A green spring cleaning special: 4 cleaning products you can make yourself

For a sparkling clean house, naturally!

When spring arrives, everyone looks forward to airing out the house and to giving it a good scrubbing from top to bottom, all to finally say goodbye to winter for good before welcoming the warmer weather. 

This year, why not make your own cleaning products? There are lots of benefits: they’re cheaper and they have no chemicals in them, they’re easy to make and chances are you have most of the ingredients you’ll need sitting around the house.

Here are 4 recipes for household cleaning products that are sure to come in handy!

1. All-purpose cleaner
Never underestimate the power of plain old vinegar as a cleaner and disinfectant.  It’s actually very effective for cleaning all kinds of surfaces!

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tsp. dishwashing liquid
• 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

Pour all ingredients in a spray bottle (you can get them at the dollar store).

2. Glass and stainless steel cleaner
Say goodbye to fingerprints on your stainless steel fridge! And say hello to impeccably clean windows and mirrors!

• 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
• 1/3 cup white vinegar

Pour into a spray bottle and fill with water. 

3. Fabric softener sheets for the dryer
Here’s a natural solution for replacing those fabric softener sheets… while also giving you the opportunity to personalize the scent of your detergent!

• Reuse bits of cloth (old dish towels, T-shirts, napkins or sheets).  Cut them into squares about the same size as a commercial fabric softener sheet.
• In a jar with a leak-proof cover, pour 1/2 cup white vinegar and 10 drops of your favourite essential oil (lavender, sage, tea tree oil, etc.)
• Place your squares of fabric into the jar so they absorb all the solution. 

And that’s it! Use one or two squares according to the size of the load! 

4. Lavender linen water
Sometimes you want to refresh a bedroom, living room or basement quickly and easily.  The best trick is to take lavender linen water and spray it on sheets, curtains, fabric-covered sofas and pillows. The calming and disinfectant qualities of essential oil of lavender can freshen up a room in no time at all! 

• 40 to 50 drops oil of lavender
• 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol (or vodka)
• 3 1/2 cups distilled water
• A glass container for storing your mix
• A spray bottle

Pour the alcohol and essential oils into a glass container, add the water and mix. Pour into spray bottle. 

We hear you! Spring cleaning may be long and tedious… but you’ll feel so good afterwards! Once all your jobs are done, spoil yourself a little with one of our excellent lunch recipes.  Click here to see them all!