All purpose household cleaner - SAFE, Non-toxic

Buy a spray bottle and mark the ingredients on the bottle as you go so you know how much to use next time without looking up this recipe!

2 c HOT water

1/2 tsp Borax

1/2 tsp Washing Soda

Mix well to dissolve crystals then add 2 tblsp White Vinegar
When water cools; Add 20 drops of peppermint essential oil for scent if desired.

Add 20 drops of tea tree essential oil as a disinfectant.

Read below (searched to find something to support tea tree oil):

I just now found this site - looks great!

http://www.natural-healthy-home-cleaning-tips.com/natural_home_cleaning_tea_tree_oil.htm

Tea Tree oil is one of the most popular of the essential oils.  It is one of the strongest natural antiseptics, commonly referred to as the "Universal Antiseptic." This quality makes it one of the most worthwhile ingredients in homemade cleaning recipes.  Tea Tree oil is also well tolerated having no known allergic reactions.

The time has come for us to reject the chemical-laden, air-polluting, health destroying, hazardous, commercial household cleaning products.  There is something wrong when big corporations are using, "Trade Secrets," which means they are free to put harmful chemicals in the products that we use everyday in our homes.  Manufacturers are not required to list them on the label.  There are some companies that provide us with many excellent eco-friendly, nontoxic-cleaning products, but it is more economical and satisfying to make our own.  You may notice that once you start using natural, safe cleaning products, you will not want to go back to using chemicals.  The change is so pleasant to our bodies physiologically, and so soothing emotionally that we can't go back to harsh chemicals.

Clinical studies have documented the value of Tea Tree oil, which date back to the original work conducted in 1923 by Dr. A. R. Penfold, an Australian government chemist.  He found that Tea Tree leaves contained an essential oil, which showed antiseptic and bacterial properties 13 times stronger than carbolic acid, the accepted standard of the time.  In 1930, Mr. E. M. Humphrey published an article entitled "A New Australian Germicide." He identified that Tea Tree oil's disinfectant action on the typhoid bacilli was sixty times greater than that of ordinary hand soap.  So important was Tea Tree in the 1940's that it was standard issue in first aid kits for army and navy personnel.

Tea Tree oil turns out to be one of the most useful of all essential oils, especially as an antiseptic. The antiseptic, germicidal, antifungal, antibacterial immune-boosting qualities of Tea Tree oil make it applicable to a wide range of health conditions. In addition, the antiseptic benefits of the oil allow its use as a natural cleaner and disinfectant within the household environment.

Tea tree oil has many uses for housekeeping. You can prove to yourself how well it works to kill mold and mildew with this simple test: Put 2 teaspoons of Australian tea tree oil in a spray bottle with two cups of water.  Spray the mixture on something musty. Let the smell dissipate (it will take a few days). The smell of mold and must will be gone, too, never to return as long as the source of moisture has been

removed.

You can make your own cleaning supplies with antibacterial properties that nature provides.  You'll feel a whole lot brighter and energetic after a few hours with essential oils than you will after breathing the fumes of toxic chemicals.

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Happy Cleaning! :) 

Homemade Laundry Soap :)

So, I finally did it. I studied, and researched and decided to finally, just do it! I made laundry soap.

The best part?  It cleaned my clothes - without using an additional bar of Ivory soap, Castile soap, or anything that contains or ever contained lye. I use cold water to wash my clothes and don't have to worry about the grated soap pieces with other recipes not dissolving in my laundry.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax (76oz $3.12)
1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (55oz $2.79)














20 drops of Essential Oil (I used Peppermint EO, $6) Great for a fresh, clean scent! (Might use less EO if I combined it with other EOs.)

I bought the Borax and Washing Soda at Meijer and had a 4oz bottle of Essential Peppermint Oil at home that I purchased at The Better Health Market. (I had a 1/2oz bottle of Tea Tree Oil that lasted me over a year...)

If I had Tea Tree Oil, I'd add 10-15 drops of that too, it is Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal, Anti Microbial, Anti Septic, It's an Insecticide (wards off Mosquitos!)  and does many other beneficial things for your health and well being.















I would also add 10-15 drops of Lavender to round out the Peppermint and Tea Tree if I had it on hand! :) It also has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties which will aid in eradicating rashes, scabies, etc.

Side Note: Essential Oils are great for many things, look it up! I'd much rather have them rubbing against my skin all day then the toxins that are normally present on clothing with regular laundry detergent. 


Another side Note: Think of how "The Patch" works for those quitting smoking and how virtually everything that touches your skin is eventually absorbed into your bloodstream...

I put the ingredients in a tall canning jar (consider getting with BPA Free Canning lids when canning food) and just shook it up! I use just 1-2 tsp per load. You may want to use 1 - 2 cups for heavily soiled loads, but my husband finishes drywall and 2 tsp was enough to get his clothes clean.















So, for  pennies you get well over 250 loads of laundry. Works great, smells great, no more big plastic jugs going to the landfill.

Try it out, let me know what you think! :)