Chatelaine_April_May_2019

Make scents

Essential oils help your

natural cleaners (and your home)

smell amazing. And many have

antibacterial qualities: Thyme,

cinnamon and oregano oils

inhibit bacterial growth, while

rosemary, lavender, cedarwood

and lemongrass are antifungal.

Just a few drops in a batch of

all-purpose spray or scouring

cleanser is all it takes.

IT’S A CHORE

Go natural

Here’s a dirty little secret: DIY cleaners made from

regular household items are cheaper and more

eff ective than conventional products. Plus, they’re

gentler on the planet—and on your health

Green

arsenal

Save your future self

some time by mixing

up large batches of

general cleaners

(be sure to label

them and store safely

from kids and pets)

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY

Combine 6 cups water,

¼ cup liquid Castile soap

and 5 to 10 drops of an

essential oil in a large

bowl or bucket. Pour

into spray bottles.

ALL-PURPOSE SCOUR

Combine 1 2∕3 cups baking

soda, ¼ cup liquid Castile

soap and ¼ cup water

in a bowl. Mix until it

has the consistency of

whipped cream. Store in

a labelled airtight container.

(Vegetable oil–based liquid

Castile soap is available

at health food stores.)

GLASS AND

MIRROR CLEANER

Mix ½ cup white vinegar

with ½ cup water, and

pour into a spray bottle.

Vinegar is a powerful

cleanser with a smell to

match. For a more pleasant

scent, place a lemon peel

in a Mason jar and cover

with vinegar. Store for at

least two weeks, and then

use in the recipe above.

READY TO GO

For those times when you

just can’t make your own

1. Sapadilla Grapefruit + Bergamot Countertop Cleanser
   A surface spray with a heavenly scent, thanks to citrus and
   bergamot essential oils. $8, well.ca. 4. Seventh Generation
   Toilet Bowl Cleaner The primary cleaning agent is caprylyl/
   myristyl glucoside, a sugar-based surfactant. $6, well.ca.


2. Ecover Dish Soap Biodegradable and safe to use on your
   beeswax food wraps. $5, canadiantire.ca. 4. Marseille Soap
   Cube This sturdy soap is derived from olives. $7, savon-de-
   marseille.ca. 5. Truce Wood Cleaner This concentrate comes
   in a refi llable bottle (to cut down on packaging) and is safe for
   wood fl oors, countertops and furniture. $11, truceclean.com.

Pro^

tip!

FUMING! A 20-year Norwegian study, published in 2018, found that

long-term, regular use of conventional cleaning products can harm

your lungs—it can be as damaging as smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

44 CHATELAINE • APRIL/MAY 2019

LEMON PHOTO, STOCKSY. PRODUCT PHOTO, CARMEN CHEUNG.

home HOUSEKEEPING

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