The pleasure of working in my garden is matched by the fulfillment I get from using my Herbs every day—for seasonings, Teas, tonics, and beautifully textured craft materials. I use many of the same Herbs, along with essential oils and other common supplies, in my everyday chores around the house, from scouring the floors to tucking moth-repellent sachets into drawers and freshening the air.
Making simple herbal cleaning products gives me a sense of harmony with my environment. I also feel a connection with all the women who first gathered plants in the wild and nurtured seedlings in their gardens, then harvested the plants and prepared them for a multitude of uses. I can imagine them hovering over their concoctions in stillrooms, experimenting with new combinations of Herbs to improve their efficacy, and eventually using their products all around the cottage or castle. Many of these women, and not a few men, wrote down their “receipts’’ in books so that subsequent generations might benefit from their knowledge.
I believe that safe, gentle cleaning products are better for people, animals, and the environment than harsh commercial ones. The National Research Council has estimated that hypersensitivity to chemicals found in common household products results in acute or chronic health problems for about 15 percent of the population. For the sake of my family’s health, I don’t mind the little extra time it takes me to make my own cleaning products.
Fortunately, none of the formulations I’ve developed requires much time to make. I’m not a glutton for housework, and I’m always looking for shortcuts, but I confess that I look forward to making up one or two different formulas a week to help me with the sweeping, wiping, vacuuming, dusting, and endless other chores that our little yellow brick bungalow demands.
Taking my cue from herbalists of the past, I’ve incorporated Herbs into scouring compounds, floor and wall Soaps, sanitizing room sprays, and fragrant sachets. The ability of some of these Herbs to inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms and repel insects certainly contributes to the effectiveness of the products. Cleaning up
For cleaning fine china and glassware, bathroom fixtures, kitchen counters, lightly soiled walls, appliances, and painted woodwork, I like to use a warm solution of Borax or baking soda spiked with an infusion of fresh or dried aromatic Herbs such as Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage. I steep a cup of a single herb or a combination of several kinds for about 15 minutes in 4 cups of boiling water, strain, then stir in 1 to 4 tablespoons of baking soda or Borax. I wipe the mixture on with a sponge, then lightly rinse.
For tough jobs like vinyl floors, walls, woodwork, or furniture—even wicker baskets—I use my Herb Soap Concentrate (see recipe below). It’s my favorite all-purpose cleaning solution, and it’s quick and relatively inexpensive to make. It has as its base a mild commercial Soap concentrate, to which I add Herbs and essential oils. I wipe it on with a sponge or mop, then rinse quickly, sometimes adding a dash of vinegar to the rinse water to discourage the growth of bacteria.
Caution: Never mix cleaning products! Mixing cleaning products such as chlorine bleach with cleaners containing vinegar or ammonia produces toxic chlorine gas.
Incorporate Herbs into scouring compounds, floor and wall Soaps, sanitizing room sprays, and fragrant sachets.
Herb Soap Concentrate
Makes about 1/2 cup
By incorporating essential oils into an oil Soap concentrate (I use Murphy’s Oil Soap paste, available at hardware stores), then diluting the mixture with the herbal infusion described above, I get a double shot of herbal cleaning power. I usually use Lemon or Orange essential oil because they are relatively inexpensive, but many other oils may be used.
- 1 tablespoon essential oil or combination of essential oils (about 1/2 ounce)
- 1/2 cup or more concentrated oil Soap paste
Wearing gloves and using a stainless-steel spoon and glass measuring cup, stir the essential oil into the Soap paste. Tilt the cup to the side. If oil separates from the mixture around the edges, add more paste and stir. Larger quantities can be made with a mixer or blender.
Store the concentrate in a wide-mouthed glass jar. Label it well (it looks like apple jelly). This quantity will make up to 30 quarts of cleaning solution. To use, dilute it by adding 1 to 3 teaspoons of concentrate to 4 cups of water or herbal infusion.
Citrus Scrubber
Makes 1 cup
I save this scouring powder for my grungiest jobs, such as the bathroom and kitchen sinks, using a loofah on light stains and a nylon scrubbing pad on tough ones. I usually use as a base a powdered calcium carbonate cleanser such as Bon Ami, but sometimes I combine Borax and baking soda in equal proportions. Essential oils cut greasy dirt, battle microbes, and add an appealing scent.
- 1 cup powdered calcium carbonate cleanser, or 1/2 cup each Borax and baking soda
- 11/2 teaspoons each essential oils of Lemon, Orange, and Grapefruit
Pour the cleanser (or Borax and baking soda) into a glass bowl. Stir in the Lemon, Orange, and Grapefruit oils, mashing any lumps with a fork. Store in a glass or metal jar with a lid. Wear gloves when you use this cleanser.
HOUSEHOLD Herbs
The Herbs and essential oils that you’ll find most useful for various household tasks include those that inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, those that repel or kill insects, and those that act as fixatives (ones that aren’t attractive to insects). Use the following lists of Herbs as a guide to making your own formulas.
Herbs that inhibit microorganisms: Basil, Bay, Benzoin, Bergamot, Camphor, Cardamom, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Clary Sage, Clove, Eucalyptus, fir, Ginger, Grapefruit, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Balm, meadowsweet, Myrrh, Myrtle, Nutmeg, Orange, Oregano, Patchouli, Peppermint, Peru balsam, Pine, rose-scented Geranium, Rosemary Sage, Sandalwood, savory, Spearmint, Spruce, Tea Tree, and Thyme.
Herbs that kill or repel insects: Basil, Benzoin, Cajeput, white Camphor, Cardamom, Eucalyptus, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Balm, Myrtle, Orange Peppermint, rose-scented Geranium, Rosemary, Sage, savory, Southernwood, Thyme, wormwood, and Yarrow.
Fixative herbs: Benzoin, Calamus root, red Cedarwood, copal, costus root, deer’s-tongue, Frankincense, Myrrh, oakmoss, Patchouli, reindeer moss, Sandalwood, sweet grass, sweet woodruff, tonka beans, Vanilla grass, and Vetiver.
Furniture and floors
I use my Herb Soap Concentrate for cleaning almost all of my wood furniture and woodwork. For wood finished with shellac or varnish, I follow up by rubbing in essential oil of Lemon with a lamb’s-Wool duster. Once or twice a year, I damp-mop my hardwood floors, then rub Lemon oil on them, too. I do this when I can open all the windows, as the scent is intense.
For wood with an oil finish, I use this Fragrant Wood Polish, which I developed many years ago at the request of my husband, who is a cabinetmaker.
Fragrant Wood Polish
Makes about 1 cup
This formula forms a soft paste that can be applied with a Wool or cotton rag or lamb’s-Wool pad. I use it on fine furniture about once a year.
- 1 ounce Beeswax
- 8 ounces mineral oil
- 1/2 teaspoon essential oil of Peru balsam
- 1/4 teaspoon each essential oils of Lavender, Orange, Tangerine, and Lemon
- 1/8 teaspoon each essential oils of Bergamot, Rosemary, and Spruce
In a double boiler, melt the Beeswax in the mineral oil. Remove the upper pan from the lower one, allow the mixture to cool slightly (but not to the point at which the surface skims over), and stir in the essential oils. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Store in a jar with a tight lid.
Apply the polish to the wood surface sparingly with a rag or pad, leave it for about 5 minutes to allow the wood to absorb it, then rub off any excess with a clean cloth.
Herbal Rug Fragrance
Makes enough for an 8- by 11-foot rug
When our living-room rug smells musty, I hear about it right away from my husband, who does his morning exercises on it. Here’s a simple herbal solution. (If fleas are a problem in your house, add 2 cups of chopped, dried Orange peel or Pennyroyal leaf to the recipe.)
In a large glass, earthenware, or stainless-steel bowl, blend the Lavender flowers, Rosemary leaves, and baking soda.
Sprinkle the mix over a freshly vacuumed rug and leave overnight. Then vacuum again.
Fresh air
Nothing feels more like spring to me than open windows and fresh scents around the house to dispel the stuffiness of winter. Here are formulas for an air freshener, which can be varied according to your mood and the oils that you have on hand, and a sachet to keep shoes smelling fresh.
Disinfectant Air Freshener
Makes 1/2 cup
I make a variety of convenient sprays by combining essential oils with alcohol and water. I like to keep several on hand, including Orange, Lavender, and Spruce as well as the combination given below.
- 4 drops essential oil of white Thyme
- 6 drops essential oil of Tea Tree
- 8 drops essential oil of Clove
- 2 teaspoons 190-proof alcohol
- Filtered or distilled water
In a glass measuring cup, stir the oils into the alcohol. If the oils do not dissolve in the alcohol completely, add another teaspoon of alcohol. Then add water to the 1/2-cup line. Pour the solution into a glass bottle with a spray nozzle.
To use, spray into the air, avoiding people’s faces.
Stinky Sneaker Sachet Blend
Makes 4 sachets
Most of the dirt that gets into our homes hitchhikes on our shoes. Remove them at the door, and you might spend less time cleaning. But taking footwear off at our house exposes another problem: stinky sneakers.
To solve it, I’ve made sachets filled with absorbent Clay cat litter scented with an assortment of essential oils. I place a sachet in each sneaker and leave it there overnight. Below is the formula that my boys like; I prefer more Lavender myself. You may reuse the sachets for as long as the scent lasts.
- 2 teaspoons essential oil of Sandalwood
- 1 teaspoon essential oil of Tea Tree
- 1/2 teaspoon each essential oils of Lemon and Grapefruit
- 1/4 teaspoon each essential oils of Spruce and Lavender
- 4 cups natural Clay cat litter
- 4 clean socks
- 4 rubber bands
Stir the oils into the cat litter in a glass jar, cover, and let the mixture age for a week. Fill the socks with the sachet blend and close them with the rubber bands.
Drawers and closets
Cleaning out my drawers and closets, rearranging them to match the new season, and storing my winter clothes is a spring ritual at my house. First, I empty the drawers, vacuum out any debris, wipe them with a damp cloth, then spritz them with my Drawer Spray (recipe below). Next, I make sachets, also known as sweet bags, to put in the linen and clothes closets and dresser drawers.
A number of Herbs are known to repel moths and carpet beetles, whose larvae eat the keratin of animal fibers such as Wool, which has a sulfurous odor such pests find inviting. The larvae and egg-laying adults are also attracted to the salts and oils in Sweat and stains. Since onions and Garlic also have a sulfurous odor, the pests will hone right in on that Wool suit you wore the evening you ate that delicious, garlicky pesto in an overheated restaurant.
The Amish laid branches of Southernwood in their cupboards and pantries to deter ants and other insects. This technique may interfere with the ants’ ability to communicate through odor trails and, in the case of carpet beetles and clothes moths, may mask the odor of keratin compounds in clothing.
Researchers have shown that compounds in Sage, Rosemary, wormwood, Tansy, Hyssop, Pennyroyal, Camphor Bark, and cedar leaf inhibit the hatching of beetle and moth larvae. Other fragrant plants, such as Thyme, Patchouli, Verbena, and mints may appeal to your sense of smell while displeasing the insects.
To avoid attracting pests in the first place, wash or dry-clean all clothing before storing in a drawer or ventilated closet. Leave at least an inch of space between garments in the closet. I occasionally run a fan to get the air moving. In humid areas, some people keep a lightbulb burning in the closet to combat mildew. I also use an aromatherapy Diffuser to mist Lavender oil in my clothes closets once a week for about ten minutes, and I’ve never had moths in my woolen clothes.
Drawer Spray
Makes about 1/2 cup
- 2 ounces isopropyl alcohol
- 1/2 teaspoon essential oil of Sandalwood
- 1 teaspoon essential oil of Tangerine
- 1/2 teaspoon essential oil of Peru balsam
- 1/8 teaspoon essential oil of Spruce
- 1/8 teaspoon essential oil of Lavender, if desired
- 2 ounces filtered or distilled water
Pour the isopropyl alcohol into a spray bottle, and add the oils, using as much Lavender oil as suits you. Add the water and shake to mix.
Before using, test the spray on a small section of a drawer—alcohol can dissolve a shellac finish. If the finish is unharmed, spray the empty drawer and allow it to dry before replacing the clothes.
Minty Fresh Sachet Blend
Makes about 21/2 quarts
Use this blend in drawers and closets, particularly where woolens and furs are stored. The bulk Herbs absorb the oils and help fix and marry the fragrances. Sandalwood is one of my favorite fixatives, but because it is fairly expensive, I often substitute oakmoss (a lichen), Patchouli, cedar, Vetiver, Frankincense, or Myrrh.
Whichever Herbs you choose, dry them completely, then chop or crush them finely or powder them before blending.
- 4 cups Lavender flowers
- 2 cups Peppermint leaves
- 2 cups Rosemary leaves
- 1 cup Patchouli leaves
- 1/2 cup whole Cloves
- 1/4 cup Thyme leaves
- 5 drops essential oil of Clove
- 10 drops essential oil of white Camphor
- 20 drops essential oil of Peppermint
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, mix together the Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Patchouli, Cloves, and Thyme. Add the oils and stir well. Place the mix in a glass jar, cover, and age in a cool, dry, dark place for several weeks. Make sachets and fill with the herb blend.
Spice Sachet Blend
Makes about 21/2 quarts
Sandalwood and Ginger would be nice additions to this recipe. Sometimes I add essential oils of the Spices used in this blend to intensify the fragrance.
- 6 cups oakmoss
- 1 cup each Black peppercorns, Allspice berries, and Cinnamon chips
- 1/4 cup aniseed
- 2 tablespoons Cloves
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the oakmoss with the peppercorns, Allspice berries, and Cinnamon chips. Add the aniseed and Cloves. Stir well. Make sachets from fabric scraps, adding lace or ribbon if desired, and fill with the spice blend.
Article Written by Louise Gruenberg and provided by Mountain Rose Herbs
Louise Gruenberg gardens as much as possible and cleans house as little as possible in her Oak Park, Illinois, home. She also writes and teaches about Herbs
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