natural house cleaning with tea tree oil

When I was a foot-loose twenty-something I spent a lot of time in NYC doing trade shows for Marissa B. That meant walking everywhere and I'll never forget the myriad of smells I would experience as I navigated the city. One smell in particular would completely delight and capture me - the fresh, green, slightly astringent smell that wafted out of the day spas that dotted just about any given city block. It sounds a bit odd to articulate, but, man that herbal fragrance was totally intoxicating to me and I always wondered what the heck it was. Finally, crossing language barriers and my fear of looking like an idiot, I walked into one of these spas and asked the woman if she could pin-point the scent. Was it a perfume, a treatment oil...a cleaning product?! My efforts produced a bewildered shopkeeper and a slightly embarrassed self. It wasn't until one day, sick of the sneeze-inducing smell of Mr. Clean, that I decided I'd go grandma-old-school and use vinegar and water to mop my floor. To add an extra zing of cleaning power I dropped 1/4 teaspoon of tea tree oil and some peppermint essential oil into the mix. It was magic. I still don't know how that combination creates that "spa scent," but it does and it makes my house smell serene... taking me right back to strolling down a mid-August New York City street.

So, today I'd like to talk about tea tree oil. A friend of mine recently asked what I do with the stuff and I realized there was no short answer. What don't I use tea tree oil for? Definitely not for anything involving food since it's toxic when taken internally, so don't ever do that!

First, a brief history: Tea tree oil, or melaleuca oil, is an essential oil derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia, a shrub native to Australia. It is widely accepted as an antifungal and antiseptic and is used to treat eczema, skin abrasions, dandruff, yeast infections... basically tea tree oil is mother nature's Tinactin.

I love using tea tree oil in my cleaning products. I love that it has natural disinfecting properties without the harsh lung-irritating effects that bleach has (not to mention that bleach is to blame for too many be-speckled black yoga pants). Here is a list of all the things I make with tea tree oil. Mopping the floor is actually something I look forward to, knowing that my house will smell like a spa when I'm finished. You may not agree that the scent is as enrapturing as I've talked it up to be, but I hope you will agree that is much healthier for you than commercial cleaning products!

All Purpose Cleaner (for everything BUT granite and marble):

1/2 cup Citrus infused white vinegar (basicaly, anytime you eat an orange/grapefruit/lime/lemon put the peels in a jar of white vinegar. In a week you'll have upped the cleaning power of your vinegar).
1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap
1 teaspoon baking soda
10-15 drops of tea tree oil
2 cups water

Pour all into a spray bottle, wait for the vinegar and baking soda to stop fizzing, put the spray top on, give a gentle shake and you're ready to rock. The reason you don't want to use this on granite or marble, is because the acidity of the vinegar is stripping. This formula works great on everything else, though!

Granite and Marble Cleaner

1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap
5-10 drops of tea tree oil
1 2/3 cups water

Pour all into a spray bottle, give a gentle shake and spray away! Clean you natural stone tiles with this too.

Natural Floor Cleaner (for ALL floors: wood, tile, linoleum, etc)

4 cups white vinegar (you could also use the citrus infused vinegar)
1 gallon of warm water
2-5 drops liquid castile soap
10-15 drops tea tree oil
5 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix all together in your mopping bucket of choice and enjoy a healthy (maybe even spa-like) cleaning experience.

There you have it - my favorite three cleaning solutions that have tea tree oil in common. I haven't even gotten into the healing properties of topical applications for tea tree oil... that's a whole other post. In the meantime I hope you enjoy safer cleaning by trying some of these natural recipes - there's just no need to use a product that has disclaimers right on the package! Here's some further reading on the matter:
the harsh reality of household cleaners
10 household cleaners to avoid at all costs
why clean healthy

I only recommend products that I wholeheartedly believe to be valuable or that I use myself. - See more at: http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/2013/09/12/diy-all-purpose-cleaner/#sthash.jX9yaQn5.dpuf

affiliate disclosure: links to products in some of my posts will lead you to amazon.com links where you can purchase the items being discussed. I receive an affiliate kick-back from any purchases made through the links. I love sharing my experiences and what I hope to be helpful tips. I appreciate your support - it's how I offset the costs of running my blog! Please know that I only endorse products I use myself or wholeheartedly believe in!

I only recommend products that I wholeheartedly believe to be valuable or that I use myself. - See more at: http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/2013/09/12/diy-all-purpose-cleaner/#sthash.jX9yaQn5.dpuf

2/18/2014