Natural Household Remedies

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.

Allow this powder to rest on the stains for a little while. For less stubborn stains no resting is needed.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup borax
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 8 drops essential oil, either rosemary, eucalyptus or tea tree
• 3/4 cup vinegar for rinsing

Combine borax, baking soda and essential oil in an airtight container and shake well. Use the airtight container for storage, too. When needed, sprinkle a small amount of the powder into the sink, and let sit, the more stubborn the stains, the longer.  Then scrub with a damp sponge and rinse with hot water and vinegar.

For extra heavy-duty oven cleaning jobs, use the following procedure.

Block the vents in the oven floor with waxed paper or aluminum foil, then preheat the oven to 300F for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the door open.

The following morning, combine the following pre-cleaning mixture in a spray bottle and shake well:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup vinegar

Spray the oven walls and floor generously, then wipe well. If necessary, use fine steel wool to work off stubborn spots. To remove any residue, rinse several times.

• 1/4 cup water
• 10 drops of essential oil, either sweet orange, lemon or rosemary

Spray the oven walls and floors with the mixture. Then combine the following ingredients and sprinkle the mixture on the particularly greasy areas:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/2 cup baking powder

Then combine the following for a paste to be applied to the oven walls:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup baking powder
• 1/4 cup of salt
• 2 tsp liquid castile soap

After spreading this paste on the oven walls, remove the waxed paper or aluminum foil from the vents and allow to sit over night.

For a very messy stove, or one that has not been cleaned in a while, this formula will help you fix the issue.

First preheat the oven to 250F for 15 minutes, without racks or baking sheets, then shut it off and leave the door open. then add the following ingredients to make a paste.  If any scrubbing is needed, for example for food splatters or baked on grease, use fine steel wool and, if necessary, a bit more salt.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cups salt
• 1/4 cups borax or washing soda
• 16 ounces baking soda (1 box)
• scant 1/4 cups water

Spread the paste carefully over the walls using a cloth or sponge.  Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

Then combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups white vinegar
• 10 drops thyme essential oil
• 10 drops lemon or lemon grass essential oil

Shake well and spray the oven walls with it.  Wipe clean and rinse well.

If your dishes are very greasy, add 0.5 cups of vinegar or lemon juice to the water.

If you need to loosen baked-on food, add some baking soda immediately after using the pot or pan and wait 15 minutes. If you did not have a chance to do so before the pan cooled off, the following solution will help to scrape everything off easily:

• 1 cup water
• 5 drops of cedar essential oil (or other essential oil)
• 3 tbsp baking soda

Boil this solution directly in the dirty pot or pan and allow the mixture to stand for a while.