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Spring Cleaning…Naturally

Farm Life, Recipes

A clean home is a happy home.

Spring CleaningAt least for me, it is. I’ve always had a thing about a clean house…You know the saying about a cluttered house, a cluttered mind!? That’s me. If my house is a mess and dirty, I’m a mess. Now, don’t get me wrong, when you come into our home, there is plenty of dirt and mess. I would never claim to have the cleanest house on the block. Remember, I live on a farm! A clean farmhouse is an anomaly, it’s virtually impossible to escape messes.

Farm Boots

Since moving to the farm, one of the greatest challenges for me has been trying to keep the house clean. I pretty much have a bottle of all purpose cleaner out daily, so I have become more conscientious of the types of cleaners I use. I have tried to move away from store bought cleaners and have started using more natural alternatives. To my surprise, many of the natural alternatives work better than what you find in stores. Not only do they clean better, but they are so much better for you and your family’s health.Starter Garden

Living on the farm has given me a greater appreciation for natural living. I have enjoyed going to the farmer’s markets more regularly, growing some of our own food in the garden, and using our natural resources around the farm for everyday purposes. Natural cleaners is another element I’ve incorporated into our farm life. Thanks to my friend, Kristy, who I met on Instagram (@creepingfigcottage), I have started to make my own cleanser for the farmhouse. (Side note: Remember this name, because this is not the last time you will be hearing about Kristy. I have some exciting news coming soon!)

Kristy’s outstanding recipe for all natural cleanser uses lemon. I adore lemon, but lately, I have been obsessed with lavender, so I decided to make my cleanser with lavender. Let me tell you, it’s incredible! The first day I used my new lavender cleanser, the kids and Mr. A came home and exclaimed, “The house smells amazing!” Score one for mom!Spring Cleaning2The recipe for this cleanser is so simple y’all! All you need is a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, some lavender sprigs, lavender essential oil, white vinegar, water and a spray bottle. That’s it! Fill your glass jar with a generous amount of lavender sprigs, about half full. Pour the vinegar over the lavender, and add 2-3 drops of lavender oil. Secure the lid of the jar on top, and store the jar out of direct sunlight for about two weeks. After the two weeks are up, strain the lavender and any other solids out of the vinegar. Fill your spray bottle up half way with your vinegar solution and add water to the other half. You are now ready to get your spring cleaning on!
Spring CleaningThe beauty of this recipe is that you can alter it however you desire. As I mentioned earlier, Kristy used lemon. You can use any citrus, including orange and grapefruit. To do so, fill your jar half way with the peels of the citrus you prefer and cover it with vinegar. Allow it to sit for the two weeks and continue on with the process the same way I described above. You can always add essential oils to your bottle to increase the effects of aromatherapy. You can also use other herbs such as rosemary or basil. Get creative and find a scent that inspires you to clean. I use this cleanser on all my counter tops, my mirrors, the doors, and anything else covered in dirt and grime in the farmhouse. Yeah, so pretty much everything! I hope you try making your own cleanser and enjoy it as much as I do. If you do, let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you! Happy cleaning, friends!

 

  1. Sarah says:

    Love this recipe!!!! I’m also trying to switch to more natural cleaners so I’ll be using this. THANK YOU!!!!!!

    • Meeghan says:

      Thank you, Sarah! The more I’m learning about the ingredients in store bought cleaners and the affects they have on our health, the better natural alternatives are looking to me. Add in the aromatherapy benefits of an all natural cleanser, and I’m in! 😉 I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. Thank you for leaving your thoughts and message of appreciation. I love hearing from you!

  2. Kristy says:

    Love your Lavender version! It’s one of my favorite scents!

    • Meeghan says:

      Thank you Kristy! I can’t seem to get enough of lavender, lately! Thank you for your inspiration. I’m so happy you enjoyed this post and my version.

  3. This sounds amazing. I am thinking I will do both lavender and some lemon to experiment with that. I can’t wait to try it.

    • Meeghan says:

      Thank you so much, Lindy! I’m excited for you to try it. I hope you love it as much as I do. I do think the citrus blends work better on grease, but these days I cannot get enough lavender in my life so I love it on countertops. Thank you for stopping by and saying, “Hello!” I look forward to sharing more with you!

  4. Tracy says:

    I am going to have to try your version! I used to make a lemon one but have been lazy and buying the natural store bought ones instead.

    • Meeghan says:

      Hi Tracy! There are some very good natural store bought cleansers too. I just recently bought a honeysuckle one I adore. I do love experimenting with my own cleansers though, especially at different times of the year. I find I gravitate towards different scents during different seasons. I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you for visiting and leaving me thoughts. I look forward to sharing more with you!

  5. We decided a few years ago to rid our home of as many bad chemicals as we could. Making our own cleaners was at the top of the list. We also decided to make our own laundry detergent and furniture cleaner as well as making wool dryer balls to use in place of fabric softener. The dryer balls have a wonderful added benefit because they can reduce your drying time by up to 40%

    • Meeghan says:

      Hi Alicia! Thank you so much for visiting my blog and giving me your thoughts. That is wonderful that you have made so many natural changes in your home. I’m trying to do the same. I love your feedback about the wool dryer balls. I never thought about the energy efficiency too, I will definitely have to try them. I appreciate your comment and look forward to sharing more with you!

  6. Monica says:

    Oh I love this Meeghan! I am thinking of combining perhaps, lavender and lemon. I have a quick question? Does the vinegar smell linger after 2 weeks and the water is placed in the bottle?

    • Meeghan says:

      Thank you so much Monica! I apologize for my delayed response, we were on spring break. I love your idea of combining lemon and lavender! I have not found that the vinegar smell lingers. However, different batches have yielded different results. Some batches have a slight vinegar smell, but overall, I would say that it dissipates over the two weeks. I hope you try it and enjoy the recipe. I would love to hear your thoughts after using it. Thank you for stopping by and for leaving your comment. I look forward to sharing more with you!

  7. Daniel says:

    I was going to ask if you can combine certain natural ingredients but I see you have mentioned it. I’ve started looking into natural cleaning alternatives and have been quite surprised by how powerful they can be, the ideal of combing one or more to provide say powerful cleaning with a streak-free finish is quite appealing.

    • Meeghan says:

      Hi Daniel! Thank you for visiting. I’m glad you found this post useful. I hope you try the recipe and appreciate the results. Natural cleaning alternatives have so many health benefits. I do believe that the citrus cleansers work better on grease, however, the cleaning and aromatherapy affects of the lavender blend is great for countertops. I look forward to sharing more with you!

  8. Sammy Dolan says:

    Thanks for the recipe! I use white vinegar and lemon regularly for cleaning and I shall try the other ingredients too, I can just imagine the smell now!

    • Meeghan says:

      Hi Sammy! You’re welcome for the recipe. I hope you try it and enjoy it. The smell is out of this world! Thank you for taking the time to leave your comment. I look forward to sharing more with you!

  9. This is wonderful Meeghan! Thanks!

  10. rf cleaners says:

    very nice post, i certainly love this website, keep on it.

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