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Seren Evans-Charrington picks some of her favourite effective natural cleaners from times gone by.
Leafing through my 1861 copy of
Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management,
it becomes apparent that during the Victorian age the chore of
household cleaning was tackled with a range of natural ingredients.
Because of the ease and availability of commercial preparations, with
their claims of supercharged
stain removing
and germ eradicating properties, it is easy to forget that there are
plenty of natural cleaning methods that have proved themselves
throughout time to be just as effective as their chemical counterparts,
but without the packaging waste, the harm to the environment or hazards
to our health.
In addition, home-made, natural cleaning products are
also kinder to our pocket, as a basic natural cleaning kit requires no
fancy bottles of wonder product, just simple household ingredients and a
bit of know-how.
The world we live in is full of man-made chemicals, and our largest
organ, our skin, is often subjected to contact with a wide range of them
every day: immersing our bare hands into cleaning products (such as
washing-up liquid),
contact with clothes washed in detergent, touching surfaces and
implements that still have a chemical residue on them. And we also
breathe in chemicals; if you use a flammable spray furniture polish that
is petroleum-based, it can lead to headaches and a lack of
concentration, and can even depress the central nervous system.
Chemical disinfectants often contain triclosan, which for decades has
been considered the easiest, cheapest and safest way to kill bacteria,
and is commonly found in antibacterial soaps, deodorants, toothpastes,
mouthwashes, first-aid creams, cleaning supplies, clothes, and even in
toys. There have been many studies researching the effects of triclosan,
and fears have even been voiced by the FDA in the USA that overuse of
products containing it can lead to bacteria building up greater
resistance to antibiotics. It seems that the proverb, “We must eat a
peck of dirt before we die”, is indeed true. In studies of what is
called the ‘hygiene hypothesis’, many researchers have concluded that
organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms
that enter the body alongside ‘dirt’, spur the development of a healthy
immune system. It has been suggested that children raised in an
ultraclean environment, filled with chemical cleaners, are more prone to
allergies and illness, as they are not being exposed to organisms that
help them develop appropriate immune systems.
Although I’m not overly keen on housework and admit to sharing Agatha
Christie’s sentiment that, “the best time for planning a book is while
you’re doing the dishes”, I’m not advocating that we never clean, just
that we adopt a more natural approach. I also advise abandoning the
purchase of those pretty bottles of nice smelling ‘eco’ products, as
many of them just don’t have the oomph needed to lift grime, and they
often tend to be an expensive and unnecessary purchase. I live in a
household that includes animals, children and a muck-magnet husband, and
they result in a constant need to lift grubby fingerprints off
paintwork and other surfaces. Whilst leafing through a handwritten
household manual dating from the 1700s, in amongst recipes for blacking,
horse powders, fever balls and patent polish, I happened upon a perfect
and yet simple recipe for surface cleaning. Below, is my version of
this recipe, which has been put to good use in my household and is my
new favourite wonder cleaner.
1. General Household Cleaner
Ingredients
- 6 sprigs of rosemary
- Distilled white vinegar
Method
1 Place the rosemary in a saucepan and add enough vinegar to cover the herbs.
2 Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and place the vinegar and herbs into a clean jam jar.
3 Allow to steep overnight.
4 Strain the vinegar into a clean spray bottle and use as a
surface spray, or keep it in a jar and dip a cleaning cloth into the
rosemary vinegar to use for rubbing down dirty paintwork, tiles and
varnished or laminated surfaces.
I have long raved about the cleaning power of vinegar, but my husband
has always groaned about the smell, usually muttering comments about
chip shops and pickling factories. The aromatic rosemary in this recipe
actually neutralises the smell of the pungent vinegar, and it’s cheap
and effective, with no headachy chemical smells to contend with.
2. Trusty Beeswax Polish
My mother-in-law once said that, “beeswax makes a home”, and she has a valid point, for the smell of beeswax polish
does
lend a homely and well-cared-for feel to a room. Due to the cost of
commercially bought beeswax polish, I have been making my own for years,
and a little really does go a long way. Over time I have tried various
recipes, but the one below is my favourite, and it’s the one I even had
the opportunity to show the late Lynda Bellingham how to make on
Country House Sunday.
Ingredients
- 50g pure soap flakes (Castile soap)
- 100g beeswax, grated
- 500ml turpentine (this must be pure turpentine – available from artists’ shops)
- 250ml warm water
- 10 drops pure essential lavender oil
Method
1 Put the water and soap flakes in a pan and dissolve the flakes over a moderate heat.
2 Put the grated beeswax into the turpentine in a double
boiler, or a bowl over a pan of hot water, and warm gently until the
beeswax has thoroughly melted and dissolved.
Don’t be tempted to put the beeswax and turpentine in a saucepan over a direct flame, as it is highly flammable!
3 When the beeswax has melted, add the soap mixture to it
and stir with a wooden spoon. It will be a milky-white colour and should
be completely liquid.
4 Remove it from the heat and stir in the lavender oil, then pour into clean storage jars.
If you fancy a change from the smell of lavender oil, this polish can
either be left natural or you can add 10 drops of pure essential sweet
orange oil for a fresh and warming smell.
3. Leather Furniture Cleaner
This recipe for leather cleaner contained in
The Book of Hints and Wrinkles is very effective, but you
must remember to be sparing in its application, and it is only suitable for dark leathers.
Ingredients
- 1 gill vinegar
- 2 gills linseed oil
Method
1 Add the vinegar to the linseed oil, stirring constantly.
2 Bottle, and rub a small quantity on the furniture using a soft cloth.
3 Finish by rubbing with a silk duster.
My own modern redaction of this recipe uses 100ml of white distilled
vinegar to 200ml of boiled linseed oil. I use a lint-free cloth and
apply the mix sparingly to my leather sofa. Then, after careful
application (a little goes a long way), I finish by buffing it with a
soft, clean cloth. It removes grime and conditions the leather
beautifully, giving it a gentle shine.
4. Natural Glass Rinse Aid
Here is a glass-cleaning recipe that I regularly rely on, and it’s
one which gives my drinking glasses and vases a real sparkle. As a
poultry keeper I find it hard to resist any recipe that uses old
eggshells, and this recipe is effective and satisfying to make.
Ingredients
- 2 eggshells
- The juice of 2 lemons
Method
1 Crush the eggshells into a teacup and then pour the lemon juice over them.
2 Leave the eggshells to dissolve over a period of 48
hours, then strain the opaque, yellowish liquid to use on glass that has
become cloudy or dull.
This is very effective and gives a better sparkle to glass than any other product I’ve used.
Whilst on the subject of glass cleaning, when it comes to
streak-free windows it seems that the simplest remedies are the best. I
found that combining 150ml of white vinegar with the juice of a lemon
and 1 teaspoon of cornflour worked wonders. The ingredients must be
combined well and put into a spray bottle that always gets a good shake
before use; if it is applied using a lint-free cloth and the windows are
then buffed with newspaper, they come up beautifully.
5. Copper Cleaner
This is a recipe that I can’t resist sharing, as it’s one that uses
up the winter wood ash that has built up in the bottom of the
wood-burner, and it removes the tarnish from copper pans beautifully.
This is a bit of a messy one to make and use, but it’s a very simple
procedure that is extremely effective.
Ingredients
- Wood ash
- Juice of ½ lemon
Method
1 Half fill a teacup with wood ash, then slowly squeeze in
the lemon juice. The acid from the juice will fizz and bubble a little
as it makes contact with the alkaline ash, and you will end up with a
thick grey paste.
2 Apply the paste to your copper (you can even paint it on
if you wish), then simply polish it off with an old rag – it requires
some elbow-grease, but the results are well worth it.
6. Varnished Wood Cleaner
Ingredients
- Pure essential lemon oil
- ½ cup warm water
Method
1 Add a few drops of lemon oil to the water.
2 Mix well and spray onto a soft cotton cloth – the cloth should only be slightly damp.
3 Wipe your furniture with the cloth, and finish by wiping once more using a dry, soft cotton cloth
7. Moth Deterrent
Ingredients
- Dried lemon peel
- Dried lavender seeds
Method
Tie the lemon peel and lavender seeds up in muslin bags to make clothes smell fresh and to deter moths.
8. Rust Remover
Ingredients
Method
1 Sprinkle a little rock salt on the rust and squeeze lime juice over the salt until it is saturated.
2 Leave the mixture on for 2–3 hours, then use the rind to scrub away the residue.
9. Shoe Polish
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Pure essential lemon oil
Method
1 Add a few drops of lemon oil to the olive oil and apply to your shoes with a thick cotton rag.
2 Leave for a few minutes, then wipe and buff with a clean, dry rag.
This is great for conditioning leather and works well on bags and coats too.
10. Loo Cleaner
Ingredients
- 125g baking soda
- 200ml vinegar
Method
1 Mix the baking soda and vinegar, then pour it into the toilet basin and let it sit for a few minutes.
2 Scrub with a brush, then rinse.
BONUS – 11. Scratch Repair for Natural Wood
Method
1 Rub a Brazil nut or walnut into the scratch so that it fills the area.
2 Leave for 5–10 minutes, allowing oil from the nut to soak
in and repair the scratch, then buff the area with a soft, lint-free
cloth.
IN CONCLUSION
With a few basic ingredients it is possible to make natural cleaners
for every room in the home. Armed with bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice,
vinegar and essential oils you can have cheap and effective solutions
without having to rely on expensive and chemical-laden products. So
dusters at the ready for some good clean fun!
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