Ready for spring cleaning?

A few years back I made some of my own cleaning products with essential oil 'teas,' borax and vinegar. (I got inspired after deciding to make them for my friends Kathryn and Gardy's housewarming gift - made labels for the bottles I gave them - shown above.)

I'm still using the countertop cleanser and window cleaner I kept for myself. I also made a bath scrub with baking soda, lavender essential oil, and lemon balm leaves (my only complaint with that was that the lavender and lemon balm pieces were sorta a mess in the tub after it was all said and done - I would really grind them up next time before adding them). After I'd made the cleaners, then I bought a little metal wire basket, put the spray bottles and scrub in there with a blooming gerber daisy plant, et voila! These days I don't quite have the free time of days of old, but these are the recipes I used. I think I probably doubled these recipes to make extras for myself:

mirror and glass cleaner
1/2 c. white vinegar, 1/2 c. rosemary tea (made with 1 c boiling water and 4 T dried or fresh rosemary leaves), 6 drops rosemary essential oil. Mix together and pour into spray bottle.

disinfecting spray for walls, floors and surfaces
1 c mint tea, 1 c lavender tea, 1 teaspoon borax, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoon unscented shampoo, 4 drops lavender, mint, or rosemary essential oil, or any combo of those. Mix together and pour into spray bottle. Shake before using.

tub, tile, sink and stove-top scrub
1 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup dried and crushed lemon balm leaves, 1/4 c dried and crushed lavender leaves, 1 teaspoon cream of tarter, 5 drops lavender essential oil. Mix together and store in shaker can. To use, sprinkle on surface. Use a wet sponge to scrub, then rinse.




Oh, and here's a little treat. Helps to make the task of cleaning that much more pleasant. A free countertop cleanser with the purchase of a Cloverleaf Sink Set from Caldrea. Enter code at checkout: SINK415. Thanks for the tip, Jace. Not only are Caldrea's products delightful, they're also very well designed. Always a plus.