Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons borax
• 1⁄4 cup white vinegar
• 4 cups hot water
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon oil (works as an antibacterial)
• 2 drops pine oil (helps deodorize and disinfect)
• 2 drops liquid dish soap (free of phosphates and sodium lauryl sulfate)

Instructions

Mix ingredients together, stirring until dry ingredients dissolve. Pour into a 32-ounce spray bottle for easy use and storage. (Do not use on granite or marble countertops.)

TIP: Try Aura Cacia (auracacia.com) for essential oils and BioKleen (biokleenhome.com) for dish soap.

Ingredients

• 1∕3 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon natural powdered dishwasher detergent
• 2-3 drops verbena essential oil (a disinfectant)

Instructions

Add ingredients to a 32-ounce spray bottle. Shake until the detergent has dissolved, and then fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water, leaving enough room to shake and mix before each use.

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 gallon warm water (16 cups)

Instructions

Combine vinegar and water, and mix well. Lightly dampen a mop, apply to the floor, and then thoroughly dry with a clean cloth.

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup baking soda
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 5-10 drops sweet orange, lavender, or lemon essential oil

Instructions

Mix vinegar and water in a bucket or spray bottle. Add essential oil to work as a natural disinfectant (and give a pleasing scent). Use a cloth to wipe down the shower with the vinegar and water solution. Sprinkle the baking soda on spots that need some extra scouring power and use a cloth to apply the scrub. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, and then use a scrub pad dampened with water. Rinse thoroughly.

TIP: Don’t mix vinegar and baking soda beforehand. They create a nice foaming action when mixed together, and you want that to happen on what you are cleaning, not in the water bottle before you clean.