Enjoy the herbaceous aroma of your garden grown herbs all Winter long with this Herbal Infused All Purpose House Cleaner Recipe. Aromatic herbs offer antimicrobial and antiseptic qualities while helping the house smell great. Combined with vinegar, alcohol, and a squeeze of dish soap, this is an easy and effective natural all purpose house cleaner recipe.
As we head into Fall, there may be just a few more weeks (depending on where you live) before it’s too late to harvest the fresh herbs that have been growing in our gardens. Right now, in Texas, my herbs are bushy, brilliant, and recipe ready! Today, I have harvested a bundle of mint, sage, oregano, rosemary, and lemon balm to make my all purpose house cleaner. Choose aromatic herbs to make this recipe. Other herbs that work good include: lemon verbena, thyme, lavender, rose petals, citronella, pine needles, or basil. Dried spices can also be added if you desire, such as: peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, clove, anise, cardamom, or citrus peels. There are two steps to making your Herbal Infused All Purpose House Cleaner Recipe.
Herbal Infused All Purpose House Cleaner Recipe: What You Will Need
- 1 large (6 cup) mason jar with a lid
- 3 cups of fresh herbs or about 2 cups of dried herbs, or a combination of both
- 2 cups of vinegar (white or apple cider)
- 1 cup of vodka
- Funnel lined with a coffee filter to strain the herbs
- 2 Tbsp of liquid dish soap
- Optional: 20 drops of essential oil, such as: lemon, peppermint, pine, or lavender
- 1 large (8 cup) beer growler
- Water
Step 1: Infuse the Herbs
- If you have chosen fresh herbs, make sure they are clean and dry. Choose organically grown herbs that have not been exposed to pesticides or pollutants.
- Place the herbs in the mason jar.
- Pour the vodka and vinegar over top of the herbs to fill the mason jar about 95% full. Leave a little space for shaking the herbs. Cover with a lid.
- Label the jar with the ingredients and date.
- Place the jar on a sunny window sill and shake about once a day.
Step 2: Strain the Herbs and Make Your House Cleaner
- After 2-4 weeks of infusing, strain the herbs from the liquid. Do this using a funnel lined with a coffee filter.
- Funnel the liquid into a large beer growler. Discard the herbs. You should have about 3 cups of liquid herb infusion in your beer growler. The 8 cup beer growler should be slightly less than half full.
- Fill the rest of the beer growler almost full with water. Leave a little space for shaking the recipe.
- Add 2 Tbsp of liquid dish soap to the beer growler. Optional: also add 20 drops of essential oil if desired. Seal with a lid.
- Shake well.
- To use, pour desired amount into a spray bottle. Your Herbal Infused All Purpose House Cleaner can be diluted (with 50% water and 50% of the recipe) or you can use it fully concentrated.
- Spray and clean 🙂
Click here for more Green Cleaning Recipes: Green Cleaning Recipes
Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.
Blog By: Kathy Sadowski, MS in Aromatherapy, RA(ARC), Professional NAHA and AIA Member, LMT
Posted: 10/9/18
