nice out to circulate the air because fresh air is so important to health! This type of system makes me happy, keeps us healthy and clean and is extremely economical and earth friendly! So, keep it clean folks…but not too clean!

This article has been a part of Real Food Wednesdays, Monday Mania, Meatless Mondays, Alphabet Thursdays and Just another Meatless Monday.

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