DIY: Natural Cleaning Products – Getting Started!

DIY: Natural Cleaning Products – Getting Started!

28th Apr 2015

Mrs. Dunphy's Wash Day

Essential Oils aren’t just added to cleaners for their fragrance - ALL essential oils have antimicrobial properties! Citrus oils like lemon and orange are antibacterial as well as powerful de-greasers.

BASIC NATURAL CLEANING TOOL KIT

There are many different natural products you can use to make home cleaners, but how do you choose? Here we’ve put together a list of basic essentials and recipes to get you started!

ESSENTIAL OILS

This is a list of the most common essential oils used in many recipes you will find, all chosen for their antimicrobial properties and fresh scents. For cleaning, we offer an affordable group of oils classified as soap grade oils. These are pure, undiluted, natural products, but we make the distinction here from what we consider therapeutic essential oils as we do not have direct contact with the producers and none are certified organic or wild-crafted.

  • Cedarwood – antibacterial antifungal
  • Eucalyptus – antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial
  • Lavender - antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial
  • Lemon - antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, powerful degreaser
  • Orange – antibacterial, powerful degreaser
  • Tea Tree - antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial

You can stick to your favourite oil for any recipe, or let you nose guide you to create your own personal blends! We also offer some quick and easy products for getting started:

Check out Mrs. Dunphy’s Home Cleaning Essential Oil Kit – This kit has all 6 of the essential oils listed above in 15ml bottles.

Check out RDA’s Natural Home Synergy - A blend of lemon, grapefruit, tea tree, thyme, cedarwood and peppermint oil that you can use for all your cleaning recipes! This blend has it all – antibacterial, antiviral, antibiotic and antifungal properties.

CLEANING BASES

Baking Soda

Borax

Emulsifier

Simple Soap (Castile Soap)

White Vinegar

Mrs. Dunphy's Wash Day - Clean the Natural Way!

QUICK AND SIMPLE RECIPES


DISHWASHING SOAP

25-35 drops of essential oil

3 C simple soap

Place in a squirt bottle & shake gently before each use – that’s it!


DISINFECTING SPRAY

60 drops essential oil

70 drops of emulsifier (to help oil dissolve in water)

120ml of water or witch hazel distillate

Place in a spray bottle and shake well.

Spray on surface and wipe down with cloth. *Quick & Easy Tip: You can simply add a few drops of essential oil to a floor or counter wash you already have at home or even just 1-2 drops on a cloth to wipe down any surface.


DEGREASING SPRAY

20-30 drops of citrus essential oil

1 tablespoon baking soda

2 teaspoons simple soap

2 C water

Place in a spray bottle and mix gently before each use. Spray on greasy kitchen surfaces, wipe away with a damp cloth and follow with a dry cloth.


TOILET BOWL SCRUBBER

6-10 drops of Tea Tree oil

¼ C borax

¼ C baking soda

¼ C vinegar

Add all ingredients into toilet bowl and scrub with a brush.


MOLD SPRAY

1 teaspoon Tea Tree oil

1 C water

Tea Tree oil is extremely effective in removing mold. Simply mix together in a spray bottle, spray in the affected areas and let dry. No need to wipe or rinse as the oil will kill the mold and prevent it from returning.


ESSENTIAL OIL COMBINATIONS - RDA Staff Favourites for Cleaning

For a refreshing, clean scent:

Eucalyptus (6 drops) + Lavender (10 drops) + Lemon (14 drops)

For a sun-kissed, fresh scent:

Lavender (12 drops) + Lemon (12 drops) + Tea Tree (6 drops)

For a masculine, relaxing, calming and comforting scent:

Cedarwood (6 drops) + Orange (24 drops)

The Naturally Clean Home

THE NATURALLY CLEAN HOME by Karyn Siegel-Maier

The staff at Rae Dunphy Aromatics have long been fans of this book! The updated second edition features cleaning tips for all areas of your home using simple, non-toxic, and easy to obtain ingredients such as baking soda, borax, liquid soap and vinegar. Most of her recipes list essential oils and we have assembled a convenient kit.

See how fun and easy it is to make your own natural cleaning products that will leave your home smelling great! Toss out harmful products and clean the natural way!