You do know what time of year it is, don’t you? It’s time to begin Spring cleaning! Spring-like weather is just around the corner! Although, depending on which part of the country or world you live in, you might be laughing at me right now. That’s ok. I don’t mind. But, here in central Texas, we have been flirting with temps in the upper 70’s this past week! I’m torn between pure and utter joy for this warmer weather and the far-away doom of blazing summer heat that damages my garden and my spirit.
But for now, I’ll push away the summer dread and just full-on flip over Spring! Maybe, I’m not normal, but I actually love Spring cleaning. I do. Crazy sauce, I know. Over the years, I have pared down my cleaning arsenal to what works well. Today, because the world should be a cleaner, greener place, I’m sharing with you my favorite cleaning concentrate!
Usually I stick with baking soda, vinegar, a liquid castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s and a few essential oils. Peppermint, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, orange, and grapefruit essential oils can be found in my cabinet at any given time. I use them sparingly. Sometimes I just go the vinegar, baking soda, water route in my cleaning routine, but for the cold and flu season, I add germ-busting essential oils to the mix. For Spring cleaning, they are my secret weapon to a clean, fresh and healthy home.
So, what’s in this cleaning concentrate of which I speak? I’m glad you asked!
Vinegar
isopropyl alcohol
essential oils: tea tree, lavender, grapefruit (or whatever essential oils float your love boat.)
Here’s what you do. Grab a glass jar (plastic and essential oils don’t get along) and add 4 cups of vinegar.
Add 1/2 cup of alcohol and 20-30 drop of your favorite essential oils.
Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine. That’s it! Now your ready to use this crazy concoction!
For use as a fabric softener, add 1/4 or less to the rinse cycle. I add it to my washing machine’s fabric softener dispenser with no ill effects. Go with your heart on this.
As an all-purpose cleaner, put 1/2 cup of the mixture in a spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water. Shake and spray on counter-tops, windows, etc.
I also use this same mixture to mop my wood, ceramic tile and vinyl floors. In a bucket. combine 2 gallons of water and 1/2 cup of the cleaning concentrate. The alcohol helps it to dry quickly, so the wood doesn’t stay wet for an extended period.
Because I like pretty things, I made some labels to share. Just follow this link and print!
Once printed, I cut out the labels and placed them face down on the sticky side of clear contact paper.
I trimmed around the label, leaving a border of sticky to apply to my glass jar and spray bottle. If you don’t have clear contact paper, use strips of clear packing tape in the same way. Or, you can just grab a Sharpie marker and scrawl the contents across the jar. Either way.
If you have any tips or ideas to streamline cleaning tasks or any do-it-yourself cleaners, I’d love to hear about it! By simplifying the cleaning routine, there is more time for play!
the simple hive 
Loving your website! I’m so glad I found it today.
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That is music to my ears! It’s in its infancy, but I am enjoying the simple act of blogging our daily lives. It’s something I have wanted to do for a long time and I’m am grateful that you like it. Thank you!
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I look forward to some homeschool posts. I’m just starting out and am very daunted by how much I do not know, despite weeks now of researching and reading. I’ve found most of the best information is from the experience of Mother’s.
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I have a few homeschool post ideas rattling around in my head. I have 4 children ranging in ages from 4-20 years old. The oldest is in college, so I only have 3 to teach. This is the time of year when we evaluate our choices in curricula and plan for the fall. I will make it a point to get the words out of my head and into a blog post!
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