Natural Household Remedies

Citrus is great against grease, and makes the kitchen smell fresh too:

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon of hot water
• 2 tbsp liquid castile soap
• 15 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 8 drops lemon essential oil (or 1/4 cup of lemon juice)

Mix ingredients and mop or scrub your kitchen floor as usual.  No rinsing necessary.

The inside of your microwave can trap food odors and grease which will spoil the flavor of the food you heat in it.  Here is a recipe for a paste that removes odors and grease easily and your microwave will be smell new.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 5-6 drop essential oil, either lemon, lemongrass or thyme

Make a paste from all ingredients and spread over the interior of the microwave, floor and sides.  Let sit for a little while, then wipe away with a damp sponge or cloth.  Rinse well to remove all residue.  Then leave the microwave door open for about half an hour to air it out.

If your microwave has a glass turntable, remove it an dwash it by hand.

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.

Three eco-friendly cleaner recipes to try out at your next “green party”:

Furniture polish: Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice for fragrance (optional). Shake well. Dip a clean, dry cloth into the polish and rub wood in the direction of the grain. Refrigerate if you add lemon juice.

Toilet bowl cleaner: Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, drizzle with white distilled vinegar. Let soak for at least 30 minutes and scrub with toilet brush. For persistent stains, let ingredients soak overnight.

All-purpose cleaner: Combine 2 cups white distilled vinegar and 2 cups water. To reduce the smell of vinegar, add 20 to 30 drops of lemon or lavender oil, available at specialty grocery stores or health food stores. Use on countertops, kitchen floors, windows, mirrors and other hard surfaces. For tough jobs, warm cleaner in the microwave until barely hot.

Source: Women’s Voices for the Earth (womenandenvironment.org)

Works great for stove tops and refrigerators if s[prayed generously on the appliance and wiped off with a damp sponge or cloth, and then wiped dry with another cloth.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp liquid castile soap
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups water
• 6 drops citrus seed extract
• 4 drops lemon, lime, orange or eucalyptus essential oil
• 1 tsp borax

Combine all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle.  Shake well before every use.