Basic Household Cleaner

I tried the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide anywhere spray cleaner and just wasn't pleased. It smelled bad and it didn't shine. I expect my house to shine! Well, when I actually get around to cleaning it I expect it to shine. Most of the time I would be happy with a dull gleam. But, the previously mentioned cleaner just wasn't cutting it.

So, asking around, I came across a new idea. Baking soda and dish soap. Now, I realize that dish soap isn't usually all natural. However, I think it's certainly less chemical laden than most of the strong bathroom cleaners out there. At least it's not going to burn my lungs while I clean. So, I feel like it's a safer alternative. Eventually I will try a more natural version of the soap, maybe even a castille soap. At the moment I just have a name brand original dish soap on hand so that's what I used.

I mixed about 2 TBL of baking soda with enough dish soap to make a toothpaste consistency. I then dropped in about 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 10-12 or so drops of lemon essential oil. Both of those oils are known to have antibacterial properties. And, I personally, love the clean smell they leave when combined!

I tried this in the bathroom first since that is the "make it or break it" room for me. I smeared a dime-nickel size blob onto the surface I wanted to clean. I then rubbed it around with a clean wet cloth. Then I rinsed it with another wet rag and dried it with a towel. Guess what?! My bathroom, including the tub and shower became shiny, clean and nice smelling with very little effort (compared to straight baking soda or even some commercial cleaners). My chrome is shiny too. I did the inside of the toilet and the floors with commercial cleaners. (I am still working on a good floor cleaner for the bathroom.)

So, all in all, I would say SUCCESS! It's quick and easy to make, fairly inexpensive, chemically safer, and it works. So there you have it! Give it a try. Let me know what you think.