Natural Cleaning Recipes

General All Round Household Cleaner

Mix a solution of 1 part distilled vinegar and 1 part water. Keep it in a trigger or pump spray bottle, and label accordingly.

Drain Cleanser

Pour 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda followed by 200ml of distilled vinegar into the offending drain.

Kettle De-scaler

Add 100ml of distilled vinegar to a half full kettle of water and bring to the boil. Leave to stand till cool, then boil again. Thoroughly rinse the kettle out with clean water before using. Leave this mixture in the kettle overnight if there is a heavy deposit of scale.

Furniture Polish

Mix 200ml of olive oil with 75ml of lemon juice to make an excellent polish for hardwood furniture. Rub it into the surface with a clean cloth and then buff with a dry cloth to raise a shine.

Vegetable Rinse Aid

Fill a bowl with water and add 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. This will remove any waxy residues from your fruit or vegetables.

Carpet Freshener

Put some bicarbonate of soda into a sifter and sprinkle it lightly onto rugs and carpets. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, then vacuum off.

Drinking Flask Deodoriser

Add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda to a flask filled with boiling water. Leave to soak and then rinse the flask thoroughly with clean water and it's ready to use.

Aluminium Cleaner

Make a solution of 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar and 100ml of boiling water. This mildly abrasive mix will help remove stains.

Brass Cleaner

Make a lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda solution about the consistency of toothpaste. Rub onto your brass items with a soft cloth, then rinse well and dry carefully.

Copper Pan Cleaner

Sprinkle salt onto a stained surface and then rub it in using a freshly cut half of lemon. Rinse the cleaned pan well and dry carefully.

Silver Tarnish Remover

A no-scrub way to clean your precious items. Line a large Pyrex bowl with a sheet of aluminium foil, and half fill the bowl with boiling water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda. Place your silver articles into the bowl. You may be surprised to see them change colour to a bright silver almost immediately! Leave in the hot solution until you're happy that the item is completely clean. Then remove it and rinse thoroughly. Dry the item carefully and buff to a sheen with a soft cloth. This method is recommended for cleaning hard-to-get-at parts on intricate objects or jewellery and will not scour or damage the surface.

Fragrant Kitchen Surface Wipe

After cleaning, surfaces can also be wiped down with a solution of 4 drops of your chosen essential oil sprinkled into 1 pint of water. This freshens and adds fragrance. Consider using Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Thyme, Lavender or Rosemary as they all have additional useful properties and smell fantastic.