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When you are a fan of crafting and making natural products, one of the more satisfying things to do is to make and use natural cleaning products in your home and workplace. Just a very simple basic kit of items can get you started with handcrafting a variety of natural cleaning products.

For instance, here is a good “starter pack” of ingredients for natural cleaning products:

Liquid castile soap

White vinegar

Baking soda

Coconut oil

Some essential oils – peppermint, lemon, lavender and tea tree are all great for cleaning!

Here are some suggestions on how to use them:

Sticky Residue Remover: Combine equal parts baking soda and coconut oil to make a thick paste. If you apply the paste to any sticky substance you wish to remove (price tags, gum, dried honey, etc.) and rub with a warm wet rag, it should come right off!

Sink Cleaner: Combine 1 part baking soda with 2 parts vinegar, and throw in a few drops of essential oil. (Lemon is a particularly good one for sanitizing and adding a wonderful clean scent!) The mixture will suds and foam as it works to clean your sink and counter, and can then be washed away with hot water.

Floor Cleaner: Equal parts white vinegar and water work wonderfully to clean floors! Just mix them up in a spray bottle and spray the floor as you mop; add a bit of liquid castile soap for heavily soiled floors. You can also add a touch of essential oil. Peppermint is good for adding a sweet clean scent and repels mice. Lavender might be a better choice if you have pets or babies who are sensitive to peppermint essential oil. Just a touch of tea tree essential oil works well to disinfect as well.

Hand Dishwashing Soap – Adding just a touch of essential oil to liquid castile soap makes cleaning dishes both much more pleasant and more efficient. (Hint: Lemon and sweet orange essential oils are very effective at cutting grease!) 1 drop of essential oil per liquid ounce of hand dishwashing soap works well, and you can store any remaining mixture in a simple glass bottle with a pump or pour spout near your sink! (Note: This mixture shouldn’t be used in a dishwasher; it’s best suited for handwashing dishes only.)

An Important Note About Safety – “Natural” is not necessarily the same as “edible” or “completely non-toxic”. Please treat anything you use to clean your home with care and common sense. Please also remember that many products – especially essential oils – can burn exposed skin, be harsh on plastic or treated surfaces (waxed wood, varnished wood, etc.) and might be irritating when inhaled as well. You may wish to use rubber gloves when working with them, and please keep them away from children.