The kitchen is sometimes referred to as the “heart of the home.” It’s where families come together to make and cook dinner, and where guests tend to gravitate during gatherings. Because of this, I try to keep my kitchen as clean as possible. If my kitchen is clean, my entire home feels much tidier. =)
Below are several recipes to keep your kitchen looking and smelling clean, including a garbage disposal freshener, a multipurpose cleaning spray and a soothing simmering potpourri. Many of the ingredients in these recipes come from natural sources, and are a great way to cut out harsh chemicals from store bought cleaning products. In addition, you can download and print these free Natural Cleaning Labels to give your products a professional look.
Natural Garbage Disposal Refresher
What You’ll Need:
Petite Bendy Stars Soap Mold (or ice cube tray)
About 2.5 oz. White Vinegar
1 Heaping Tbs. Epsom Salt
7 mL Lemon Essential Oil
Optional: Small slices of fresh lemon
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
For this recipe, vinegar is mixed with Epsom salt and lemon essential oil and placed in the freezer. Once the mixture is frozen solid, turn on the garbage disposal and throw in several ice cubes (depending how big your cubes are). For extra deodorizing properties, pour boiling water down the drain after using. The exact amount of vinegar, Epsom salt and essential oil you need will depend on how large your ice cube cavities are. If you’d like extra deodorizing properties, you can place small pieces of fresh lemon into each cavity to freeze the lemon in the vinegar.
ONE: Mix together the white vinegar and epsom salt in a small container. Whisk in the lemon essential oil, and pour into the mold cavities. Place in the freezer and allow to fully freeze.
TWO: Once the mixture is fully frozen, place 3-4 cubes into the disposal and turn on. Allow the disposal to grind the cubes to release the lemon smell. Follow with boiling water for extra freshening. Use as often as needed.
Multipurpose Cleaning Spray
What You’ll Need:
Four 4 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottles
2 cups Distilled Water
1 Tbs. Borax
2 Tbs. White Vinegar
2 Tbs. 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
4 mL Lemon Essential Oil
3 mL White Thyme Essential Oil
4 mL Optiphen ND
Natural Cleaning Labels Templates
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
This multi purpose spray is easy to make, and is great for wiping down countertops and other non-porous surfaces. White thyme essential oil is known for its antibacterial properties, and smells fresh and clean when mixed with lemon essential oil. Because this recipe does not use a emulsifier, it does need to be shaken before each use to disperse the essential oils throughout the mixture. Borax, also known as sodium borate, should be handled with caution; I recommend wearing gloves and goggles when working with borax, similar to handling lye.
ONE: Heat the distilled water in a small heat safe container until warm (about 110-120 degrees). Add the borax powder and stir until it has fully dissolved.
TWO: Add the vinegar and alcohol and stir in. Add the Optiphen ND. Add the essential oils and use a whisk to help the oils mix in to the water. Quickly pour the mixture into the spray bottles. Cap, and use! If you’d like, download and print these free labels to give your spray a professional look.
NOTE: Because this recipe does not contain an emulsifier, you will need to shake the mixture before each use to mix in the essential oils evenly.
Orange & Lavender Simmering Potpourri
What You’ll Need:
4 cups Water
1 Whole Orange, cut into slices
5-6 Tbs. Lavender Buds
7-8 mL Lavender 40/42
If your kitchen and surrounding area needs some freshening, this Orange and Lavender Simmering Potpourri will fill the air with a crisp and relaxing scent. Simply add the ingredients into a small saucepan with water, and bring the pot to a boil. Then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to slowly simmer for hours. Do not leave the pot unattended, and do not allow the water to fully evaporate. Once the water is almost gone, refill the pot with more water. Feel free to adjust the amounts of lavender buds, orange slices and essential oil to your preference. I found this amount to be a great balance of citrus and relaxing lavender.
ONE: Add the water to a small saucepan. Cut the orange, and add the slices to the water.
TWO: Add the lavender buds and lavender essential oil. Stir to mix in. Turn on the stove to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer, and allow the scents to fill your room.
NOTE: Do no leave the simmer pot unattended. Do not allow all the water to evaporate, or the ingredients may begin to burn. Once the water diminishes, add more.
Is there a cleaning recipe that you love to use in the kitchen? I would love to hear about it! Don’t forget to check out all the natural cleaning sale items here. =)
- Petite Bendy Stars Soap Mold (or ice cube tray)
- About 2.5 oz. White Vinegar
- 1 Heaping Tbs. Epsom Salt
- 7 mL Lemon Essential Oil
- Optional: Small slices of fresh lemon
- Mix together the white vinegar and epsom salt in a small container. Whisk in the lemon essential oil, and pour into the mold cavities. Place in the freezer and allow to fully freeze.
- Once the mixture is fully frozen, place 3-4 cubes into the disposal and turn on. Allow the disposal to grind the cubes to release the lemon smell. Follow with boiling water for extra freshening. Use as often as needed.
- 4 cups Water
- 1 Whole Orange, cut into slices
- 5-6 Tbs. Lavender Buds
- 7-8 mL Lavender 40/42
- Add the water to a small saucepan. Cut the orange, and add the slices to the water.
- Add the lavender buds and lavender essential oil. Stir to mix in. Turn on the stove to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer, and allow the scents to fill your room.
- Four 4 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottles
- 2 cups Distilled Water
- 1 Tbs. Borax
- 2 Tbs. White Vinegar
- 2 Tbs. 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
- 4 mL Lemon Essential Oil
- 4 mL Optiphen ND
- 3 mL White Thyme Essential Oil
- Heat the distilled water in a small heat safe container until warm (about 110-120 degrees). Add the borax powder and stir until it has fully dissolved.
- Add the vinegar and alcohol and stir in. Add the Optiphen ND. Add the essential oils and use a whisk to help the oils mix in to the water. Quickly pour the mixture into the spray bottles. Cap, and use!
This may be a real stretch here, and I may really be demonstrating my ignorance, but I have to ask: what do you think about adding Polysorbate 80 for an Emulsifier?
You can definitely do that Rebecca! That’s a great idea, and prevents the need to shake it before each use.
To use that Polysorbate 80, mix it with the essential oils before adding it to the cleaner. You can add equal parts Polysorbate and essential oils. If the mixture doesn’t emulsify with the 1:1 ratio, you can add more Polysorbate 80 until it does. You can add it up to 50% in the recipe. 🙂
Polysorbate 80: https://www.brambleberry.com/Polysorbate-80-P4438.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Great ideas. I do have a question on the spray cleaner. Is there something in the recipe that keeps bacteria from growing in the water?
Hi Linda!
Whoops, looks like we forgot to mention a preservative for that product! Thanks so much for catching that. We recommend using Optiphen ND to help prevent mold and bacteria growth. We’ll go ahead and update this recipe with that Optiphen ND. 🙂
Read more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey,
I can’t wait to make that cleaning spray, last year I made the ( cleaning spray ) with peppermint EO & Orange EO and I loved it!!
That fragrance combination ( peppermint & orange ) is one of my favorites of all time and works well in almost anything.
Anyway, I received my order today from bramble berry and the opitphen was frozen solid, so I thought I should ask to make sure that it’s still good to use once it thaws?
Hey Robin!
Peppermint and orange are so lovely together, especially for cleaning products! They make the home smell so fresh and clean. Have fun giving this recipe a try.
Also, that Optiphen will be just fine to use once it thaws! To speed that process up, you can pop it in a warm water bath. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Crisp Orange Cleaning Spray: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/crisp-orange-cleaning-spray/
Optiphen: https://www.brambleberry.com/Optiphen-P3682.aspx
I have made the kitchen spare before t could not get the Borax to dissolve no matter how long I stirred. It ended up clogging my sprayer. Any secrets?
Hi Mary!
In our tests, we found the borax dissolved well in the warm water! I would recommend heating the water to 110-120F. If the borax still doesn’t want to dissolve, you can get the water hotter – around 130F-140F. It may also help to give the cleaner a really good shake before each use to help any settled borax disperse in the liquid. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Have you tried the potpourri simmer in a crock pot? I have a couple of those cheap mini crock pots for hot dips and what not. I’m wondering if I use that to keep the simmer mix warm, if it would work? I’m ordering the thyme oil to try the cleaner recipe. I make a very similar cleaner without the thyme and it’s great so this is a “step up”.
As a side not you’ve inspired me to mix orange and lavendar eo’s in my diffuser. I hadn’t thought of that combo before.
We didn’t test the simmering potpourri in a Crock-Pot, but I believe that would work just fine! I would recommend keeping the potpourri uncovered and on the hot setting. If that water is dissolving a bit fast, you can knock it down to low. 🙂
If you use the Crock-Pot for potpourri with an essential oil, I wouldn’t recommend using it for food anymore. Even with a really deep clean, the essential oil can get caught in microcracks in the pot. That means you may accidentally ingest the essential oil, which definitely doesn’t taste good!
Also, the lavender and orange combination is really nice! It’s earthy and citrusy. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks for the tips Kelsey – I used a “spare” crock that I’ve used for wax before and it worked great! Thanks again.
You’re welcome Melissa! Happy to help. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love it! Fresh and as natural as can be.
Thanks so much Kristie, glad you love the recipes! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry