Springtime for some is synonymous with Spring Cleaning.  Nearly EVERY THING you need to get your home truly clean can be found at your local grocery or supermarket… but NOT with the toxic household cleaning products! Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), soda ash (sodium carbonate), white vinegar and club soda (YES! CLUB SODA!) work wonderfully well for nearly all of your house cleaning tasks.  If you want to turn house cleaning into an aromatherapy session, there are some wonderful essential oils that boost the power of your home made cleaning products. Essential oils can be found at any health food store or on line at one of my favorite websites Mountain Rose Herbs .

For windows, glass, mirrors, even your car’s windshield, put plain club soda into a spray bottle and use as you would any traditional window cleaner. The results will astound you… just remember not to shake the bottle!

To clean cutting boards and remove stubborn food odors mix 1/2 a cup of white vinegar and 1/2 a cup of water in spray bottle. Spray the surface to be cleaned/deodorized and allow it to rest for half an hour before rinsing well with water.  You should do a spot test on granite, stone or marble, though.

For antiseptic cleaning in the bathroom, try this recipe:

1 teaspoon of sweet orange, rosemary, tea tree, lavender or cinnamon essential oil

1 teaspoon soda ash

2 teaspoons of borax

1/2 teaspoon castile soap

2 cups very hot tap water

Combine everything in a spray bottle and shake to dissolve. Spray the surfaces to be cleaned and allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes before wiping with a clean damp rag.

Baking soda can be used as a natural carpet deodorizer, too. Add about 5 drops of lemon, orange or grapefruit essential oil to 2 cups of baking soda and mix well with a wire whisk. Sprinkle over your carpet. The citrus oils kill fleas and their eggs. It’s a good idea to sprinkle this on the carpet and let it sit overnight. Vacuum it up the next day. If your vacuum cleaner has a bag, you should throw the whole bag out if you have a flea problem: It seems wasteful, but you have to do this to get rid of the little critters. If you have a bagless vacuum, empty the canister in the garbage bin outside, swish some vinegar around inside and rinse well with your hose. Allow it to air dry completely.

Baking soda also makes a wonderful scrubbing cleaner for tubs and sinks.  Wet the surface with water, sprinkle on some baking soda and scrub with a sponge. For some extra cleaning power (and a little sizzle!), wet the surface with white vinegar instead of water. When the baking soda and vinegar come in contact with one another the chemical reaction will make the mixture bubble.

To clean stained toilet bowls, pour 1 cup of borax + 1 cup of white vinegar + 10 drops of lavender OR pine essential oil + 5 drops of lemon OR lime essential oil in the bowl and let it sit overnight. In the morning, simply flush the bowl and hardened stains & rings will be rinsed away.

White vinegar makes an EXCELLENT fabric softener & brightener! Try it for yourself and you will be amazed at the results! Don’t worry about the smell: It disappears completely once your clothes, towels are dry.

Happy cleaning everyone!