Make your own Empowered Cleansers with my Guide to Herbal Household Helpers

Hello friends I know that I have shared this study guide before, but yesterday at work someone asked me for my recipe and what other herbs they could use to make their very own cleaning vinegar, so I thought it would be a good topic to cover again. A little background on the development of this cheat sheet.

Three things drove my need to make an all natural cleaning product. Number one our safety. My mentor and dear friend was diagnosed with lung cancer and died within one year of this diagnosis. Her doctors believed that the main cause of this disease in her body was her exposure to chemicals daily in her job. This was a wake up call for me especially considering I am a former smoker. Number two the price of all green natural cleaning products on the market. The overwhelming cost of green cleaning products would mean I need to spend more to supply my business and charge more for my service. This can work when there is a need for green cleaning, but most people don't actually care about natural or otherwise. In fact I have encountered many folks that prefer Clorox and windex to anything else. As I say this is about our safety, and we needed an affordable solution for marketability. Number three my desire to incorporate herbalism into my business and working life. I'm extremely passionate about herbs and their uses both inside the body and in the environment. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some studying. In 2017 I put this study guide together so I could quickly make new Cleansers and make sure they were balanced or targeted a specific need. Look at the pretty colors.

Household Herbs: For Cleaning Body and Environment

The Cleaning Herbs Basil, Bay, Cardamom, Clove, Coriander, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemongrass, Oregano, Peppermint, Rose geranium, Rosemary, Sage, Spearmint, and Thyme are all powerhouse cleaners. They ALL posses properties preventing the spread of bacteria, fungus, and viruses. These properties are called antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, and antiviral.

Let's see some other helpful properties for keeping your home and body clean and healthy.

Bactericide(kills bacteria): Camphor, German chamomile, clove, Dill, lemongrass, lime, Melissa, orange, Patchouli, Pine, Rose, Rosewood, spikenard, thyme, valerian

Fungicide(kills fungus): coriander, lemongrass, Neroli, orange, rosemary, spikenard, tea tree

Germicide(kills germs): black walnut, cinnamon, cloves, eucalyptus, garlic, Goldenseal, mustard, myrrh, Sandalwood, tea tree, thyme, wild oregano

Disinfectants: Birch, Caraway, cinnamon, Dill, Mandarin, Pine, rosemary, sage, Tangerine, tea tree, Ylang Ylang

Insecticide: camphor, cinnamon, citronella, clove, Cypress, geranium, lavender, lemon, lemon Eucalyptus, lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, peppermint, Pine, Rosewood, Sage, Tea Tree, thyme

Insect Repellent: Birch, camphor, Cedarwood, citronella, clove, Cypress, geranium, Juniper, lavender, lemon, Lemon Eucalyptus, lemongrass, lemon verbena, niaouli, Patchouli, peppermint, Pine, rose geranium, Sage, Tea Tree

Antimicrobials: thyme, Sage, Rosemary, lavender, peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, clove

Antivirals: echinacea, calendula, olive leaf, oregano, grape root

*Anti vs. icide: an antifungal prevents fungal growth whereas a fungicide kills fungi on contact.

Other Cleaning Helpers

White vinegar has antifungal and Antimicrobial properties. Also vinegar can help eliminate mineral deposits. Use as a solvent to extract chemicals from plants.

Lemon juice kills germs and dissolves Grease.

Castile soap made from olive oil washes dirt and grease from household surfaces.

Baking soda is a natural Degreaser, scrubber for scratch-less cleaning of many surfaces, and a deodorizer as well.

Borax an all natural pesticide, disinfectant, desiccant, and deodorizer all in one.

Witch hazel is a wonderful antibacterial.

Making Herbal Cleansers: Place 4 cups herb/ herb mix into a gallon container, top with white distilled vinegar (fill completely, check back in a day and top off). Allow the herbs to soak for at least 3 weeks up to 8 weeks, strain herbs out and store as a cleaning concentrate.

For heavy/outdoor use dilute 50/50. For light/everyday use dilute 30/70.

As you can see in the photo above when you use the vinegar as a solvent, it extracts many of the chemicals (including the color of the plant) these are transferred to the vinegar. What you have now is no longer vinegar but a cleansing chemical that used vinegar as a solvent to extract chemicals from plants. This is the original science behind all chemical agents. Many things can be used as your solvent rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and witch hazel to name a few.

I've observed these cleansers for several years now and as they age the color dissipates this, I think is an indicator of the strength also dissipating. I have color tested many things including laundry and upholstery fabrics to make sure that these do not stain, for the most part I've had no trouble. Be sure that any herb you use is not also used as a common dye. As far as shelf life, I don't know how long the potential shelf life on most of these are, as I own and operate a cleaning company, I run through a fair amount of cleansers on a regular basis much more than you a home cleaner will. I expect each and every one of these cleansers to be good for up to one year beyond that I believe they start to lose their potency. That doesn't mean they're useless just maybe use more and dilute less. Typically if I have a batch that starts to fade in its color I just use it as a concentrate and go clean the outside of the house until it's empty.

To sign off today I offer you my two most important tips about cleaning. 1 Everything is happier Dry. Wring out the sponge, dry off the shower, wipe down the sink after every use. 2 When cleaning vacuum everything, before wetting with cleansers. Bonus tip* change your a/c filter frequently to reduce dust in the home.

Happy Cleaning!