For those of you that like to experiment and make your own cleaning products you will find some helpful, natural tips and recipes that we have collated or were given to us by our visitors. If you have tips that you would like to share please click here to send us your ideas.

For those of you that are working mums or dads and are too busy to experiment but who want to ensure that whatever product you buy is toxin free see below for our recommended products.

Home-made General Cleaning Recipes

Vinegar

Vinegar cleans naturally as an all-purpose cleaner. Mix 1 part water to 1 part vinegar and you have a solution that will clean most areas. Vinegar is an economical natural cleaning product, disinfectant and deodoriser. Although it is safe to use on most surfaces, always test on an inconspicious area. Improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout and even your kettle! Vinegar must never be used on marble surfaces. Do not worry about your home smelling of vinegar as the smell disappears when it dries.

Kitchen - Clean the stovetop, appliances, countertops and floor. To descale your kettle, cover the element with equal quantities of vinegar and water, bring to the boil and leave to soak overnight before scrubbing clean.

Bathroom - Clean the bath, toilet, basin and countertops. Vinegar in the toilet bowl will get rid of rings. Flush the toilet to aloow the water level to go down and then pour the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim; scrub down the bowl. The bathroom floor can be cleaned with a vinegar/water solution. The substance will also eat away the soap scum and hard water stains on your fixtures and tiles. Make sure it is safe to use with your tiles.

For an effective cleaner for the bath, basin and tiles, mix baking soda, white vinegar, lemon essential oil and tea tree oil.

Use vinegar in warm water to clean work surfaces, chrome, mirrors and glass.

Lemon Juice

• Lemon juice is also a natural substance that can be used to clean your home.

• Lemon dissolves soap scum and hard water deposts.

• Lemon is used to clean and shine brass and copper.

• Lemon juice mixed with vinegar and/or baking soda can be made into a cleaning paste.

• Sprinkle a cut lemon with baking soda and use it to scrub dishes, surfaces and stains.

• Mix 1 cup olive oil with half a cup of lemon juice to get a furniture policy for your hardwood furniture.

• A whole lemon or orange peel can be put through the garbage disposal to freshen the drain.

• To clean the toilet bowl, mix a paste of borax and lemon juice and leave for 20 minutes before scrubbing.

• Polish furniture with beeswax mixed with a little lemon essential oil.

Baking Soda

• Baking soda is as effective as commercial abrasive cleansers and can be used to scrub surfaces.

• It is also a great deodoriser: place it in a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odours. In fact, it can be put anywhere you need deodorising action for instance in the cat litter tray or behind the toilet.

RECOMMENDED safe household cleaning products

BioPure Concentrate Household Cleaning Pack

Click here to buy BioPure

BioPure is a highly concentrated, all natural household and industrial cleaner containing powerful probiotic bacteria, antioxidants and enzymes that break down grease, grime and dirt and neutralise odours. BioPure means cleaning without chemicals and its living benefits continue to work even after the initial application.

Why should you use this?

The probiotic properties of BioPure ensures it is eminantly safe for humans and the environment and

uniquely effective as a surface active agent to ionize and digest organic matter for surface cleaning and odour reduction.

Can be used safely in septic systems and is fully biodegradable.

BioPure can be used as a general purpose household cleaner, for floors, kitchen surfaces, mould and mildew areas, and bathrooms.

BioPure is a probiotic cleaning liquid and works differently to anti-bacterial products, which attempt to kill bad bacteria. BioPure utilises beneficial bacteria to regenerate and repopulate with healthy bacteria so they can dominate harmful, disease-causing (pathogenic) bacteria. This creates a natural, healthy and clean environment.

When used consistently, BioPure prevents the re-emergence of pathogenic bacteria.

How easy is it to use?

BioPure is highly concentrated and should be diluted with water before use. For best results, dilute 2 capfuls with 500ml of non-chlorinated water and use the dilution within 30 days. For less frequent usage, dilute 1 capful in 250ml of non-chlorinated water and use dilution within 30 days.

Ingredients

Purified Water
Organic sugar cane molasses
Lactobacillus
Organic mineral powder
Sea Salt
Organic rice bran extract non-gmo lecithin
Organic Vanilla Extract

Eco-friendly cleaning

This section offers an extensive range of cleaning products that are highly effective but much kinder to the skin and environment than conventional products. Our Earth Friendly Cleaning Products are all FREE from toxic chemicals such as chlorine, ammonia and formaldehyde. They are 100% biodegradable, made with natural plant and mineral based ingredients from replenishable sources, PH neutral, approved by VEGAN society, voted "best cruelty-free household cleaning range for 2007" by PETA

Click here for a range of eco-friendly cleaning products

Air Freshener Recipes

Home made Air Freshener Idees or Recipes

Open your windows

Baking Soda & Vanilla Air Freshener

Mix 1/4 cup baking soda with water in a spray bottle. Shake well and spray. The baking soda absorbs the odour. You can also add a little scent (vanilla) if you want.

Home-baked Air Freshener Recipe 1

Use a potpourri crock half-full with water (or manufacturer’s direction) and add a few cloves, a couple dashes of cinnamon, and a few drops of extract (vanilla, orange, etc) or citrus peels. Plug in the crock and you have a warm comfortable smell wafting throughout your home that isn't overly pungent like some of those expensive wall-outlet units. (You can also use an ordinary crockpot, but remember to watch the water level as the heat will cause evaporation - you don't want this to run dry.)

1 1/2 cups warm water or manufacturers direction
4 cinnamon sticks broken into pieces
1 tsp. imitation vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger or 1 medium piece of crystallized ginger
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil (helps with binding the scents and quick water absorption)

Mix together and enjoy.  

Home-baked Air Freshener Recipe 2

You can remove almost any odor from your home by boiling cinnamon and cloves in about two cups of water. This will not only eliminate lingering odors, but freshen the air in your home as well.

Home-baked Air Freshener Recipe 3

Save any citrus peels and spices that are too old to use. Boil them in a pot with a little hot water. They make the house smell lovely for next to nothing. I ground up cinnamon sticks for cinnamon and saved the bits that were too big for my spice bottle for a simmer pot.

Apple-pie Air Freshener

Simmer a sliced apple and a couple of cinnamon sticks in some water on your stove. The whole house will smell like apple pie.

Make Scented Rocks

Scented rocks make a great air freshener. Mix 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon of a favourite essential oil and 2/3 cup boiling water and a few drops of a food coloring to create a desired shade. Blend all ingredients, form into balls, and allow to dry.  You can put these in a mesh bag and hang in your car or put in the ashtray if you do not use it.  Each time you open the ashtray the smell will come out.

For the bathroom, dampen a cotton swab with your favourite essential oil and swab the inside of a toilet paper roll. Each time the toilet paper is rolled, a fresh scent will fill the room.

Another way to purify the air is to dampen a cotton ball with pure vanilla extract, place in a dish and set in odorous area of the house. A dish with three cotton balls is great for the living room. A room in which heavy smoking occurs might requires another dish.

RECOMMENDED safe Air Freshener products

Rainforest Air Freshener

Click here to buy the Rainforest Air Freshener

Create a lush rainforest environment in your own home with the crisp and invigorating aromas of blue cypress, lemon myrtle and Blue Mallee eucalyptus. Environmentally friendly non-aerosol pump spray.

Ingredients

Purified Water
Organic Blue Mallee Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Blue Cypress Essential Oil
Organic Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil
Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil
Natural Gum
Proprietry Blend of Essential Oils

Home made insect or bug repellant tips

To deter mosquitos:

Burn citronella candles outside on a summer evening.

Plant mint around the house to keep mosquitos away or rub some mint leaves on you to keep to keep mosquitos from biting you.

RECOMMENDED safe Insect Repellant

Buzz Free Zone Personal Spray

Click here to buy Buzz Free Zone Personal Spray

Keep those pests at bay with Mother Nature’s help with this potent combination of pure essential oils and organic herbal extracts, with absolutely no chemical nasties!

How easy is it to use? Just spray freely over exposed skin.

Ingredients

Organic Aloe Vera leaf juice
Purified Water
Proprietry Blend of Essential Oils
Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil
Organic Blue Mallee Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Organic Citronella Essential Oil
Organic Catnip Essential Oil
Pennyroyal Essential Oil
Organic lemon-scented tea tree essential oil
Natural Gum
Neem Extract
Thyme Essential Oil
Pine Essential Oil
Organic Peppermint Essential Oil
Organic Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil
Organic Lavender Essential Oil

Home made insect repellant tips

A few drops of Tea tree oil or Lavender oil (undiluted) can be combed through the hair to repel the lice.

RECOMMENDED safe Head Lice Kit

Aromatherapy Head Lice Kit (solution & plastic comb)

Click here to buy Aromatherapy Head Lice Kit (solution & plastic comb)

The ultimate 100% natural solution bug busting kit that is great for the whole family and especially suitable for those with Asthma or nut allergies. This kit comes with a 150ml bottle of solution, plastic comb and information/instruction leaflet. With lavender, tea tree and neem - naturally effective and kind to the skin. For best results, use with award-winning NitFree comb.

Home made tips for ticks

Active Ingredients: Cedar Wood Oil (Juiperus Mexicana)

Indispensable if you live in or are travelling to an area with a high risk of ticks. For best protection spray shoes, clothing, rugs, towels etc. This spray uses natural cedar wood oil to repel ticks.

Home made laundry tips

Vinegar

A cup of vinegar in your washing machine when doing a load of laundry will remove any lingering or musty odours from clothing and the washing machine itself.

Click here to buy white vinegar

RECOMMENDED safe Laundry products

Click on the pictures or on this link for the full range of eco-friendly laundry products

Featuring a range of fabulous naturally scented or unscented laundry products that are effective at cleaning clothing and textiles yet kind to the skin and environment. Bio-D laundry products are especially recommended for those suffering from Eczema and other skin conditions as are our SoapNut products. Here you will also find the ORIGINAL EcoBalls - set includes 3 washballs, refills and 1 stain remover. Super-concentrated formulas offer excellent value for money, FREE from toxic chemicals like chlorine, ammonia and formaldehyde, 100% biodegradable, made with natural plant and mineral based ingredients from replenishable sources - PH neutral.

Laundry liquid

Ingredients of the ECOS laundry liquid:
Plant - based surfactant, soap bark, chamomile, horsetail (the plant!), lavender, rosemary, cellulose based optical brightener, soy based fabric softener, essential oils. Not tested on animals. No animal ingredients.

Fabric conditioner

Ingredients of the Bio-d fabric conditioner:
Aqua,
Cationic surfactant from NON0GM Rape Seed Oil,
Ethanol
Not tested on animals.
Suitable for Vegans.

DISCLAIMER: The information here is presented without prejudice or bias. Whilst the information presented is given in good faith, it is intended to be general educational material only. No diagnosis or opinion can be construed in any way from the comments made within under free speech. The author and associated parties can not be held responsible for any action the reader takes or doesn’t take in light of the comments in this course. If in doubt or disagreement please contact us and state why.