I’ll be honest - house cleaning and organization are not included in the list of “my favorite things”.   I get overwhelmed when faced with these huge tasks and end up getting sidetracked, possibly on purpose. I know, I create a lot of designs that focus on organization, self care and cleaning - but it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily easy or fun for me. (Maybe all of these creations are an attempt to make it more fun?)

So when I was thinking about which recipes I’d share in this natural home issue, I wondered, “How can I make cleaning recipes fun?”  Well, the answer came to me quite quickly - “Turn it in to a DIY party!”

The tagline of my business is Connect . Create . Celebrate, and so each recipe, tutorial and printable that I create comes with the opportunity to connect with others around the topic of creativity.  So with that being said, let’s make cleaning a creative outlet that we can enjoy with friends!  

Gathering with friends to make natural cleaning products, or even some self care items for when you’re done cleaning, can give us the opportunity to “work” in a fun, healthy and inspiring environment.

As always, the ideas, recipes and printables that I provide in my business are really just for inspiration.  Feel free to use these, or your own - but my hope is that you’re inspired to find opportunities for creativity and connection with others, whether it be in a group setting, a virtual setting - or even as a way to make and share gifts with others.

Invite your guests using a spring-inspired invitation - if you’re hosting a virtual DIY, you can post it online or in a text message. In my personal experience, my guests do not expect me to provide all of the supplies - so they always bring snacks and ingredients to help out. 

ALL PURPOSE CLEANING SPRAY:

An all-purpose spray is a cleaning product you can use all throughout your house or place of work.  And when you make it from scratch, you can eliminate chemicals from your cleaning routine. Since white vinegar is a natural disinfectant, it this recipe a great base for cleaning products. 

INGREDIENTS: 

16 oz Glass Bottle w/ Spray attachment 

1 cup of distilled white vinegar 

1 cup distilled water 

20-25 Drops of lemon Essential Oil 

Labels that indicate what is in your bottle and when it was created

DIRECTIONS: 

Use a funnel to pour 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar into your glass bottle. Remove funnel and add essential oils. Place top on bottle and shake. Use spray to clean surfaces with a soft towel or paper towels making sure to shake before each use.

*** please seek professional advice before using on stone countertops. 

To see an additional post about these cleaning labels and how I use this spray on my Peloton bike, click here.

FRIDGE FRESHENER:

2020 changed the condition of our refrigerators around the globe.  Working from home and virtual school means constant eating from home!  This easily made concoction helps to eliminate odors from your refrigerator! Just combine baking soda and lemon essential oils in a bowl and keep it somewhere in the fridge that it out of the way. 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 cup of baking soda 

12 drops of lemon essential oil

DIRECTIONS: Combine baking soda and essential oils in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Store in the refrigerator to absorb unpleasant odors. 

Natural Linen Spray

Natural linen spray is an easy homemade spray that freshens up linens and rooms with a fresh scent of your choice. 

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz Glass Bottle 

1 oz. Witch Hazel or Vodka 

Lemon and Lavender Essential Oils, 10-12 drops of each

Filtered Water 

DIRECTIONS: Pour 1 oz. of witch hazel into bottle and add essential oils. Top with distilled water to fill bottle. Shake before each use. 

Post-Cleaning/gardening pampering Recipes:

Lemon-Lavender Salt Scrub:

Pamper yourself after a long day of cleaning or working outside with this exfoliating salt scrub. It only has a few ingredients and leaves your skin super moisturized.

INGREDIENTS:

Air tight glass jars for storage

3 cups Salt - Epsom, Himilayian, or Kosher are some options

1/3 cups Sweet Almond Oil

12 drops lavender Essential Oil

12 drops lemon essential oil

DIRECTIONS: Combine salts and sweet almond oil in large bowl until the salt has a wet consistency. Mix in essential oils and spoon into air tight jars. The salts will be less abrasive after sitting for a day.

*** this was a bulk recipe since we had a larger group and filled 8 4oz Ball jars. 
Lemon-Lavender Roller Bottle:

This roller bottle recipe has scents that match the salt scrub and is a bright and cheery blend. 

INGREDIENTS:

10 ml glass roller bottle

Carrier oil of your choice - fractionated coconut oil, grape seed oil or jojoba oil, for example

5 drops lavender essential oil

5 drops lemon essential oil

Combine the essential oils in your glass roller bottle and top with carrier oil. Shake before each use.

***Information in this blog post contains recipes and essential oils and is meant for educational and informational purposes only, and to inspire you to make your own health care and dietary decisions based upon your own research and in partnership with your health care provider. It should not be relied upon to determine dietary changes, a medical diagnosis or courses of treatment. ***

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