The Natural Cleaning Handbook

by natalie Wise

  Heavy-Duty Drain Cleaner:

  • 1 cup baking soda

  • 1 cup vinegar

  • 30 drops tea tree oil

  • 2 cups boiling water

  Pour the baking soda down the drain, followed by the vinegar and tea tree oil. Cover the drain and let this mixture foam for 30 minutes. Use a bottle brush (one kept specifically for this purpose) to scrub the sides of the drain. Then pour 2 cups of boiling water down the drain. Follow with 15 more drops tea tree oil.

  Drain Refresher:

  • 1 cup vinegar

  • 1 cup boiling water

  • 15 drops lemon essential oil

  Pour the vinegar down the drain and chase it immediately with the boiling water. Follow with 15 drops lemon essential oil.

  FRESH FUN FOAMING HAND SOAP

  Foaming soap is one of my favorite things. You get all of the cleaning power while using ⅓ of the soap. Kids love it, too. You don’t need to purchase a plastic foaming container of soap to refill; you can find glass reusable ones at most major stores now. This works for a 16-ounce container of soap; adjust the recipe up or down for different soap containers. I love the fresh, fun scent of sweet orange and mandarin essential oils. This recipe is safe for your whole family, so don’t hesitate to get the kids soaping up! Feel free to add some natural food coloring if you’d like to pump up the fun factor for kids.

  • ⅔ cup castile soap

  • 25 drops sweet orange essential oil

  • 20 drops mandarin essential oil

  • Warm distilled or boiled and still slightly warm water to fill your container

  In a small bowl, mix the castile soap and essential oils well. This helps them stay distributed in the soap mixture. But don’t add them to your soap container yet. Fill the soap container ½ full with water. Then add the castile soap mix. There should be about 1 inch of space left for the bulky foaming pump to be inserted. If not, simply add more warm water. If you’ve made too much, no worries, just dump a little out or into another container. Then add the foaming pump. Do not shake this. Give this a few upside-down movements, though, to evenly distribute the soap. Let sit for 10 minutes before use.

  The living room generally needs tidying more than deep cleaning, except of course for a solid spring cleaning. More often than not, the living room simply collects things that don’t live there, such as dishes, shoes, and backpacks. Keeping this room picked up will help it look clean visually, and then a quick dust, vacuum, and couch fluff complete the basics. Here are plenty of ways to keep the living room in tip-top shape for family fun and relaxation, hallmarks of an organic home.

  The Process: Purge, Clean, Organize

  The size of your family, how frequently you use the living room, and what you use it for will determine just how much purging you may need to do. If the bookshelves are overflowing with books and ephemera, they could probably use some weeding to make breathing room for the books you do want to keep as part of your atmosphere. Drawers in entertainment centers, side tables, and coffee tables are prone to becoming junk drawers, so be sure to fully empty these out. Go through the stack of magazines and catalogues and recycle any that are outdated or that you aren’t likely to get through. Some thrift stores, usually smaller ones, and school art departments accept donations of recent magazines, so you might consider donating them as well. Purge anything the kids have left behind by making a box for each of them and putting anything that belongs in their rooms in that box. Then it’s theirs to decide if it stays or goes, but it doesn’t stay in the living room.

  The living room is a prime place to pack in extra storage, so use every bit of it to your organizational advantage. Look for stools and benches that open up to allow for storage. Don’t waste space with open-air side and coffee tables . . . look for ones with drawers and cubbies to slide baskets or books in. Get some slim bamboo organizers made for kitchen drawers to corral things such as extra batteries, remotes, pens and pencils, etc. in short drawers. Instead of a low entertainment center that only allows you to store a few DVDs, go for a higher one that has several rows of drawers and fills out the room with its height, too. Add photo boxes, hat boxes, and metal tins to add interest on bookshelves. Kid-oriented items, such as games, toys, and electronics that do remain in the living room should have homes. Canvas bins or baskets, or wooden crates are great for this and can easily be tucked under tables and on bookshelves to keep the mess hidden when items are not in use.

  RESTORING WOOD SCRATCHES AND LUSTER

  Wood is abundant in the living room, from legs of couches and chairs to fireplace mantles, side tables, coffee tables, entertainment centers, bookshelves and built-ins. And when there is living happening, as there is in any organic home, and family and children and pets and friends (and cold drinks that never seem to find coasters), there’s bound to be scratches, nicks, and rings on the wood. No need to buy an overly-lemon scented can of toxic fumes to keep your wood looking lovely. Keep in mind this is for hardwood furniture or laminates. Anything less sturdy will begin to peel and crack at the slightest hint of moisture, so be sure to use these solutions carefully, dry them thoroughly, and wipe up any spills immediately.

  Cleaning Solution:

  Sometimes wood just gets coated with . . . well, who knows what. In the living room, it could be anything from spaghetti sauce to candle wax and glitter glue. It’s best to clean wood regularly so nothing has time to really eat away at the finish. This cleaning solution is quick to put together and does a great job cleaning.

  • ½ cup distilled or boiled and cooled water

  • ¼ cup white vinegar

  • 5 drops pine essential oil

  Mix well and shake before use. Spray on and wipe with the grain of the wood in circular motions using a soft cloth.

  Polishing Oil:

  This will get all of your hardwood furniture gleaming again, and it will still leave a clean lemon scent.

  • ¼ cup walnut oil

  • 2–4 drops lemon essential oil

  A tiny bit of this mixture on a soft rag restores luster to most wood surfaces and fills in any light scratches. Be careful because a little bit goes a long way. For heavier scratches, use a permanent marker in a color similar to the wood. Once it is completely dry, rub a tiny bit of walnut oil over it to create a seamless look.

  Extra Tip: For small scratches and water rings, reach for the nut bowl. Rub a raw walnut into the blemish. The nut will release a tiny amount of natural walnut oil, which restores the finish quickly.

  DENT UN-DENTING IN HARDWOOD FLOORS

  I have soft knotty pine floors throughout my entire old house. They’re lovely and give a great feel to the place, but they are, as I mentioned, soft wood. That means any can that falls out of the kitchen cupboard or corner of a book that drops, not to mention furniture legs or high heels, leaves a good little dent in the floor. But there are a few simple ways to restore dents in hardwood floors (keep in mind this only works on true hardwood floors, not laminates).

  Small dents:

  Use a sewing needle to prick the interior of the dent all over with small holes. This opens a few pores to the wood below the sealant. Then saturate a cotton ball with water and place it over the dent. Place a heavy book or other heavy object over the cotton ball and let it dry completely. The water soaks into the wood through the tiny holes, re-saturating the wood so it swells again and fills in the dent.

  Large dents:

  Larger dents require a bit more work but are still manageable to do yourself. First, make sure you know what kind of paint or varnish is on your floor and have some extra handy, along with a small paintbrush. It’s no good to go sanding your floors only to realize you have no idea what sort of finish is on it or how to repair the finish. Then, use a fine-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the area of the dent with the grain of the wood, being as minimalist as you can with how big of an area around the dent you sand. Soak a medium-weight cloth in water and place this over the dent, again, trying to keep as much of the
cloth over the dent as possible to avoid damaging the rest of the floor. Use an iron on warm setting to iron the cloth, creating steam that is going down into the wood and filling it out as above, but on a larger scale. Iron until the cloth over the dent is dry. Let the area dry thoroughly. You should see the wood fill out and the dent disappear. You may need to try this twice to get the dent to fully disappear. Sand lightly again. Then, use a small paintbrush to restore the finish of the wood using the varnish or paint that matches your floor.

  WIPE DOWN THE WALLS: CLEANING WALLS (YES, THEY NEED TO BE CLEANED!)

  You probably don’t think of your walls as dirty until you run a hand across one and find it filled with dust and dirt. Oops! Walls are surfaces and need occasional cleaning just like any other surface, especially if you have a fireplace that you run regularly that can potentially deposit soot on the walls. But the good news is, you don’t need anything special to clean walls, except perhaps a long-handled brush and a step stool.

  • 8 ounces hot water

  • 2 tablespoons castile soap

  • 20 drops peppermint essential oil

  Mix ingredients in an 8-ounce spray bottle by stirring, not shaking, to prevent foaming.

  To Use: Spray on the walls and wipe with a soft cloth. Get a step stool if necessary and start at the top, working your way down, section by section. Be prepared to vacuum after this, too, as it’s likely to kick up some dust that your rag doesn’t catch.

  DUST COLLECTING . . . WITH A DUSTER

  Ahhh, dust. No matter what you do, it accumulates, on furniture and knickknacks, on lamps and picture frames, and just about any surface in any room. Don’t forget to dust the tops of cabinets, the backs and feet of hard upholstered furniture, and the edges of wall art. Most of us don’t like to dust, mainly because it can be a bit time-consuming and tedious to move items to thoroughly clean. I actually like dusting, because it gives me a chance to change out my seasonal decorations, tidy up bookshelves, swap out photographs, and simply keep my décor fresh and up to date. This is a pleasure for me, and I hope it might become one for you, too. Dust from top to bottom in a room, and dust before you vacuum.

  Tools for dusting:

  You don’t actually need any cleaners to dust. Dusting is a game of using the proper tools for the job, and keeping those tools clean. You might want to clean after you dust; for instance, using some glass spray on picture frames or wood polish on the piano, but it is not required.

  Genuine Ostrich Feather Duster: You’ll feel like you’re in Downton Abbey when you use a real feather duster. They don’t shed microfibers into our water, not to mention they work fabulously and are entirely fun to use! I’m a big fan. Maybe you’ve heard people say feather dusters simply move dust around but this is not the case if you have genuine ostrich feathers and keep your feathers clean. They are dust magnets! Now, real ostrich feather dusters are a bit of an investment up front, but if you care for it well, it will last you decades. They come in all sizes, but will always have a classic feathered shape. No more throwing away a disposable dusting cloth after each dusting session. The key to dusting with a genuine ostrich feather dust is to shake it as you dust. Do a little shake motion with your wrist to keep the feather duster in action.

  To clean your feather duster, shake off as much dust outdoors as possible after each use. I like to tap the handle against a hard surface to expel more dust. Then, every few uses, or when it seems the feathers are “saturated” and not holding dust as well, give it a gentle bath. Use a few drops of castile soap in warm water and swish the feathers around gently. Do not squeeze or crush them. Also keep the handle away from the water so the glue keeping the feathers in place does not disintegrate. Then rinse well in warm water. Let dry thoroughly upside down. Once dry, simply store your pretty feather duster upside down after pulling it through a cardboard tube upside down (starting with the handle, to bring the tube over and encase the feathers) in the laundry room, pantry, or mud room. Don’t let it sit flat, as that will crush the delicate feathers.

  Lamb’s Wool Thin Dusters: These dusters are another natural resource that is renewable and works just as well, if not better, than synthetics that have to be thrown in a landfill when they’ve reached the end of their useful life. To clean your lamb’s wool duster, follow the same instructions as above to rinse your duster in warm water and a tiny amount of castile soap. Gently wring it to release excess moisture. Then, take 1 teaspoon of glycerin and massage this into the fibers to restore the natural lanolin that makes lamb’s wool such an effective duster. Use a pet brush to brush and fluff the fibers. Lamb’s wool dusters come in many shapes since the wool is more malleable, and you can find flat head, wedge, and extension dusters with lamb’s wool heads.

  DON’T BE BLIND TO THE GRIME: CLEANING BLINDS

  Blinds are dust magnets and they also tend to get a bit sticky and grimy. This solution works on blinds that are vinyl, metal, or finished wood. Dust the blinds first with either a feather duster, flat-head lamb’s wool duster, or a specially-made tool for dusting blinds that slides around the top and bottom of each slat. If they’re particularly dusty, you can also vacuum the blind using a brush or nozzle attachment. Then you can use this solution to shine them up and get any lingering grime. This solution also works on doors and cabinets, such as closet doors, that are louvered. You’ll probably feel a bit silly using this method, but trust me, it’s the most effective way to clean blinds quickly.

  Mix warm water and white vinegar in a 50/50 solution in a bowl. Position the blinds in a neutral position so each slat is perfectly straight and perpendicular to the floor. Place a thick sock on your hand and dip into the mixture, saturating the sock, but then wring it out a bit so it isn’t sopping wet. Grasp one slat with your socked-hand and slide it along, rubbing if you feel any built-up grime. Dip, wring, and repeat with the next slat. Keep going until you’ve cleaned each blind. If it looks like there is still dirt, fill a new bucket with warm water and repeat the process with just warm water. Let thoroughly air dry before changing the position of the blinds. For louvered doors, if the louvers move, you can use this process exactly. If the louvers don’t move, you’ll need to do this process on both sides of the door or shutter.

  If your plastic blinds are too grimy for a gentle clean like this, give them a bathtub soak. Fill the bathtub with warm water and add 2–4 tablespoons of castile soap. Add the blinds, swish them around well, and use a gentle brush or rag to get the grime loosened. Let them soak for 30–45 minutes. Rinse well and let dry thoroughly on towels before hanging up again.

  For wooden blinds, use the wood polish recipe above to get them gleaming in the sunlight.

  KEEPING UP WITH UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

  Upholstered furniture is comfortable and cozy, but it is a bit harder to clean than hardwood furniture. Have no fear; a few simple tips can keep your upholstered furniture in tip-top shape.

  Weekly Clean:

  Clean your upholstered furniture weekly to prevent dust bunnies and crumbs from getting ground into corners and creases. Remove any removable pieces, such as arm rest covers, pillows, and cushions. Check for and remove any items (coins, pens, paper clips, toys, hair accessories) that have fallen into the crevices. Pull up the upholstery if you can around the seams and in corners. Vacuum into all of the creases and seams. Take a damp rag and wipe the creases and seams to collect any additional crumbs and dust. Leave the cushions off until fully dry.

  Spot Clean for Spills: If the area where you’ve spilled is able to be removed (ie. a couch cushion cover), remove it so you can work more easily on the stain and not get the cushion itself wet. If not, no worries. Often, a little dish soap and sparkling water gently blotted into the spot immediately will take it right up. If you have a particularly troublesome spill, try these ideas:

  Ink: Soak the spot with rubbing alcohol. Blot gently. Let dry on its own.

  Oil (including food oils such as butter, cheese, dressing): Immediately put baking soda on the stain. Let that sit f
or a minute or two. Then saturate the stain with water. Add a dab of shampoo. Gently blot the shampoo into the stain. Keep blotting with clean water to get the shampoo and the oil out.

  Coffee/Tea: Saturate and wring out a towel with warm water and press it deeply onto the spot to soak up the liquid. Then saturate another towel with white vinegar and press that into the spot.

  Blood: Use sparkling water to gently blot the spot, focusing on the edges of the stain.

  Permanent Marker/Marker/Highlighter: Soak the spot with rubbing alcohol, gently blotting.

  Red Wine: If possible, pour white wine on the spot immediately. If you don’t have white wine, use seltzer water. Sprinkle the stain with baking soda and blot with white vinegar. Vacuum up the baking soda if necessary.

  LATHER UP YOUR LEATHER COUCH: CLEANING LEATHER FURNITURE

  Your expensive leather furniture should last you for years; decades, even, if properly cared for. But leather is finicky, and doesn’t like a lot of cleaners that will soak into the leather and damage it slowly. So stay away from acids like vinegar and food products like coconut oil that will eventually turn rancid (and likely change the color of your leather).

  Clean: Regular cleanings of your leather furniture is the best way to keep on top of its care and prevent deeper issues like peeling, cracking, and pitting. First, thoroughly vacuum the couch, paying special attention to seams, cracks, and pockets. Then, mix 2 cups of warm water with 2 tablespoons of castile soap. Use a soft rag that is barely moistened with the mixture (do not use too much water on leather) and rub the leather with the grain. Use a dry rag to ensure the sofa and its cushions are completely dry before putting them back together again.