The Best Tools for Natural Cleaning

Mar 24 | Easy DIY, Household Tips

The best tools for natural cleaning. Find a list of my favorite tools and ingredients for cleaning your home naturally!

We’re kicking off the 3 Weeks to a Spring Clean Home challenge today, so I wanted to give a rundown of the cleaning tools and products that I use for cleaning my home naturally!  While I admit I’m not 100% natural when it comes to cleaning, it’s still important to me to be as natural as possible.  You will find Windex, store-bought laundry detergent and leather furniture wipes in my cupboards, but that works for me right now and I’m okay with that!  However, I am working up the nerve to try homemade laundry detergent and I’d like to find a recipe for leather wipes.  Windex will always be around because my husband likes it for the cars.

I have quite a few products that have become my favourites over the years and I want to give you an up close and personal look!

best tools for cleaning

First up, the tools:

  • Bucket.  I use an empty ice cream bucket to fill with water and castile soap for cleaning the floors and walls.
  • Gloves.  Any pair of rubber gloves works for me.
  • Cleaning cloths.  I am in love with the Mabu cloths from Well.ca.  They have lasted me a long time and never stink!
  • Paper towel.  I don’t use it a lot, but I like to use paper towel for cleaning the patio door windows and our cars.
  • Scrub brush.  I bought mine from the dollar store and it works great for cleaning our stone fireplace.
  • Window wiper.  This works great for cleaning the windows and patio doors outside.  No streaks!
  • Dusting mitt.  This is a Norwex dusting mitt that my mom gifted me that I love, but I’ve also been known to use a damp cloth to dust.
  • Mirror cloth.  Also a Norwex cloth, but I simply use water and this cloth to clean all the mirrors.  I’m sure you could use any old cloth.

ingredients for DIY cleaning

Lastly, here are the ingredients I use, along with some recipes, for DIY cleaning:

  • Washing soda.  Available in the laundry aisle at grocery stores.
  • White vinegar.  I buy the club size because I use it for everything.
  • Baking soda.  Again, I buy a big box because I use it for a ton of stuff.
  • Borax.  Available in the laundry aisle at grocery stores.
  • Liquid castile soap.  The Dr. Bronner’s citrus scent is my favourite from Well.ca.  Lavender being my second favourite.
  • Essential oils. I’ve been enjoying the Aura Cacia products from Well.ca.
  • Jar.  I use a small jar to create my DIY soft scrub.
  • Spray bottles.  While any spray bottle from the store will work, my bottles are from PlanetForward.ca, which no longer has an online store.

Homemade Soft Scrub – This is the recipe I like to use to clean soap scum, sinks, and the stove top:

  • 3/4 cup baking soda (a bit heaped)
  • 1/4 cup liquid Castile soap (I buy it from Well.ca)
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar

Mix the baking soda, Castile soap and water in a bowl or container.  Stir.  Add the vinegar last, once the other ingredients are mixed.  The mixture will fizz a little.  Stir to make a nice soft, paste-like, consistency.  (It’s important to add the vinegar last if you want a creamy paste and not sludge.) Make this in small batches as it can dry out when stored.  The recipes makes enough for 2-4 uses.

All-Purpose Cleaner – I use this to clean most surfaces.  Toilets, bathtub, counters.

  • 2 tsp Borax natural detergent – Find this at your local grocery store in the laundry aisle
  • 3 Tbsp Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap – I’m using ones I picked up from Well.ca.
  • 4 Tbsp White Vinegar – a natural disinfectant!  I always buy the club size because I like to have it on hand for its many uses.
  • Distilled Water (or boiled water)

Mix the borax, white vinegar and a little bit of hot water. (Must be hot water to incorporate the borax.) Add the castile soap, then swirl the bottle to incorporate.  Once it’s all mixed, add the rest of the water to fill up to 16oz.  It will be slightly white and opaque.

Homemade Oven Cleaner – Works really slick!

  • Baking Soda
  • White Vinegar

Sprinkle some baking soda all over the bottom of the oven.  Then pour a bit of vinegar over top. (Not too much.)  Let it sit for a couple of hours, or overnight.  Finally, after using a bit of elbow grease and a steel scrubby, you should have a pretty clean oven!

Homemade Fabric Refresher

  • a small spray bottle from the travel-size section of any store
  • 2 Tbsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp fabric softener
  • warm water
  • 10 drops of essential oil (I used lavender)

Add the baking soda and the fabric softener to the bottle using a funnel. Add enough  warm water to fill the bottle nearly to the top. Water must be warm to dissolve the baking soda. Add essential oil. Close the bottle, shake it up, then get your home smelling good!

Homemade Dryer Sheets – Scent your clothes naturally

  • a jar with a lid
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 20 drops of essential oil
  • several “rags” (ripped up t-shirts, baby cloths)

Place your rags into your jar. Pour 1 cup of white vinegar and 20 drops of essential oil over top the rags. Put the lid on the jar and shake it up! Each time you put a load of laundry into the dryer, take a rag out of the jar and put it in with the laundry. Dry as you would normally.

Homemade Super Citrus Cleaner – Works really well for cleaning the bath tub!

  • Citrus fruit peels
  • White vinegar

Place the peels of any citrus fruit into a jar.  Once your jar is full, pour white vinegar over top to cover the peels completely. Let it sit for about 5 days before you use it. You could pour it over to a spray bottle, but I just poured it straight from the jar.

Will you be giving any of these recipes a try?  Do you have any DIY natural cleaning recipes to share?

Napkin Folding: Two Simple Napkin Folding Techniques

Mar 14 | Easy DIY

How to fold a bow napkin, a simple napkin folding technique!

Next time you have dinner guests (or tea time guests) why not whip up these adorably simple napkin folds?  They’re so easy to do and will make your table setting that much sweeter.  I used paper napkins, but large fabric napkins would be wonderful as well!  You’ll just want to make sure they’re a good large size.

I’m going to attempt to show you two simple napkin folding techniques that are sure to impress.  The Bow napkin and the Pocket napkin.

Watch the animated pictures to learn these simple napkin folding techniques:

How to fold a bow napkin, a simple napkin folding technique!

For the bow fold:

  1. Starting with the napkin face down, fold the top and bottom edges in to meet at the middle.
  2. Then fold the top and bottom edges in again to meet at the middle.
  3. Next, fold one side of the napkin into the middle, then the other side into the middle so they overlap and create a small rectangle.
  4. Turn the napkin over and tie a ribbon, string, or twist tie around the middle, pulling it tight to create the bow.
  5. Fold and fluff as needed.

How to fold a napkin pocket, a simple napkin folding technique!

For the pocket fold:

  1. Starting with the napkin face up, fold the bottom edge up to the top edge
  2. Fold the side you just folded up back down to meet the bottom edge of your first fold
  3. Turn the entire napkin over but be careful not to undo your folds
  4. Fold the two sides in to meet at the middle
  5. Repeat step 4 with the sides again
  6. Turn the napkin over, and you’ll have a little pocket!

How to fold a napkin pocket, a simple napkin folding technique!

I hope you enjoyed learning how to fold some cute napkins!  Now, go impress those guests!

Easy DIY: Homemade Grapefruit Scrub

Mar 12 | Easy DIY

You’ve got to try this Homemade Grapefruit Scrub! It’s deliciously scented and leaves your skin silky smooth and moisturized.

Try this deliciously scented, easy to make and budget friendly homemade grapefruit scrub to freshen up your skin!

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

Easy Homemade Grapefruit Scrub

Throughout the year, and especially though winter, I like to use a sugar body scrub for an invigorating way to get rid of dull skin. I’ve used both store-bought and homemade sugar scrubs and can tell you that the homemade version works just as well and costs much less!  You also can’t beat the smell! Mmmm!

This winter, I made up a batch of Homemade Grapefruit Scrub. Grapefruit, because it just smells so fresh and delicious!

Are you ready to learn how easy it is to make a batch of homemade grapefruit scrub?  Here we go:

Ingredients for Homemade Grapefruit Body Scrub:

  •  1 cup coconut oil (Find it here or here)
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ grapefruit (3-4 Tbsp grapefruit juice)
  • 3 Tbsp grapefruit zest (optional)
  • 4-5 4 oz. Jelly jars (Find them here, here or here)

Try this deliciously scented, easy to make and budget friendly homemade grapefruit scrub to freshen up your skin!Directions:

  1. Using a grater, grate 3 tbsp of grapefruit zest (I found it easier to grate prior to juicing.)
  2. Once you have your grapefruit zest, cut the grapefruit in half and juice it for 3-4 tbsp of  grapefruit juice.
  3. Next, in a medium size bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, grapefruit juice and zest and mix well.
  4. Add the scrub to your 4 oz. Jelly jars.
  5. Print and cut out the labels and place on the lid; the metal ring will hold the label in place. **For a different look, you could use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top of the label; hook through with twine and tie around the lid.

Makes 4-5 4 oz. Jelly jars. The recipe can also be made smaller or larger depending on how much you would like to make.  Stored in an airtight container, scrubs will last for about 6 months. If there is any separation simply stir the mixture.

Click on the image below to print these labels to use for your jars:

Grapefruit Scrub labels

Here are some other recipes to try:

Two Ingredient Homemade Oven Cleaner

Feb 11 | Easy DIY

I don't think I've ever bought oven cleaner from the store. That's because I love my two ingredient homemade oven cleaner!

I don’t think I’ve ever bought oven cleaner from the store.  That’s because I love my two ingredient homemade oven cleaner!

My oven, while I don’t let it get to the point of being seriously disgusting, comes quite clean with these two ingredients:

  • Baking Soda
  • White Vinegar

I also make use of a steel scrubby:

scrubby

The steps are simple.  Sprinkle some baking soda all over the bottom of the oven.  Then pour a bit of vinegar over top. (Not too much.)  Let it sit for a couple of hours, or overnight like I did!

baking soda

Finally, after using a bit of elbow grease and a steel scrubby, you should have a pretty clean oven!

clean oven

Before and After.

I don't think I've ever bought oven cleaner from the store. That's because I love my two ingredient homemade oven cleaner!

Not bad, right?  Will you be giving this two ingredient homemade oven cleaner a try?