In our home, we have been on a slow but steady replacement track of processed things to more natural stuff. We still have a long way to go, but we are working towards it.
Let me give you a little personal background as to what sparked this change in us.
First, as a kid, lots of foods just didn’t set well with my system. I had touchy, low blood sugar issues and “junk” food made me feel sick. When I had a home of my own, I knew I wanted to kick the processed items in our diet. In my quest for healthier eating I was shocked to learn that stuff like raisin bran wasn’t as healthy as I thought it was. In fact, it was chocked full of sugar – and fake sugar at that! We had to dig deeper – beyond the dumping of “plastic” cheese and boxed dinners. Label reading became just as important as bargain shopping. After a while, we realized that infertility was an issue for us. As I began searching for causes of infertility, lots of environmental toxins bubbled to the surface. Again, I was shocked! (I’m not saying I blame household cleaners on our empty cradle, I am just sharing my process of awareness.) To top it all off, my husband is a pastor and we are privy to a large amount of prayer requests (not to mention the ones that come in through this ministry). As I prayed for those around us with so many health issues, I began to notice that lots of those health issues were linked to preventable, dietary issues. All of these things have spurred us on to eat and live more naturally.
Lots of cleaners out there are actually full of really wicked toxins that give people migraines/headaches, and allergy reactions on the least dangerous end of the spectrum, while other ingredients have been linked to “great” things like cancer, sterility and other diseases. The fragrances found in soaps, shampoos and cleaners of all variety (that don’t come from essential oils or a natural source) are actually logged as neuro-toxins. Can’t say I want those wafting through my newly cleaned house!
My hubby gets incredible migraines, so we’ve both studied up on cleaners/fragrances that can set-off headaches/migraines. Since most of our married life we’ve had a lot of people in and out with Bible studies in our home, we’ve also grown sensitive (in our awareness) to the health needs of many people, even though our immediate family might not struggle with those same issues. In lieu of the Spring cleaning season upon us and as a tie-in to infertility awareness issues, it seemed like a perfect time to share a few natural cleaner recipes 🙂
So here’s a few recipes for some basic household cleaners. I hope this info is helpful to someone out there too!
For the counter tops & bathroom in place of bleach-based products
Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. When using on bathroom mold – wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower. [Hydrogen peroxide might sound like a rather harsh substance, but it has been a longtime standard in first-aid kits for disinfecting cuts and even used to clear up swimmer’s ear]
General Purpose Cleaner (liquid spray)
Mix 2/3 of a cup of white vinegar, one cup water, 1/4 cup castile soap, and a few drops of lavender or lemon essential oils for fragrance.
General Purpose Cleaner (powder)
Mix one half cup each of baking soda, borax and fine grain salt. Add six drops of tea tree oil and lavender (both are bacteria fighting essential oils). You can add any additional fragrance you like (I like lemon in there too. The tea tree is pretty strong and I’m not crazy about the way it smells.) I put this mixture in one of those large parmesan cheese or cafe style glass powdered sugar shakers.
Laundry Soap
About once a year, I make a big batch of soap and use the left-overs weird bits for this recipe, but you can also use Ivory Soap and a few other brands of bar soaps that you grate up. (One of these days I will share a post on homemade soap. When you do it with a friend it is a really fun afternoon of getting to catch up, chat and relax with the wonderful aromatherapy scents swirling through the air! Also, if you or anyone you know suffers with eczema or psoriasis homemade soap can be a great gift! We had a few members of our family on both sides that struggled with skin disorders and discovered that my soap was the best for their skin.)
Mix equal parts of grated up soap, washing soda, borax and baking soda. Use 1/4 cup per load. Clothes turn out so nice and soft!
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