Natural Household Remedies

Tired of using throw away paper towels to wipe up kitchen countertop spills ?  Here is an idea for both convenient and environmentally friendly kitchen wipes:

Cut up 100% cotton fabric from old T-shirts, sheets or pajamas into conveniently sized squares.  Store the cloths in a container filled with

• 1 cup of water
• 1 ounce of liquid castile soap
• 6-8 drops of your favorite essential oil

After use, the cloths can be washed and reused.  Make sure to close the container between uses.

There are several ways of maintaining the freshness of your fridge - or freezer, for that matter.

• Place a bowl of coffee on one of the shelves, if you like the smell of coffee.  This will keep odors at bay for up to 7 weeks.
• Place a bowl with about 2 oz of vanilla extract on the shelves if you prefer the fragrance of vanilla over coffee.  Leave this in the fridge for a few days only though.
• If you have fresh herbs in your garden, cut a few sprigs of fragrant plants (e.g. rosemary, sage, mint, lemon balm), tie them with a string and hang them inside the fridge or freezer. This should keep fridge or freezer fresh for about 3 weeks.
• A piece of bread placed in the fridge or freezer will absorb many odors too.  if you want to add extra fragrance, sprinkle the bread with 2-4 drops of essential oil of any kind.

If you have a greasy film on your appliances, this solution will work wonders:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup oil based soap (Murphy’s will do just fine)
• 10 drops of either rosemary, lavender, or even citrus essential oil

In a plastic spray bottle, combine all ingredients and shake well before you use the solution.  Then spray generously on the surfaces you wish to clean and wipe with a damp cloth.  You cuold also use a sponge to wipe.  If thgrease is difficult to wipe off, let the solution sit for a moment before you wipe it off.  Wipe everythign dry with a towe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 5 drops essential oil of your choice
• juice of half a lemon

Sprinkle baking soda on the stain, then add drops of essential oil and sprinkle with lemon juice. Let sit over night or several hours. Wipe baking soda away and then rinse well.

If the stain is on the side of the sink, make a thick paste from the ingredients, using more baking soda if necessary. Make sure the paste sticks to the side of the sink.

Stubborn sports are difficult to clean in a porcelain sink without leaving scruff marks.  But this herbal remedy will be hard on even the stubborn stains, yet soft on your beautiful porcelain sink.

Ingredients:

• 1 part sage, rosemary, lemon balm, thyme or mint, either fresh or dried
• 1 part water
• 4-6 drops of your favorite essential oil
• baking soda

Steep the herb in hot water for 2-3 hours, brewing a strong infusion, the strain and reserve the liquid.  Pour the liquid into the sink after closing the drain and let sit overnight, or for several hours.

If the stain persists, drop essential oil directly on the  stain and scrub after a few minutes with baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge.