To help, we’ve compiled a list of six natural cleaning recipes that will get it spic and span— minus the harsh fumes that come with traditional cleaning products.

Bathtub Scrubber

• 1 grapefruit halved
• enough kosher salt to coat grapefruit

Use the salt-topped grapefruit to scrub all over, making sure to squeeze some of the citric acid on the fixtures. Rinse thoroughly.

Disinfecting Surface Cleaner

• distilled white vinegar
• distilled water
• essential oils

Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a bowl. If desired, add 5-10 drops of essential oil per 2 cups of mixture. Dampen a sponge mop or cloth with mixture and apply to surface. 

Glass Cleaner 

• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil

Pour all ingredients into a 24-ounce spray bottle and shake to combine. Spray onto a microfiber cloth and apply to surface.

Grout & Tile Cleaner 

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Water

Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water in a spray bottle. Spray mixture on grout, wait 45 minutes and then wipe down with a sponge. Rinse well.

Sink Scrub

• 2 cups baking soda
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 10 drops clove essential oil
• 1 squirt Dr. Bronner’s castile soap
• A few drops of water

Mix the baking soda with the essential oils using a butter knife. Store in an airtight container. Sprinkle the mixture over the sink surface, then add a squirt of soap and a few drops of water. Scrub with a nylon bristle brush. Rinse thoroughly.

Toilet Cleaner

• ½ cup baking soda
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon tea tree essential oil

Combine baking soda, distilled white vinegar and tea tree essential oil in a spray bottle. Spray toilet bowl and let mixture sit for a few minutes. Sprinkle baking soda in toilet bowl, then scrub with a brush and flush.

The post 6 DIY Cleaners To Get Your Bathroom Spic & Span appeared first on Paragon Properties Company Blog.

I’m anxious to fling open the windows and curtains and bask in the warm sunshine of Spring. (You, too?) But the colder winter-like temperatures haven’t stopped the beginning of the Spring Cleaning season.

It’s a ritual.

A purging. A much-welcomed seasonal awakening. It’s our cue to end our seasonal winter hibernation. Time to dust off the dust, gather up the clutter, donate the un-wanted and un-used items taking up valuable space, and better organize our living areas.

One cleaning ritual that I take with me from season-to-season pertains to what I use to clean with. I try to be as ‘green’ as possible anyway, for my health and the health of the environment. This notion really took root when my hands had a very serious reaction to the cleaning wipes I was using. My skin started to peel and basically looked like hamburger. From that point on, I’ve used protectant gloves and more natural cleaning solutions.

There’s nothing wrong with Old-School

Our grandmothers used more natural ingredients to clean their home, partly because ‘the new miracle cleaner that cleans everything’ hadn’t been invented yet. And yet, when that miracle cleaner did arrive, it had some drawbacks that grandmother’s old-school method probably didn’t have. Like chemicals, that were harmful if inhaled.

So, my old-school, or using today’s trendy word ‘throwback’, recipe for cleaning the Winter and everyday dirt, dust, nasty spills and purifying surfaces, is an old effective favorite:

1/2 cup Distilled white vinegar

1/2 cup distilled water

But, I add a little twist to it. Just like you, I don’t want my home smelling like vinegar. So, I have a bunch of inexpensive spray bottles around filled with several combinations of this recipe with the addition of essential oils.

For cleaning glass and mirrors, I may use just the vinegar and water combo. But, for other areas of my apartment I may add these essential oils to the mix, like:

Lemon (deodorizing)
Eucalyptus (purifying)
Tea Tree (purifying)
Peppermint (purifying)

My trusty labeler helps me to keep track of the spray bottle ingredients/uses. And the essential oils add great aromas to my home. I even have a recipe for a great air-freshener/disinfectant: Fresh Air Inside

The post Living Apartment Style—Spring Cleaning Green appeared first on Paragon Properties Company Blog.