Striving to eliminate harmful toxins from your home environment? Try out these low-cost, quick recipes for natural cleaning products: all purpose spray cleaner, germ buster spray cleaner, fruit and vegetable spray cleaner, cream cleanser, wood furniture spray cleaner, toilet cleaner and drain opener! Here’s what you need:


All Purpose Spray Cleaner

Ingredients

  • White vinegar
  • Sweet orange essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Distilled water

Directions

Fill a glass bottle 1/3 full with white vinegar. Add 20 drops sweet orange essential oil and 10 drops lavender essential oil. Fill the bottle with distilled water. Add spray top to the bottle and shake bottle to redistribute oils evenly before each use. Use the spray cleaner with a cloth towel on surfaces and a microfiber towel on glass and mirrors.

Germ Buster Spray Cleaner

Ingredients

  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Distilled water
  • Sweet orange essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil

Directions

Add 2 cups hydrogen peroxide to a glass bottle with 1 cup distilled water. Add 20 drops sweet orange essential oil and 10 drops lavender essential oil. Add spray top to the bottle and shake bottle to redistribute oils evenly before each use. Use the spray cleaner with a cloth towel on surfaces.

Fruit and Vegetable Spray Cleaner

Ingredients

  • Distilled water
  • White vinegar
  • Hydrogen peroxide

Directions

Add 3/4 cup distilled water to a glass bottle with 1/4 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons hydrogen peroxide. Add spray top to the bottle and shake bottle before each use. Spray produce with a few spritz of cleaner, scrub produce with a natural bristle brush, rinse produce thoroughly in water and air dry.

Cream Cleanser

Ingredients

  • Baking soda
  • Castile soap
  • Vegetable glycerin
  • Sweet orange essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil

Directions

In a glass mixing bowl, add 1 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup liquid castile soap and 2 teaspoons vegetable glycerin. Stir together with 20 drops sweet orange essential oil and 10 drops lavender essential oil. Stir well and add to glass dispenser bottle. Use the cream cleanser with a cloth towel on surfaces and rinse surface well with water after use.

Wood Furniture Spray Cleaner

Ingredients

  • Distilled water
  • Castile soap
  • Sweet orange essential oil
  • Cedarwood essential oil

Directions

Add 1/3 cup distilled water to a glass bottle with 1 1/2 tablespoon liquid castile soap. Add 15 drops sweet orange essential oil and 5 drops cedarwood essential oil. Add spray top to the bottle and shake bottle to redistribute oils evenly before each use. Use the spray cleaner with a cloth towel on wood surfaces.

Toilet Cleaner

Ingredients

  • Baking soda
  • White vinegar
  • Sweet orange essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil

Directions

Add 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar to the toilet bowl and let fizz for one minute. Add 4 drops sweet orange essential oil and 2 drops lavender essential oil to the toilet bowl and then clean as normal with toilet brush and flush.

Drain Opener

Ingredients

  • White vinegar
  • Baking soda

Directions

Heat 1 cup vinegar in a metal measuring cup on the stove over medium heat. Pour 1 cup baking soda down the drain followed by the warmed vinegar. Close the drain and let set for a few hours. Open drain, liberally spray the all purpose cleaner down the drain and run warm water for 30 seconds.


Disclaimer: By choosing to use any of the above natural cleaning products recipes, you accept that using these homemade recipes is at your risk. Due to the natural ingredients, it is advised to make a small batch as directed and use within one to two months. The Intentional Minimalist will not be held responsible for damages of any kind with respect to using any of the natural cleaning products recipes.

Kristin Celeste Shroeger is the food writer, recipe developer and photographer behind The Intentional Minimalist website. The Intentional Minimalist encourages cooking in harmony with the seasons using sustainable whole foods and allergy friendly ingredients. By eating seasonally, we reap the benefits of good health through nutrition. Visit www.theintentionalminimalist.com.


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Photo(s) by Kristin Celeste Shroeger