Herbally Fresh: Using Herbs to Clean and Disinfect Your Home

Spring is finally here, thankfully! Open all your windows and let in the clean, fresh air. There are lots of wonderful ways to use herbs to dispel the dreary doldrums, germs and stale air of winter. There are several herbs that are particularly good for this.

Tea tree is tops for disinfecting. It does not have the most appealing of fragrances but does

the job well, as do all the citrus family members. That is why we see so many lemon and orange scented cleansers on the market. Grapefruit seed extract also has disinfecting properties, along with eucalyptus, rosemary, bergamot, juniper, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, pine, lavender, peppermint and sage.

Because most of us do not always have these herbs available, the essential oils of the plants are the handiest form to use that will deliver the potency to get the job done. However, if you have a cup or two of last summer’s harvest of lavender flowers, oregano, rosemary, or eucalyptus leaves or you have a several lemons or oranges (use peels only cut into small slivers) you can try this economical recipe.

Easy Herb Household Rinse

1 part herb or fruit peel

3 parts water

Bring water to a simmer. Add herb or peel. Bring back to simmer, turn off heat and cover the pot. Strain when cool and use to wipe and disinfect surfaces. Add a drop or two of dishwashing detergent to help remove grease. Store the mixture in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This basic recipe for using essential oils is easy to prepare when needed:

Essential Oil Cleaning Solution

Mix 8 drops of essential oil with 2 quarts warm water and one teaspoon isopropyl alcohol. This mixture can be pumped from a spray bottle; use a glass one if possible.

Essential oils can be blended to create useful preparation with pleasant fragrances. If you don’t know which ones to mix, there are many books that will help inform you about which ones work synergistically, that is, blend well to create an aroma that seems balanced. I like any books by Valerie Ann Worwood. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy is a good one to start with.

There are many ways to diffuse fragrance and germ killing power. Apply a few drops to a tissue and place it in the diaper pale or waste paper basket or put a couple of drops on the inside of a new toilet paper or paper towel roll. Dilute the essential oils with an ample amount of water to wipe down changing tables and counter tops. Here are two pleasing blends.

Feel free to halve or double the recipe to suit your needs. Always store essential

oils in dark bottles, out of direct light, and keep out of reach of children.

To clean windows without ammonia, firmly wipe them down with a damp cloth. Then wipe

again with a bunched up a sheet of newspaper with a drop or two of a citrus (lemon, orange, lime or grapefruit) essential oil on it to remove streaks.

It can be pleasing, satisfying and economical to concoct your own botanical cleaning supplies. They offer a great way to avoid the physical aversion so many people feel to the chemical cleaners and artificial fragrances.

Homemade Furniture Polish

4 oz. beeswax

2.5 cup turpentine

1.5 cups water

1 oz. pure soap flakes or grated soap

10 drops of essential oil

In a double boiler, slowly melt the beeswax. Carefully add room temperature turpentine and stir until it becomes liquid again. Remove from heat. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add soap flakes and stir until dissolved. When both mixtures are cool, combine them and add the essential oil. Blend thoroughly and pour into a wide mouth container that has a lid. Caution: do not use an open flame to make this recipe as the turpentine is extremely flammable. Warm it gently over a very low heat.

It can be pleasing, satisfying and economical to concoct your own botanical cleaning supplies. They offer a great way to avoid the physical aversion so many of us feel to chemical cleaners and artificial fragrances.