Natural Spring Cleaning Tips
Discover how easy it is to clean and disinfect the surfaces in your home without the use of potentially hazardous chemicals, while saving money at the same time!
Spring cleaning? Look no further than The Naturally Clean Home, 3rd Edition by Karyn Siegel-Maier. Jam-packed with nontoxic recipes for cleaning and disinfecting with essential oils—your home will look good, and you will feel good when you try these simple recipes (four of 150 environmentally friendly recipes featured in the book!).
Basic Sink Cleanser
This formula is safe for porcelain or stainless steel sinks. Not only will it clean the sink basin and faucets, but it will also keep drains and garbage disposals fresh smelling and free of clogs. Note: A vinegar rinse can be used before the final hot-water rinse to prevent residue from the baking soda.
What you’ll need:
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 3 drops lavender, rosemary, lemon, lime, or sweet orange essential oil
What to do:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Rinse the sink well with hot water. Pour the cleanser in the sink and wipe with a sponge or cloth. Rinse again with hot water.
Sink Scrubber for Stains
For stubborn stains, allow this formula to rest on the stain for several minutes. Then scrub and rinse with vinegar and hot water.
What you’ll need:
- ¼ cup Epsom salts
- ¼ cup baking soda
- 8 drops rosemary, eucalyptus, or tea tree essential oil
- ¾ cup vinegar for rinsing
What to do:
Combine the Epsom salts, baking soda, and essential oil in an airtight container and shake well to blend. Sprinkle a small amount of the powder into the sink and scrub with a damp sponge. Rinse the sink with the vinegar, then with hot water.
Sunday Oven-Cleaning Formula
This formula is for regular oven maintenance.
What you’ll need:
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
- 10 drops sweet orange, lemon, or lime essential oil
- ½ cup hot water
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C for 15 minutes, then turn off and leave the door open. Combine the baking soda, castile soap, and essential oil in a clean spray bottle. Add the water and shake well. Spray on the oven walls and wait 20 minutes. Wipe clean and rinse well.
Overnight Oven Cleaner
Bring out these proven grease-cutting oils for those heavy-duty oven-cleaning jobs.
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup water
- 10 drops sweet orange, lemon, or rosemary essential oil
- ½ cup salt
- 1¼ cups baking soda
- 2 teaspoons liquid castile soap
- ¼ cup vinegar
What to do:
- Block the vents in the oven floor with aluminum foil or waxed paper. Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C for 15 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the door open.
- Combine ¼ cup of the water with the essential oil in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray the oven floor and walls with this precleaning mixture.
- Combine ¼ cup of the salt and ½ cup of the baking soda. Sprinkle the mixture on the oven floor, paying particular attention to spill areas.
- Mix ¼ cup of the water with the remaining ¾ cup baking soda, the remaining ¼ cup salt, and the castile soap. Spread this mixture on the oven walls. Remove the foil or waxed paper from the vents and allow the paste to sit overnight.
- In the morning, combine the remaining ½ cup water with the vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the oven walls and floor generously with this mixture. Wipe well, using fine steel wool to work off any stubborn spots. Rinse several times to remove any residue.
Excerpted and adapted from The Naturally Clean Home, 3rd Edition © Karyn Siegel-Maier. Illustrations © Kim Rosen.
Learn More
In this updated edition of her best-selling book, The Naturally Clean Home, Karyn Siegel-Maier brings together the formulas for home cleaning solutions that readers have trusted for years with new information and ingredients updated to today’s green standards. A new introduction shines a light on the antiseptic properties of essential oils, addressing different grades of oil and their effectiveness against bacteria and viruses, as well as updated safety precautions and cost. Updated recipes eliminate Borax (banned as a food additive in the US and from cosmetic and cleaning products in the EU) from ingredient lists, replacing it with safe substitutes that include citric acid powder, hydrogen peroxide, diatomaceous earth, cornstarch, washing soda, and baking soda. New recipes show readers how to make easy, nontoxic, environmentally friendly substitutes for popular cleaning products, including molded laundry and dishwasher tablets. Packaging updates emphasize the use of glass containers for homemade cleaning products, to diminish environmental impact of plastic waste.
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