Like most of you, we’re working on cutting out as many chemicals from our daily lives as possible. We haven’t used chemical cleaners for years now (and honestly, they weren’t really even a part of my every day life. I hate to clean.) and have found that vinegar, baking soda and plain old water can clean pretty much anything.
We’re still working on switching over to a more natural body/hair wash. Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap has pretty much been the complete solution to our non-chemical bathtime routine. We’re washing our body, hair and face with it and haven’t had any issues with it yet (I’ll let you know if my hair starts to act funny). Going Green with a Bronner Mom is a great blog with tons of helpful information on using the soaps throughout the entire house.
I don’t vacuum everyday (I know…gasp!) but when I do, I love to add a few dashes of natural carpet freshener. Super easy to make and customize. I used lavender buds but really you could use anything (cloves and cinnamon).
Need a deeper clean? Check out this awesome hint on how to clean a stain on a rug from The Creek Line House!
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Natural Carpet Freshener
Materials:
1 c baking soda
1/2 c cornstarch
1 c lavender buds (or a few drops of Lavendar Essential Oil
)
Blend together until nice and smooth in a food processor. Pour into shaker and spread sparingly on carpet. Vacuum to release the peaceful aroma of lavender without all those nasty chemicals you can’t pronounce. 🙂
PS: You don’t have to add more powder every time. I vacuumed a few days later (I know, Mom, a record!) and the beautiful scent of lavender was still very apparent.
Kay says
7 January 2012 at 4:32 amWhere do you get the lavendar for the carpet freshener?
bumblev says
7 January 2012 at 11:45 pmI found mine at a local health food store but you could also order it online.
Yvette Barncastle says
14 March 2012 at 10:37 pmHi. Thought you might be interested in something I’ve found as an alternative to bathing wih soaps all the time. I found an anti-aging facewash recipe online that is nothing but olive oil and canola oil. I go about half and half – canola can be drying, despite being an oil. I just rub a little all over my face, and wash it off with warm water and a cloth. NO greasy feel after. And guess what – my skin looks better than it ever, ever has – no redness, no blotchiness, no acne (which can still plague you in your 40’s, yes – goes great with gray hair!). So now I use a mostly olive-oil mixture on the rest of my skin, putting it on prior to getting in the shower, and it’s helping my eczema as well. It’s really exiting to find that stuff in my kitchen is so good for my outside as well as my insides!
Terry says
30 January 2013 at 3:40 pmWhat is the purpose of the cornstarch?