Make your own herbal cleaner

Make your own hardworking, non-toxic cleaner for the home. Donna Hill from Cottage Hill Herbs shows us how.

This cleaner may be used as a basic cleaning aid, for dishwashing liquid, for washing clothes, as a fabric softener, and more. The essential oil used here may be changed if preferred (see list at bottom of article). There are no chemicals contained in this mix and it is very cost-effective.

• 1 cup cider vinegar (not from supermarket)
• ½ cup grated soap (fine)
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon lemongrass pure essential oil (antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic)

Boil water; add soap and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Place in a glass container.

For shampoo:
You may substitute rosemary tea, lavender or chamomile tea (strained) for the 3 cups of water.

For scouring bath, stove, or extra hard-to-clean surfaces:
Add 6 tablespoons caster sugar and 2 teaspoons pumice powder to the mix. This works well for cleaning the stove and other areas needing a good scrub. Be careful with delicate surfaces as it may scratch.

Essential Oils

Lemongrass, lemon myrtle, eucalyptus, ti tree and lavender are all powerfully antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-microbial. Soap powder, pure essential oils and organic cider vinegar are all available in our herb shop.