Spring has sprung and with it the need to suddenly throw open the windows and get everywhere sparkling clean and fresh again.
This year, instead of spending a fortune on cleaning products from the supermarket that are jammed with harmful man-made chemicals – why not make your own, from cheap, sustainable natural products?
Here are 10 ideas to get you in the mood for a good spring clean at home!
Banish mould and mildew!
For this instant, on the spot fix for mould and mildew:
In a clean glass bowl mix half a cup of Borax, half a cup of vinegar, two to five drops of tea-tree oil. You’ll get a thick-ish paste. With a brush or clean, natural sponge dab onto any mould stains and gently scrub. Rinse with water and dry with kitchen towel. For stubborn blacker mould stains, you can leave this mixture to sit for an hour before carefully rinsing off.
A natural wood polish
Mix the juice of 1 whole lemon with 1 tablespoon of Grapeseed oil and 1 tablespoon of water. in a screwtop jar. It’ll make a lovely emulsion you can then apply with a duster and work into your wood, to get a lustrous finish – use sparingly.
A sparkly clean loo!
Take 1 cup of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and quarter of a cup of baking soda. Mix together and pour down the loo. Allow this to sit for 15-20 minutes, then scrub. It should loosen any stains. Flush and admire your sparkly clean bowl!
Lusciously soft fabrics
Take 1 cup of baking soda, half a cup of borax, 1 cup of vinegar and 20 drops of either lemon or orange citrus oil. Mix this in with your usual washing detergent and it will soften your clothes so much better than traditional expensive softeners!
Clean your ceramics!
Take a quarter of a cup of salt and 1 or 2 ripe grapefuits. Cut your grapefruits in half and sprinkle with some of the salt. Use the rest of the salt in the tub – sprinkling it on stubborn areas and stains. Now scrub with the grapefruit – squeezing it as you go to release the acids and juices to break down the stains. Rinse well with warm water.
Smarten up your bath!
Take half a cup of liquid soap, 2 or 3 cups of baking soda, half a cup of water and a tablespoon of vinegar. Mix these together and put into a spray bottle or jar – use in place of your regular bath cleaner to cut through grease.
All purpose surface cleaner
Mix 2 cups of water with 1 cup of baking soda and 10 drops of tea-tree oil and the juice of 1 lemon. Put this into a spray bottle and use to clean surfaces, windows, mirrors – anything that needs degreasing or sanitizing.
Grease buster!
Into a spray bottle put undiluted vinegar – about 2 cups, plus a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Shake well and spray this mixture on anything that needs degreasing. Wipe off with a duster.
Natural air freshener
Take 1 measure of gin (or vodka), half a pint of cold water, 40 drops of peppermint oil (or any other you like, citrus, jasmine, lavender). Put these ingredients in a spray bottle and spray into the air in rooms which need deodorizing.
Floor cleaner
Take a large bucket, put in it half a cup of borax and 2 gallons of hand hot water. Mix well, and use this to mop your floors with. Use rubber gloves when using this mixture. You don’t need to rinse this off the floors, but do make sure they’re dry before you step on them again!
