DIY & GIY Ideas for Spring Cleaning

Essential oils from Veriditas

Can you feel it in the air? You know, spring! That feeling brings on the urge to be outside, start your garden, and of course, clean.  There are many ways to make cleaning fun — loud music, help from friends, and the opportunity to get crafty with some DIY or GIY products.

You probably know that DIY means “do it yourself.”  You may not have heard GIY — “green it yourself.” Making your own natural cleaning products is a way to DIY and GIY at the same time.  Using essential oils is an easy, eco-friendly, economical, and effective way to make a variety of cleaning products. Veriditas by Pranoram, an organic essential oil company we carry, shares a few formulas.

VERIDITAS ESSENTIAL OILS CLEANING BLENDS

Make the blends of your choice below, then add them to the cleaning blend recipes. Single oils such as lemon or grapefruit always work well, too.

LEMON + EUCALYPTUS RADIATA + LEMONGRASS 15 drops lemon, 8 drops eucalyptus radiata, 8 drops lemongrass

ORANGE + BASIL  20 drops sweet orange, 8 drops basil linalol

GRAPEFRUIT + CEDARWOOD 15 drops grapefruit, 9 drops cedarwood

KITCHEN COUNTER SPRAY • 4 oz. refillable spray bottle (glass is best) • 1 Tbsp. white vinegar • 20–30 drops of essential oil blend. Add vinegar and essential oil drops to a reusable spray bottle, fill with distilled water and shake. This is an excellent spray for all nonporous kitchen surfaces.

FLOOR CLEANING SOLUTION • 1 gallon of hot water • 1 cup of white vinegar • 30–50 drops of essential oil blend. In a clean bucket, mix ingredients and wash floor as usual. This recipe cleans floors effectively and smells wonderful on all hard floor surfaces!

SINK & TUB SCRUB • 2 cups baking soda • 20 drops of essential oil blend. Pour baking soda into a reusable container, add essential oils and shake until well mixed. Sprinkle baking soda mixture in sink or tub. Add water and scrub with a sponge or clean cloth, rinse.

LIQUID HAND SOAP • 4 oz. of unscented liquid hand soap • 20–30 drops of essential oil blend. Shake, blend and enjoy!

Using an earth-friendly, concentrated, multi-purpose cleaner is another way to GIY. Sal Suds by Dr. Bronner’s is that product. It is made with plant-based surfactant and natural fir needle and spruce essential oils. This product is amazing! Made by the Dr. Bronner’s company, Sal Suds has many uses. It cleans carpets, dishes, microsuede, anything really — and it works great in households with hard water. Lisa Bronner, granddaughter to Dr. Bronner’s founder Emmanuel Bronner, writes the blog Going Green with a Bronner Mom. She shares tips about cleaning, personal care, living green, natural products, and life.

For some more spring cleaning fun, check out 11 Ways to Find Joy in Cleaning the Kitchen and this fun daily spring cleaning task email: Sign Up! Get Your Spring Cleaning Done in 20 Minutes for 20 Days.