Your Home and Garden – September 2019

TextandphotographybyEleanorOzich.

Eleanorsharesherrecipesfor

natural cleaning products that are

effective and smell heavenly

LIVING WELL

Clean

& green

ELEANOR OZICH

Home wellness expert

eleanorozich.com

@eleanorozich

W

elcome spring into your

home with these lovely

homemade cleaners.

Making the switch to

all-natural cleaning might

seem like a lot of fuss, but it’s really simple. The

ingredients are cost-effective and easy to find

at most organic/health stores (or through online

soap-making and aromatherapy stores), not to

mention gentler on our environment.

My favourite recipe is for this zippy

all-purpose spray which will leave surfaces

sparkling and your home smelling delightful,

plus the addition of citrus essential oils helps to

lift your mood. I guarantee that once you make

your own, you’ll never buy store-bought again!

CITRUS ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY

2 tsp liquid Castile soap (I use Dr Bronner’s)

10 drops wild orange essential oil

10 drops lemon essential oil

10 drops peppermint essential oil

Put all ingredients in a 500ml glass spray bottle and

top up with filtered water. Shake gently to combine.

PASTE CLEANER

½ cup baking soda

3-4 Tbsp liquid Castile soap

5 drops tea tree essential oil

5 drops lemon essential oil

Stir ingredients together until they form a creamy

paste. Dip a cloth into the mixture and scrub your

bath, tiles or oven, then rinse off with water.

LAUNDRY POWDER

Bar of natural soap, grated

¾ cup borax or washing soda

½ cup baking soda

10 drops of lavender essential oil

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Place ingredients in a food processor and process to

a fine powder; transfer to a glass jar. Use 2-3 Tbsp

per load of washing. Wash processor bowl well and

rinse with splash of vinegar before using it for food.

WOOD POLISH

1 tsp liquid Castile soap

¼ cup filtered water

¼ cup olive oil

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Dip a cloth into the solution and wipe over wooden

surfaces to polish and nourish.

DISHWASHING POWDER

1 ½ cups baking soda

½ cup citric acid

⅓ cup fine sea salt

10 drops lemon essential oil

10 drops lime essential oil

Combine ingredients in a large glass jar, add lid

and tip upside down to mix. Use 1 Tbsp of powder

per dishwasher load. For an extra-clean load, add

some white vinegar to the rinse compartment.

YLANG-YLANG, LAVENDER & LEMON

AIR FRESHENER/LINEN SPRAY

1 Tbsp witch hazel

10 drops ylang-ylang essential oil

5 drops lavender essential oil

5 drops lemon essential oil

Put all ingredients in a 100ml glass spray

bottle and top up with filtered water. Shake

gently to combine. Use to deodorise the air or

spray onto clothes before ironing.

FABRIC SOFTENER

Add ⅔ cup white vinegar to the start of your

wash cycle, along with your washing powder,

to soften clothes and keep colours vibrant.

TOILET BOWL CLEANER

½ cup baking soda

½ cup white vinegar

5 drops tea tree essential oil

Sprinkle the baking soda around the inside of

toilet bowl. Mix the vinegar with the essential

oil and sprinkle or spray around the toilet

bowl. Allow to fizz and leave for 10 minutes.

Scrub well and then flush.

138 | yhg