DIY ROSEMARY-LEMON ALL-PURPOSE NATURAL CLEANER
“Some of the worst toxins we’re exposed to are found in the average household
cleaner. Just a few of the benefits of making your own cleaning solution are that it
is better for the environment, better for your health, much less expensive, and you
can make it exactly the way you like!”—Ashley MooreDIRECTIONS Slice 1 organic lemon and add to a quart jar with a plastic lid (metal
lids will corrode). Add enough sprigs of rosemary until jar is ¾ full. Pour in organic
apple cider vinegar to cover lemon and rosemary. Let sit for 2 to 4 weeks then
strain. This is your concentrated cleaner.
TO USE In a 16- to 20-ounce glass spray bottle, fill ¼ to 1 ⁄3 to the top with the
concentrated cleaner. Carefully add 1 tablespoon baking soda and fill to the top
with water. Add 30 drops each of lavender and rosemary essential oils. Use as
you would any all-purpose cleaner—on countertops, in the bathroom, etc., but do
not use on marble or any delicate fixtures that may react with vinegar.CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE
The kitchen is stocked with jars of
dried flowers, herbs, and spices from
the garden, which Ashley uses in
recipes and homemade tinctures.
Ashley’s homemade rosemary-
lemon concentrate is an all-purpose
cleaner; she uses a glass jar with a
plastic lid, because metal lids will
corrode. Young Jupiter, pausing to
help his mother do a little watering,
has a verdant place to play. Fresh
flora, including calendula, rose, and
cornflower, are spread out to dry
before they are sealed in jars to await
their assignments. Green gotu kola,
a natural anti-stress plant, grows in
abundance; Ashley mixes it with vodka
to create her homemade tinctures.
Ryan and Ashley pose with their three
children in front of a shed that doubles
as a one-room schoolhouse.