Strew the herbs; Stir the stew. Family to the hearth; Home is safe and sound.
Keep your home safe and clean with these inexpensive and easy-to-make alternatives to store-bought cleaning solutions.
The season for staying indoors is coming and that means stale air, insect pests coming inside, and germs flying about. Long ago, herbs were spread, strewn about the castle to sweeten the air, freshen living spaces, and ward off pests. An added bonus was that many herbs also protected family members and guests from bacteria and viruses. Herbs, such as sweet woodruff, catnip, spearmint, and conifer needles were strewn on the floors, hung as swags in rooms, or placed in the straw bedding. However, recent times have brought many new options to keep homes clean and safe from germs. Many of those options, contain chemicals that many of us may not want to use around our families. So, like our ancestors, lets and explore some ways herbs and natural products can help with housekeeping chores and keep our homes healthy and clean this winter.
The aisles of supermarkets are filled with cleaning supplies for every aspect of keeping a home clean. The ingredients in most of the products are 4-5 syllables long and often unpronounceable. One such chemical that is found in some form or other in many cleaning products is phosphate. Although it is a naturally occurring mineral, “too much is not better”. Phosphate is used to soften water, remove grease and soil, so it is a popular ingredient. However, it also causes rapid growth in algae. So, when we use cleaning products containing phosphates, we are essentially polluting the water supply. Phosphates have been banned in laundry detergents since the 1990s. In many states, they have also been banned in dishwashing detergents except for commercial uses.
What can we use instead? Several alternatives, with the addition of herbs, will do a fine job of cleaning and sanitizing. Products like sea salt, baking soda, castile soap, and vinegar can be made into natural safe cleaning supplies. Should you use essential oils or dried herbs? We typically use and recommend dried herbs because they are easy to grow. Dried herbs are milder so potentially less irritating and the scent is not overpowering. When using essential oils, a little goes a long way, so some care should be taken and some oils can be a little expensive to buy.
Following is a list of the dried herbs and their properties that we use:
Lavender – antibacterial; repels insects and is used for aromatherapy; its sachets to be used throughout the home
Peppermint – antibacterial; antiviral; repels insects and mice; a great addition to any cleaning supply
Sage – antibacterial; antiseptic
Thyme – very strong antibacterial; strong disinfectant; antifungal; great in all surface cleaners
Rosemary – antiseptic; antioxidant (preservative); lightly abrasive (good for scrubbing); moth repellent
Other herbs may be used for additional scents, such as lemon balm, lemon verbena, roman chamomile or any mint.
Many natural cleaning supplies require a little extra “elbow grease” if you have an especially tough job. On a daily, regular basis they work well. Here are some recipes for herbal cleaning products we use:
Oven Cleaner
Mix when you need, use all immediately (no storage), strong scrubbing power
½ C sea salt
¼ C borax
2 C baking soda
2 Tbsp lemon balm or peppermint
Enough water to make a paste (about ¼ C)
Preheat oven to 250˚, turn off and leave the oven door ajar.
Spread the paste on the walls and let sit for 30 minutes.
Put ¾ C vinegar in a spray bottle, spray and wipe off.
Because the first time this was used the oven was a “little” baked on, it took a couple of times, a good scrubbie, and a little bit of work with a scraper to get it pretty clean. Sometimes it pays to keep up with the cleaning!
Carpet Freshener
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup finely ground herbs of your choice*
Suggested herbs: lavender, rose petals, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, sage.
Store in a glass container with a secure lid in a dry cupboard. * grind in a coffee grinder that you use just for herbs.
Because we have dogs, one of whom is an indoor-outdoor kind of gal, this carpet freshener is one we use frequently.
Sprinkle liberally on the carpet, let sit for 5 –15 minutes, then vacuum thoroughly. It can also be safely used on pet beds as well – we’ve used it to dry and freshen the bed of an older, incontinent dog. Simply sprinkle, let sit and then shake and vacuum – if it’s a sunny, dry day, set the bed outside for bonus freshening.
Moth Repellent
When the younger members of the family sold their house and were moving, there was a desire to keep the drapes that had been so lovingly sewn for several large windows. Several of these moth repellent sachets were made and put in with the drapes as they went into storage. Several years later when the drapes were unrolled to be repurposed for different windows, they were moth free and without that musty odor of stored goods. These sachets also work well for sweaters that are stored away in the summer months.
1 C lavender
1 C southernwood
¼ C rosemary
¼ C peppermint
¼ C sage
¼ C marjoram
Mix well and place 1/3 C in a 3” X 4” cloth sachet. Make them simple (4”-5” cloth square tied with a ribbon), muslin drawstring bags, or cut and sew fancy ones or maybe find some at a thrift store. Yields: 3 cups, enough for 9 sachets
Soft Scrub
A scrub for stainless steel, ceramic stovetops (with care)
One holiday, a special request had been made by the main cook in the family for a new set of stainless steel pots and pans. A really fine heavy-duty set was on sale at a local retailer and with a coupon could be had for half off. These were special, a favorite brand of the cook. She knew what she wanted, took the coupon, got the gift, wrapped it, and set it under the tree. She thanked her family profusely for the great gift which is used daily for cooking tasty farm meals. The pans are kept their shiny best with this soft scrub. It also works well in the big double sink in the kitchen.
½ C baking soda
1 Tbsp ground dried thyme
Liquid castile soap – just enough to make frosting-like consistency
Mix well and store in a glass container. Rinse away with water or vinegar solution.
Surface Spray
An aromatic disinfecting solution. Many of us like to swipe down the counter on a regular basis, and if children are about, we prefer something natural,
This surface spray is great in the kitchen and bathroom even on toys.
1 C distilled white vinegar
1 C water
8 oz fresh herbs or 4 oz dried
Place herbs in a glass jar, cover with vinegar, and steep for at least 5 days. Strain and compost herbs. Combine all ingredients, store in a 16 oz spray bottle. Shake well before using.
Herb suggestions: rosemary, thyme, lavender, peppermint
Optional: add up to 15 drops of any essential oil(s) of your choice.
From the herb ladies in Brush Prairie, Washington, stay healthy this winter and keep your home safe and clean with these inexpensive and easy-to-make alternatives to store-bought cleaning solutions.
For more info. Gardendelightsfarm.com
