Welcome to the Inflation Busters series for Brown Bag Organics! This week we are talking about the kinds of products that can serve dual purposes. When you buy and accrue a small working supply of products that can be used for more than one purpose, you will not only save money but you will find the house smells cleaner and fresher and you will not be spending as much on items that use toxic chemicals and harm the environment.

 

For example, when you stock up on a small supply of essential oils, they can be used as carpet fresheners as well as for your face & nightly routine in place of more expensive creams and lotions.

 

The Essentials

 

Essential oils are the basic staple in all of your house & cleaning supply stocks. And this brings us to one of the most important items in your cleaning arsenal. A simple spray bottle. Buy two sizes preferable, a smaller one for bathroom & kitchen, a larger one for baseboards or to use for outdoor spraying of plants.

 

As I learned within the past year, it pays to simply stock up on basic supplies such as essential oils, spray bottles, and mild detergent soaps like Castile to replace the more toxic chemicals that often don’t do the job!

We live in an older home, and around the baseboards and in some areas where there had just been a build-up of old papers or unused corners, we knew there had to be major cleaning efforts to get back on track. And in order to get the job done, instead of using a lot of toxic chemicals, I began by simply spraying with a bottle that was filled with my own mix of oils and soap and vinegar with pure water to create a mild but effective cleaning solution for everyday use.

 

My Magic Formula

 

I now use this same mix for the bathroom and kitchen areas, all the baseboard cleaning and any ‘spring cleaning’ jobs where cobwebs may have been found. Before even beginning to clean an area that is dirty and has been in need of attention for a while, I use the spray bottle mix to begin to clean the area before even tackling the dirt and grime that may have built up over time. It is so much easier to do in two to three simple steps to allow the worst to be soaked through with a cleaner that is not offensive to smell!

 

Back to Basics

 

For the list of different formulas to create, you can check out this site that uses a funnel with separate cleaning solutions. However, the one that I have used is much simpler. I prefer the simple solution* of:

 

·        ½ Cup White Vinegar

·        2 Tbsp Baking Soda (Optional)

·        ½ cup Liquid Castile Soap

·        1 Cup Pure Water

·        Add Oils: Tea Tree Oil; Peppermint/ Eucalyptus / Lemon or Lime

·        Mix the oils with no less than 2-4 drops each...

 

**If it is a surface that is wood or antique; try on a small area; otherwise safe for baseboards, counters, and other surfaces.

 

Use this cleaning solution in a spray bottle for a much easier and healthier (as well as less expensive over time!) way to clean the whole house and leave it smelling fresh.