Counter Spray

Here in the Sacoolas household I make all our cleaning supplies (we haven't purchased pre-made cleaning products in almost two years... how liberating!) We use homemade counter spray, dishwasher soap and laundry soap- all of which we love! All three are made from very similar ingredients making for a wonderfully simple cleaning cupboard and the joys of not having all those chemicals in our house.

Since we have done the switch over to homemade products, we have been very happy with the results. I find they work just as well as products purchased at the store, although you might need to bring a little elbow grease for tough stains and grime. AND, you can customize your own scents, making your home smell wonderful!

Below is the recipe I use to make our counter spray. I make two batches at a time, one to keep in the kitchen and one for the bathroom. For the kitchen I like to use a combination of Lemon and Orange Essential Oil and for the bathroom I use Lavender. The recipe below makes a little over a cup of cleaning solution, which lasts us well over a month.

Counter Spray

1 c. hot water

1 tsp. borax

1/2 tsp. washing soda (I have only been able to find this at Winco)

1/2 tsp. Dr. Bronner's Liquid soap

2 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (a natural anti-bacterial)

*Kitchen- In addition to the tea tree oil, 4 drops orange essential oil and 2 drops lemon essential oil

*Bathroom- In addition to the tea tree oil, 2 drops lavender essential oil

Whisk hot water, borax and washing soda (I mix mine in a large pyrex liquid measuring cup). Add soap and essential oils and pour into spray bottle. Give a little shake before use.

**Above is my little bottle that I keep in the kitchen, behind it you can see our rag bag. I made it from an old kitchen towel and it is filled with cut up kitchen towels that were past their prime and old t-shirts that were way past their prime... both make the perfect little rags, especially in a house that is paper towel free**