Commercial cleaning products are some of the most toxic products we can find in our homes. Some of us can tell by the way our bodies responds to it, through a skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, chemical burns, and sudden headaches. But unfortunately, not everyone has an immediate reaction.
Some people may never know how bad it is being exposed to these chemicals until they develop chronic, or long term, side effects later in life. You can only imagine how bad it would be to ingest any of the regular store bought cleaning products, as it happens so many times, specially with children. And even though you might think you’re safe because you don’t plan on drinking Clorox any time soon, in reality you’re not. All of these chemicals produce toxic fumes and carcinogens that are so easily inhaled and absorbed through the skin. The promise of no elbow grease is an expensive one after all.
Sanitizing and deodorizing doesn’t have to come along with neurotoxins, hormone disruptors, and carcinogens. In fact, I personally like this recipe more than any other cleaner. Specially, if used with a microfiber cloth. It’s super easy and fast to make it. Try it and you won’t go back!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon borax
- 1 ½ cup hot boiled water
- 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 10 drops essential oils of your choice
- spray bottle
- microfiber cloth
Directions
- Boil water.
- Add borax and water to a mixing bowl and whisk until borax is completely dissolved.
- Add hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, vinegar and stir.
- Once it cools, add essential oils and pour mixture into a spray bottle.
Notes
- Wait for the mixture to cool down before pouring it into the spray bottle. The first time I did this, I made the mistake of pouring it while it was still hot and ended up with a deformed spray bottle.
- For the essential oils, I used a mixture of Lemongrass and Eucalyptus. But you can try any scent, like lavender, peppermint, lime basil, etc.
If you don’t have all ingredients on hand or you still need to order some. You can visit my Etsy Shop and buy the All Purpose Cleaner. It comes with the recipe on a laminated label, so you don’t have to look for it whenever is time to make a new batch. You will also get a microfiber cloth which will definitively improve your cleaning and save you on paper towels. Both bottle and cloth can be washed and reused many times.
Resources
How toxic are your household cleaning products? – organic consumers.org
List of most harmful cleaning products for your home – huffingtonpost.com
8 hidden toxins: what’s lurking in your cleaning products? – experiencelife.com
I am being a super proud blogger and linking this post up at these amazing parties!
This post was featured at The Handmade Hangout from Christina’s Adventures, Redoux Interiors, Farm Fresh Vintage Finds, From Gardners 2 Bergers, A Glimpse Inside and Too Much Time on My Hands. Thanks girls!
Disclaimer
The content of Te Amo Too is intended to inspire and provide helpful and informative material. I am not a health care provider nor try to be one. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with their own health care provider. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medication, please consult your physician before making any changes. The advice and statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Any information on this blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Read more here.
25 Comments
This is amazing info and a great idea! Pinned!! Thanks for sharing at Totally Terrific Tuesday! I love seeing fresh ideas and new faces! I hope you made it back this week!! Party runs Monday 10pm-Sat 10pm :)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Jess
Thank you Jessica! You’re so nice! Made my day :)
I’ve been wanting to try making my own cleaner for a while; I can’t wait to try out your recipe! Thanks for linking up with our Creative Spark party last week!!
Thank you Emily for hosting it! Let me know what you think of the cleaner when you make it ;)
What a delightful presentation for your all-purpose cleaner, Juliana! I was just reading “Kitchen Stewardship” this week and she mentioned using hydrogen peroxide in a cleaner. There is so much to learn when it comes to healthy alternatives. Thanks for sharing your recipe and for linking it up at Project Inspire{d}!
All the best for an extraordinary start to your week.
All the best to you too. You are so nice! I love Kitchen Stewardship. There is definitely a lot to learn and rediscover on being healthy!
What a great recipe. We mainly use a citrus vinegar for our cleaning but I bet this smells better ;-). Thanks for sharing with us at Simple Lives Thursday; hope to see you again this week. By the way, your photography is just beautiful.
You made my day Angi!
we were just talking about trying to make our own cleaners so how timely :) Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Oh you should :) It’s so easy! Thank you for stopping by!
Thanks so much for this ‘recipe’! I do enjoy making my own cleansers, so will definitely give this one a try! Following along via the #ThisDIYParty .
You definitely should Sue :) Thank you so much for stopping by. I plan on posting different cleaners soon. Come back!
Great post! (: I really like using organic cleaners in my home.
Visiting from http://www.andieconn.com / referred by Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Thank you Andie for stopping by and leaving this sweet comment. It’s super encouraging when that happens :)
I love using natural cleaners, but I’m not always convinced about how “natural” the ones at the store are. Definitely going to give this recipe a try. Pinning!
Hi Aimee, I just visited you blog and love your closet office! I have a little craft armoire in my bedroom too. It’s the only space I could find! Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving me a comment. Hope to see you soon!
Thank you for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board.
Thank you Candice, it was my first time. I have followed a lot of blogs through the years, but started my own this week! So I’m still trying to learn and absorb as much as I can. Have a great week!
This is a terrific idea. How long does the solution keep, and does it disinfect? Thanks! Glad I found this at #MotivationMonday!
Hi Susan, thank you so much for stopping by! You know, I have been refilling my bottle for years now and it never “went bad”. It does disinfect. I’m gonna dedicate a post about disinfecting with natural homemade cleaners. It’s definitely not 99.9% but what is the real benefit of that?! It kills much more than germs and bacteria! Vinegar is great at desinfecting and some essential oils alone kill different kinds of bacteria and viruses on contact. It’s amazing what nature really gives us. We are the ones who mess it up!
Thanks so much for your response. This sounds like a great thing to use!
I love this! I’m all about natural cleaners, so this is right up my alley. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Leesha, me too! I love everything natural! You should try this recipe, it’s really good! Thank you for stopping by.
Amei, parabéns Ju!!!!
Obrigada Rena!