It's very popular right now to do everything "green." Nature's Sunshine has a new line of natural cleaners available. But for those who love home made cleaners, check out these ideas... Many of the ingredients below are NSP items. If you don't have a membership to Nature's Sunshine, contact me for a free membership or go to www.mynsp.com/christa and click on the link to join. Enjoy the recipes! Near the end you'll find some gift ideas. A basket of home made goodies would make a fantastic gift! :)
~c
Degreaser/Scrubber
1/2 Natures' Fresh
1/2 Sunshine Concentrate
Mix together and use for anything you want. Sunshine Concentrate is a biodegradable cleaner and Nature’s Fresh is a mixture of enzymes and purified water.
Sink Scrubber
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
3 drops lemon essential oil
Enough water to make a paste
Combine and use to scrub porcelain sinks, tile and stainless steel. One of the neat things about this mixture is that it is not caustic and won’t scratch the things you scrub. However, always test in a small place if you aren't sure...
Carpet Freshener
1/3 cup baking soda
3 drops peppermint essential oil
7 drops thyme linalool essential oil
8 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops pine essential oil
Combine essential oils with baking soda in a glass container. I like to use a sugar shaker. Sprinkle onto carpet, wait 15 minutes, and then vacuum. The essential oils will disinfect your carpets and leave a great smell. (I often will just use whatever I have handy. Sometimes it's just peppermint oil alone. Sometimes cinnamon. Just depends...)
Citrus Room Deodorizer
9 drops lemon essential oil
7 drops pink grapefruit essential oil
6 drops red mandarin essential oil
2 ounces purified water
Combine oils and water in spray bottle. Shake well and spray to combat odors and infectious microbes and make your room smell great. Just be sure not to get this on wood, after all, you don’t want water spots on your nice furniture. (this is one of my favorites, I keep a small glass spray bottle in my bathroom.)
Another Room Spray
4 drops sweet thyme essential oil
9 drops rosemary essential oil
6 drops pine essential oil
Diffuse in nebulizing diffuser or add to 10 oz. purified water, shake and spray.
Fresh Carpet
5 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops pine essential oil
10 drops sweet thyme essential oil
Mix with 8 oz. baking soda or borax. Sprinkle, wait 15 minutes then vacuum.
Tub Cleaner
Baking soda
Hydrogen peroxide
Make a paste and rub into stains. This helps remove rust stains and is mildly disinfectant.
*If you routinely put 2 Tbsp of baking soda in your bath water, you’ll have softer water and no bathtub ring.
Drain Maintenance
Once a week, pour about half a cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. Flush with very hot water as it foams. Nature's Fresh is also terrific to freshen up drains!
Carpet Cleaner
1 c Borax
2 c corn meal
5 drops Rosemary essential oil
Mix together and, using a flour sifter, sprinkle on carpet. Let sit up to 1 hour and vacuum.
Air Freshener
Place vinegar, cinnamon and cloves in a small cup or dish. Microwave for 30 seconds to one minute and place near the source of the odor. (Try keeping one near the kitty litter.)
Wood Polish
2 parts Olive or Vegetable Oil
1 part Lemon Juice
Shake well, store in small bottle.
Toilet Cleaner
Sprinkle borax or baking soda around bowl let sit, then scrub. You can pour ½ cup or so into the tank. Let it sit overnight and then flush to freshen the whole system.
Laundry Stain Pre-Treat
Make a paste of ¼ c water and 4 tablespoons (or more) baking soda.
Rub into stain and wash.
Ring around the collar? Rub in the same paste, then pour vinegar on just prior to washing.
Ant Killer #1
Sprinkle baking soda on the mound when it is damp. After half an hour or so, pour vinegar on it.
Ant Killer #2
For ants in the house, simply spray with a solution of soap and water. They will die instantly. Then rub peppermint oil along their trails and where they get in the house to keep them away.
AIl-purpose Household Bug Spray
5 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops tei fu essential oil
2 teaspoons Sunshine Concentrate
4 ounces water
Combine all ingredients in a trigger spray bottle.
Moth-Away Sachet
Cedar chips or wood shavings'
3 drops each lavender and geranium essential oils
5 drops each lemon and pine essential oils
Optional: Dry lavender flowers or clean pine needles. Combine all ingredients and place in a muslin bag and hang in your closet or put in a drawer or trunk.
Add 15 to 20 drops of lemon essential oil to your mop bucket and your floors with smell like a citrus grove. PLUS, lemon is antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic!
Use patchouli essential oil instead if you like a more exotic and sensual fragrance. It is also antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic.
Or maybe use lavender essential oil. Not only will soothe everyone coming into your house, it is also antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral.
To disinfect your bedding, add 10 to 15 drops of clove bud essential oil to your washing machine. It will kill bacteria, virus, fungus and all sorts of other germs.
If you’re planning a romantic evening, add a little Ylang Ylang to your rinse water. This has the added benefit of also being antimicrobial but don’t let that thought kill the romance of the moment.
KITCHEN CLEANER Lavender, lemon, or grapefruit--One drop directly on disk cloth to use as a surface cleaner Also can be used in washing or rinsing water. 8 drops to 2liters water
DISHWASHER-Lemon or grapefruit-2 drops to dish washing detergent freshens
FRIDGE Wipe-grapefruit, Lemon, or Bergamot-l drop on wet cloth or in rinse water deodorizes & prevents odors from penetrating other foods.
CARPET FRESHNER-Lavender, Bergamot, Grapefruit, or Lemon-Blend 1 drop of oil per tablespoon of cornstarch or borax. Sprinkle on carpet wait 10 minutes than vacuum.
BATHROOM CLEANER-Lavender, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon-Deodorize & disinfect by using as room spray' or surface cleaner. 2-3 drops undiluted on wet cloth.
BATHROOM DEODERIZER-Rosemary, Tea Tree, Pine, Grapefruit, or Eucalyptus-2-3 drops on inner cardboard roll of toilet paper or on a light bulb ring.
WARDROBE-Lavender-Subtle aroma or moth repellent- Use impregnated cotton balls, empty essential oil bottles, paper strips, wood disks, or vessels. Place in wardrobe, closets, drawers, or suitcases.
NATURAL AIR FRESHNERS-
Geranium, Lemon, or Grapefruit on vacuum filter
Rosemary, pine, or Tea Tree to rinse floors
Lavender sprinkle on a mattress after vacuuming to keep dust mites down
Don't pitch potpourri freshen it
SCENTED IRONING-l drop of oil to the water in steam iron or completely replace the normal filter water with pure floral water
***Essential Oil Safety***
Always dilute essential oils before applying. The only essential oil that is totally safe to use directly on the skin is Lavender. I love using NSP's Massage Oil as a carrier for essential oils.
Do not use essential oils internally.
Keep essential oils away from unsupervised children.
Do not get essential oils into or close to the eyes or any other mucous membranes. If you do get an oil into the eye, flush with either vegetable oil or milk.
Do not use citrus oils just prior to being in sunlight or in a tanning bed.
Do not use essential oils during pregnancy, breast feeding or if you are undergoing drug therapy unless under the written advice of a physician and a trained aromatherapist. If you will be using oils at this time, use only half of the specified amount.
Avoid rosemary in cases of epilepsy. Avoid rosemary and thyme in cases of high blood pressure.
Avoid warm baths and bath salts (including Epsom salt) if a person has low blood
pressure.
If an essential oil does irritate your skin, apply vegetable oil to the affected area and then wash with soap and cool water.
Do not use essential oils immediately following a sauna, hot bath/shower or when perspiring heavily.
Take a break after using essential oils for several days. You may want to use them for 6 days and then rest for a day or use them for 3 weeks and then rest for a week.
Buy the highest quality essential oil available to you.
Dispense by the drop carefully, count and record your recipe accurately.
Dilute, dilute, dilute. Very seldom use an oil neat. (neat means directly on skin)
Use cotton swabs or cotton buds to apply pure essential oils. Using the hands and fingers may eventually contaminate the bottle. Dropper top bottles easily dispense a drop at a time making it less likely that you will use too much essential oil or accidentally have a spill.
Be careful where you set essential oil bottles and wipe them clean first. Essential oils can mar surfaces, especially plastic ones. Always make sure bottle caps are twisted on securely.
Practice aroma etiquette. Many scents may be perceived as offensive to others. Use essential oils and perfumes in moderation in public and check with family members to make sure your precious scents aren’t causing anyone else distress because of allergies, asthma or just personal preference.
Label everything for your own convenience and for the safety of you and others. Clearly label and put away from children any potentially harmful substances.
Basic Disinfectant
½ c Borax
1 gallon hot water
5 drops Pine essential oil
5 drops Tea Tree essential oil
10 drops Lemon essential oil
Oven Cleaner
Sprinkle spills with soda while still warm. Let set, then wipe off. Or, sprinkle baking soda on the oven and scrub with a sponge soaked in vinegar.
Scouring Powder
1 c baking soda
1 c borax
1 c salt
Mix together, store in an airtight container. Sprinkle on damp sponge or directly on whatever you are scrubbing. For “scrubbing bubbles”, wet sponge with vinegar.
Automatic Dishwater Powder
2 Tbsp baking soda
2 Tbsp Borax
Place in dispenser, run dishwasher as usual.
