With A Little Herbal Green Cleaning
Herbs for Cleaning
Here are some of our favorite herbs we use for cleaning around the house along with their properties for use around the home:
- Lavender - antibacterial, repels insects, aromatherapy
- Rosemary -antiseptic, antioxidant (preservative)
- Sage - antibacterial, antioxidant, antiseptic
- Thyme - strongest herb antibacterial, strong disinfectant, antifungal
- Lemon Balm - antiviral, aromatherapy
- Peppermint - antibacterial, antiviral, repels insects and mice
You may even be able to get a bit of rosemary, sage and thyme fresh from your garden but dried herbs will work just fine.
Carpet Freshener (Garden Delights Recipe)
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup finely ground dried herbs of your choice
Scouring Powder (adapted from the Nerdy Farm Wife) – porcelain tubs, tiles and sinks, glass dishware (not recommended stainless steel or ceramic)
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 T sea salt
- 1 T ground herbs
Note - for stainless steel or ceramic, we take out the sea salt and add enough liquid Castile soap to make a paste. Then wipe it down with a damp cloth.
For both these recipes, its best to grind your herbs finely - coffee grinders work well, but you can also use a mortar and pestle, or a bag with a rolling pin.
- clean all bed comforters & pack away clean winter bedding with herbal sachets in the closet (lavender, rosemary, thyme)
- open up the windows and clean them with herbally infused vinegar mixture
- scrub down kitchen counters & stove top with the scouring powder above (we both have old style stove tops)
- spritz the house with hydrosol smudges - since we don't have any dried herb bundles left for smudge sticks :)
The rain will be gone soon enough and we’ll all be outdoors cleaning our gardens. So for now take a little time to refresh and clean indoors.