Cleaning with Essential Oils (Part 2- Recipes)

*This is Part 2 of a Spring Cleaning Series using essential oils.  More recipes will follow in subsequent posts.

There is no need to buy bottles of harsh cleaners to clean showers, bath tubs and sinks.  I use the following two cleaners routinely for cleaning.  Buying baking soda and vinegar in bulk at warehouse stores like Costco saves money and means I always have a large supply on hand for making homemade cleaners.

Soft Scrub Cleaner 
(for sinks, bathtubs & showers)
1 cup Baking Soda
3 Tbsp Castile Soap
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
15 drops Siberian Fir (Abies sibirica)
15 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)
10 drops Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Small container with lid (I like to use a plastic Gladware container)

Combine all ingredients in your container and stir well.
To use: I use about a tablespoon on a damp sponge to clean sinks and use a little more for larger areas like tubs and showers.

Another great essential oil combination to use in this recipe is:
15 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
15 drops Orange (Citrus sinensis)
10 drops Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

Bathroom Tile Spray
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
1/2 cup Liquid Castile Soap
1/2 cup Water
2 Tbsp Vinegar
40 drops (2 ml)  Siberian Fir (Abies sibirica) -Or another Fir or Pine essential oil you have on hand
40 drops (2 ml)  Lemon (Citrus limon)
20 drops (1 ml)  Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
20 drops (1 ml)  Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
12-16 ounce spray bottle

Combine all ingredients into a 12-16 oz spray bottle and shake well.  To use, spray bathroom tiles, let sit for a couple minutes, then scrub with a damp sponge.  Even though this is an all natural cleaner, the amount of essential oils is concentrated enough to cause skin irritation in people who have sensitive skin.  I recommend wearing gloves just as a precaution.

As always you will want to keep all cleaning products out of children's reach.

 *This is Part 2 of a Spring Cleaning Series using essential oils.  More recipes will follow in subsequent posts.

You can find more posts from this series here:
Part 1
Part 3
Part 4

For basic safety guidelines for using essential oils, click (here).