It’s fascinating how the state of our homes can shape our moods. Each edition of The Natural Home Issue is here to help instill natural, nontoxic cleanliness in your life without asking too much from you.

With basic ingredients, the recipes featured keep cleaning simple and natural. You will discover cleaning solutions for your home, like the zero-waste glass cleaner, uncomplicated fizzing toilet cleaner, liquid dish soap, and lime and rosemary foaming hand soap.

Zero-Waste Glass Cleaner

by Serena Hartwell

You Will Need

• • Bowl: Large
• • 3 cups distilled water
• • 3 oz. isopropyl/rubbing alcohol
• • 3 oz. white vinegar
• • 1½ tsp. arrowroot powder
• • 15–20 drops of lemon essential oil
• • Funnel
• • Glass spray bottles: 16-oz. (2)

To Make

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Use a funnel to add the mixture to the glass spray bottles. Shake well to combine, and it’s ready to use. Shake the bottle before each use because the arrowroot powder settles on the bottom. Use the spray with “unpaper” towels or newspaper to clean the windows and mirrors.

Uncomplicated Fizzing Toilet Cleaner

by Caitlin Rowland

You Will Need

• • Bowl
• • Whisk
• • 1 cup baking soda
• • ½ cup citric acid
• • ½ cup sea salt
• • 1 TB. rubbing alcohol
• • 20 drops of organic lemon essential oil
• • 15 drops of organic lavender essential oil
• • 15 drops of organic tea tree essential oil
• • Airtight container

To Make

In a bowl, whisk together the baking soda, citric acid, and sea salt. Add the rubbing alcohol and essential oils to the dry mixture, and whisk again. Transfer to an airtight container, and label with the contents and date of creation. To use, scoop 1 tablespoon of the fizzing toilet cleaner into the toilet every few days. If you find that the cleaning mixture clumps together, simply mix it with a spoon before use.

Liquid Dish Soap

by Lauren Carrozzi

You Will Need

• • ½ cup liquid Castile soap
• • 2 TB. distilled white vinegar
• • ½ cup water
• • 10 drops of lavender essential oil
• • Glass bottle w/ pump

To Make

Combine the liquid Castile soap, white vinegar, water, and lavender essential oil, and pour into a glass pump bottle with a pump. To use, add several drops to a scrub brush or compostable sponge, or directly into your dish tub, and fill it with warm water. Wash as usual.

Lime & Rosemary Foaming Hand Soap

by Stephanie Rose

You Will Need

• • Foaming soap dispenser: 500 ml
• • 375 ml distilled/boiled water
• • 25 ml unscented Castile soap
• • 20 drops of lime essential oil
• • 10 drops rosemary essential oil

To Make

Fill the soap dispenser with the water. Add the Castile soap and essential oils. Screw on the pump dispenser, and shake well to combine. Shake well before each use for the first few days. Over time, the ingredients will combine permanently, and shaking will no longer be necessary. To use, apply one or two pumps of soap to wet hands, and scrub for 20 seconds, working the soap over the front and back of your hands and between your fingers. When used this way, foaming soap is just as effective as other cleaning solutions like a liquid or bar soap. 

For more information and tutorials on each of these cleaning solutions, check out The Natural Home Issue, a special interest publication from the makers of Willow and Sage. Click here.

Danielle Williams is the managing editor for Willow and Sage, The Natural Home Issue, Mingle, and Art Quilting Studio. She lives with her growing family in Orange County, California.