A toxin-free soft scrub cleaner ideal for stovetops, ovens, sinks and bathrooms. Two minutes to make, with a long shelf life.
Back with another simple DIY cleaning recipe – this one is a soft scrub cleaner ideal for grimy surfaces.
Made from:
- Baking soda
- Castile soap
- Water and
- Essential oils
That’s it.
As a comparison, here are the ingredients as listed in a common store-bought lemon scented cream cleanser. Sure, there are some rather benign ingredients there, but check out the ones I’ve underlined:
- Calcium carbonate: low concern – abrasive/buffering/bulking agent
- Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate: rated C, modern concern to both health and environment. Some concern over developmental and reproductive toxicity, evidence of acute and chronic aquatic toxicity. This is a surfactant/emulsifying agent
- Sodium carbonate: low concern – pH adjuster/buffering/bulking agent
- c9-c11 pareth-6: low concern – this is a surfactant/emulsifying agent
- Sodium cocoate: low concern - surfactant/emulsifying agent, coconut derived
- Dodium bicarbonate: low concern – abrasive/buffering agent
- Disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulphonate: low concern – surfactant/viscosity controller
- 1,2 benzisothiazoline-3(2h)-one: moderate to high concern. Of moderate concern – organ system toxicity. Of high concern – irritation to skin, eyes and lungs. This is a preservative/antimicrobial
- Perfume: who knows? Legally not obliged to disclose what these chemicals are. They are however likely petroleum derived. Chemicals used to fragrance consumer goods have been linked to a variety of adverse health conditions, from asthma and obesity, to infertility and cancer
- Ci 19140: moderate hazard. Of high concern – bioaccumulation, of moderate concern – organ system toxicity. This is a synthetic yellow dye produced from petroleum – aside from cleaning, it is approved for use in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
[Source: Environmental Working Group]
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DIY soft scrub cleaner cost
A quick costing in NZD,
- 1 cup (210g) baking soda: $0.83 (buy bulk – 3kg cost me $11.95)
- ¼ cup (60ml) castile soap: $1.62 (bulk again – 1 litre for $27)
- 1 tablespoon water: $0
- 5 drops doTERRA lemon essential oil: $0.32
- 5 drops doTERRA eucalyptus essential oil: $0.44
- Jar: $0 – repurpose!
Total: $3.21
Sourcing your essential oils
Ready to get started?! Yay!
You can open your own wholesale account, receiving 25% off retail, and my personal support (with ongoing education), below:
Enjoy the recipe – so incredibly simple!
Lauren.
If you make and enjoy this recipe, please leave a rating below. And better yet – leave me a comment to tell me how you got on, or just say hi – I LOVE hearing from you. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to see more of my everyday recipes and wellness tips.
If you’d like to chat with me about essential oils, or book in a class, you can do that here. If you’re after a Naturopathic consult, read more here.
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda (210g)
- ¼ cup castile liquid soap unscented (60ml)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 5 drops doTERRA lemon essential oil
- 5 drops doTERRA eucalyptus essential oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whip together. If you think it needs more water, add just one teaspoon at a time.
- Spoon into a mason jar ready for use.
Notes
- To use, spoon a small amount over your surface (eg stove), then scrub with a damp cloth.
- To remove reside, use a fresh, wet cloth.
- If you're using this to clean tile grouts, apply with a toothbrush
- This recipe has a long shelf life.
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