CLEANING PRODUCTS

© Anna Franklin 2005

Commercial cleaning products are hazardous chemicals -toxic, corrosive, irritating and flammable. Many people find that they are sensitive to their constituents, which can be neurotoxic, and can suffer from headaches, muscular pains, blocked sinuses and fatigue as a result. And think what those traces of bleach, disinfectant and detergent are doing to your digestive system! When they are flushed down the loo, or washed down the sink, they pollute our environment causing death to river dwelling animals and fish.

The good news is that proprietary chemicals are not necessary to keep your home spotlessly clean. People in the past managed perfectly well with none of our modern products. Below are some natural recipes that you might like to try. If not, remember that you can obtain ecologically friendly household products from health food stores and most supermarkets. If you are determined to stick to your old chemicals, use them in a more dilute form- most people use them many times more concentrated than is necessary to achieve optimum results.

Antibacterial Spray

1 pint water

10 drops pure essential oil of lavender

10 drops essential tea tree oil

Pour the water into a spray bottle. Add the essential oils and shake. Use on surfaces to kill bacteria- just spray on and wipe over.

Vinegar

White spirit vinegar in a 5% solution can kill 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mould, and 80 percent of viruses- it is also completely safe, unlike commercial antibacterial sprays which are toxic in large does. Make a stronger solution to clean lime scale from taps and appliances and to clean windows effectively without smearing. Use in the kitchen and bathroom to eliminate mould- spray on neat and leave to dry, and then rub off.

Lemon Juice

Got an oily dark ring around the bath? Squirt it with lemon juice, leave it for 30 minutes, and then just rub it off and rinse. Add 2 fl oz lemon juice to 1 fl oz liquid soap to make an effective floor cleaner. Add the solution to a bucket of hot water and mop the floor as usual.

Scouring powder

1 oz baking powder

1 oz borax (available from pharmacies)

1 oz salt

Place in a jam jar; pierce the lid and use as you would any commercial scouring powder.

Bicarbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of soda has numerous household uses, but it should be used fresh- replace old boxes frequently. If you want to clean a bottle that has contained oil, fill it full of warm water and bicarbonate of soda, shake it and leave for a few minutes, shake again, and rinse with clean water. Bicarbonate of soda will clean many surfaces without scratching: mix to a paste with water and use to scrub grills, hobs, fridges, deep fat fryers, chip pans, irons, plastic buckets, bowls and sinks, barbecues, stained tea and coffee cups etc. Place a saucer of bicarbonate of soda in the bottom of your fridge to prevent odours. If your kitchen bin or your shoes and trainers are a bit smelly, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda in them. Place some in the bottom of the cat litter tray and an open box beside it to absorb the odours. If the cat or the baby is sick on the carpet clean up as much as you can before sprinkling with bicarbonate of soda and scrubbing with clean water. Finish by sprinkling with bicarbonate of soda to absorb lingering pongs and vacuum when dry. Don’t bother to buy fragrancers for your vacuum cleaner, just add some bicarbonate of soda to the bag, and use instead of carpet deodoriser powders. If you have burned the bottom of a saucepan, add an inch or two of water and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and sprinkle in plenty of bicarbonate of soda, leave overnight and it will clean up easily in the morning. To clean tarnished copper pans, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on half a lemon and use this to clean the pans. Combine bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar with plenty of hot water to get dirty windows sparkling, rinse with clean water and allow to dry. Add to your washing machine instead of fabric softener.

Furniture Polish

12 drops lemon essential oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

A few drops olive oil

Dip a soft duster in the mixture and wipe over wooden furniture.

Beeswax Wood Polish

3 oz beeswax

½ pint real turpentine (not turps substitute)

1 oz pure soapflakes

¼ pint water

10 drops lemon oil

In a double boiler heat the turpentine and flaked wax until dissolved. Boil the water, add the soap and allow to dissolve and cool a little. Pour into the wax and stir continuously as it cools and emulsifies. Add the lemon oil and pour into jars.

Nut Polish

A fresh nut is oily enough to polish furniture beautifully. Cut it in half and rub over the surface. Walnuts work particularly well, and a single walnut is enough to polish a coffee table, but you can use hazels, almonds, chestnuts and beech nuts.

Herb Polish

As well as nuts, some herbs are oily enough to impart a polish to wooden furniture. Try the leaves of the mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), and just follow up with a clean duster afterwards. The Elizabethans used handfuls of lemon balm.

Leather Polish

4 oz beeswax

1 pint real turpentine (not turps substitute or white spirit)

1 pint water

1 oz pure soap flakes

20 drops lavender oil

Boil the water and add the soap flakes, allow to cool a little. Warm the turpentine in a double boiler and add the shredded wax to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the soap and water, stirring continuously until it is cold- it will emulsify. Bottle and label.

Scented Sachets for Drawers

2 tbsp orris root powder

1 tbsp dried lavender flowers

Few drops lavender oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Several squares of 4” x 4” cotton cloth

Thread

Mix the orris, lavender flowers and oil and cinnamon together. Place a couple of teaspoons full on each piece of cloth, gather it together and tie it up with the thread. If you are handy with a needle you can sew up oblongs of cloth into little pouches instead. These will scent your clothes drawers or you can hang one in the wardrobe.

Rose & Lavender Potpourri

Rose petal leaves

Scented geranium leaves

Dried lavender flowers

Orris root powder

Few drops geranium oil

Ground cinnamon

Whole cloves

If you are picking the flowers from the garden, you will need to dry the rose petals spread on paper for a few days. Mix the ingredients and seal together in a large jar for at least one month before using.

Pomander

Apple or orange

Cloves

Ribbon

2 tsp orris root powder

2 tsp nutmeg

Pomanders are usually made with oranges, though apples work equally well. The fruit must be fresh and unbruised. Press cloves all over the fruit, very close together so that the flesh is not visible between them; it is best to start at the base and work upwards and round in rows. Roll the pomander in the nutmeg and orris, wrap it up in tissue paper and put it in the airing cupboard for a few weeks until it hardens. Shake off the powder and tie a ribbon round it for hanging. These scent cupboards and wardrobes, and make excellent gifts at Yule.

Insect Repellents

Some plants repel flies and other insects. You can keep a sprig or two of these in your kitchen and still room, or place some in the wardrobe to protect against clothes moths. They include fleabane, elder leaves, southernwood and wormwood.

Rose Incense Cones

3 oz gum Arabic

2 oz storax

1 oz damask rose buds, dried and ground

1 oz salt peter

1 oz sandalwood powder

½ oz gum tragacanth

Rose water

Dissolve the tragacanth in a little rose water. Meanwhile, blend the other ingredients. Add the tragacanth. If the mixture is too slack, add more sandalwood so that you can shape it into pellets or cones.

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