Sulphuric and hydrochloric acid, phosphates and ammonia, bleach and petroleum – these are just a few of the harmful chemicals present in commercial cleaning products used in the home.  And you pay good money for them, too!  Luckily for the eco-conscious homeowners, there is an all-purpose, eco-friendly and organically-made home cleaner that costs less than a dollar and can be made in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients and Supplies Needed

To make this organic cleaner, you just need five basic ingredients and supplies.  Throw in a little patience and you ought to be good at making more bottles for your family and friends, too, which makes for a cleaner environment.  (Who says you can’t clean your house without polluting nature?)

First, secure recyclable spray bottles with approximately one liter capacity.  The emphasis is on recyclable and/or recycled bottles because you want to protect the environment from more non-biodegradable materials, not add to the pollution.

Second, purchase white distilled vinegar made from grain and/or plant materials.  Don’t use the ones made from crude oil!  Keep in mind that white distilled vinegar has cleaning properties, thus, its inclusion as the main ingredient in this organic cleaner.

Third, buy authentic lemongrass essential oil.  It has antibacterial properties perfect for killing house germs.  If you want added antiviral and antifungal boosts, substitute it with tea tree oil or just add a few drops.

Fourth, secure some eco-friendly dishwashing liquid from the supermarket.  Or better yet, from an organic store.

Fifth, add in generous quantities of water.  Just stick to tap water instead of those fancy bottled water.

Instructions for Mixing

Making the organic cleaner is child’s play, really.  Just fill your spray bottle until the midway mark at about 500 milliliters.  Then leaving a little room for the other ingredients, pour in the white distilled vinegar at around 400 milliliters.  Add in between 10 to 14 drops of the lemongrass essential oil.  You can add said oil until 30 drops but it’s best to start with the minimum amount to avoid skin irritations.  Add about 2-3 drops of the eco-friendly dishwashing liquid to the whole mix.  You can then cap and shake the bottle until you produce foamy bubbles; just a thin layer of it though.  Label the bottle to avoid accidents especially when you have children around the house.  Now, that didn’t take 30 minutes, did it?

You have to shake the bottle before each use to evenly distribute the ingredients.  Also, store it in a cool area away from direct sunlight, preferably one where children cannot reach it.  Organic or not, it can cause health complications when ingested in large amounts, as any household cleaner will do.

Uses and Tips

As previously mentioned, this is an all-purpose organic household cleaner.  As such, you can use it to clean mirrors and tabletops, carpet and upholstery, clothing and curtains, stainless steel and chrome, porcelain and tiles, and even as a hand disinfectant.  However, you must take care not to use it on marble as it can cause damage to the stone.  Plus, it never hurts to spot test it before applying to the whole surface.

You will delightedly discover that, indeed, you can be clean around the house while taking care of Mother Nature with this organic cleaner!