Castile Soap, baking soda, distilled vinegar, and lemons can clean your entire kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom. You do not need to buy any of those costly commercial cleaners. And, you will enjoy the fresh circus smell while you are scrubbing.
Why they work!
- Vinegar is acidic and it disinfects and kills bacteria. Metal and glass sparkle when wiped with vinegar. It also removes soap scum and rust.
- Lemons disinfect and leaves a fresh citrus scent. The peels can freshen your garbage disposal after you are done scrubbing with them.
- Castile Soap is an olive or vegetable oil based soap. No animal fats or synthetics are used. I prefer the baby mild Dr. Bronner’s soap for sensitive skin. You can use the citrus castile soap but decrease the lemon essential oil to 5 drops .
- Baking soda acts as a deodorizer, degreaser, and a light abrasive. ”Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, helps regulate pH?keeping a substance neither too acidic nor too alkaline. When baking soda comes in contact with either an acidic or an alkaline substance, it?s natural effect is to neutralize that pH. Beyond that, baking soda has the ability to retard further changes in the pH balance, known as buffering. This dual capability of neutralizing and buffering allows baking soda to do things such as neutralize acidic odors (like in the refrigerator) as well as maintain neutral pH (like in your laundry water, which helps boost your detergent?s power). It?s a simple reaction, but one that has far-reaching effects for a number of cleaning and deodorizing tasks. “
I have three bottles displayed on my counter with custom labels. Each bottle is filled with my Lemon Rosemary Dish Soap, Pure Baking Soda, and Distilled Vinegar. My Own Labels allows you to create your own custom waterproof labels. You can put your name on the labels or use the kid’s names to encourage them to clean a little more around the house!
Directions
1) Pour 1/2 cup water, 2 cups liquid baby mild castile soap, 1/2 tsp. lemon essential oil, and 5 drops of rosemary essential oil into a large Ball mason jar and shake slowly. The soap will foam a little. Wait until the soap bubbles settle and pour into your pretty bottle to keep on the counter. Store the remaining soap to refill.
2) Use a funnel to pour the baking soda into the bottle.
3) Use a funnel to pour the vinegar into the bottle.
4) Find a pretty rectangular plate to display the bottles. I found mine at Williams Sonoma.
Some easy cleaning solutions using baking soda, castile soap, vinegar, and lemons:
- Sparkling granite countertops- wash with several drops of Lemon and Rosemary Dish Soap and warm water. Then wet the rag with warm water, sprinkle with vinegar,and wipe the counters to kill bacteria and make them sparkle.
- Clean pots and pans- fill the pot with warm water and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Let sit for 15 minutes. Then, cut a lemon in half, pour baking soda on the fruit and scrub. If the food is baked on, add more dry baking soda. The baking soda is abrasive and the lemon cuts the grease. It leaves a citrus smell in your kitchen especially when you grind the peels in your garbage disposal afterwards.
- Sterilize cutlery and cutting boards- wipe down your knives and cutting boards with warm water and Lemon Rosemary Dish Soap. Cut a lemon in half and pour baking soda on the fruit. Rub the paste on the knives and boards. Let sit for 5 to 15 minutes. Rinse and then wipe with vinegar to make your stainless steel sparkle.
- Clean and deodorize your microwave (remove burnt popcorn smell)- cut a lemon in half and pour baking soda on it. Wipe down the inside of the microwave. Wait 5 minutes and wash with warm water and a couple drops of Castile soap. Repeat if necessary. Then wipe down with half vinegar and half water to kill the smell.
