Can you feel it? That time of year is here again when winter’s germs need to die to make room for the fresh, clean renewal of spring. Yet, often with the urge to sanitize comes a slew of toxic cleaners that are heavy-laden with chemicals and warning labels of “may cause skin irritation”, “flammable”, “vapors harmful”, “may cause burns on contact”, and “can be fatal if swallowed”. Eeeek! My lungs are gasping for air already.
Rest assured, there is a better way. With only a few simple ingredients and the power of essential oils, homemade cleaners are just as effective, will save you money, and come with aromatherapy benefits that actually improve your health instead of putting you at risk.
With so many cleaners worthy of replacement, I chose to share healthy versions for two of the most harmful cleaners available, the “toxic twins”…Clog Remover and Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Enjoy!
DIY Clog Remover & Drain Cleaner
Cleaning Ingredients:
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ¼ cup salt
- 10 drops Lemon essential oil
- ½ cup vinegar
How to use them:
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 drain “snake”
- Glass bowl or jar to mix and store remaining ingredients. (Essential oils can absorb into and break down plastic)
For a kitchen sink or slow-drain kind of clog, try this first!
Remove the drain cover or stopper and pour one cup of baking soda, followed by a ½ cup of distilled vinegar down the open drain. Cover drain immediately with a plug or plate to trap the foaming/cleaning action. Let sit 30 minutes, then rinse with 2 cups boiling water afterwards. Better yet, let the solution sit overnight and pour 2 cups boiling water in the morning.
No improvement? Want water that “swirls” when it goes down the drain? Try these:
1. For bathroom sinks and tub drains, the best way to start is by using a “snake” plumbing tool to remove the blockage manually. These can be found at just about any local department store. Simply feed the snake brush down the drain, twist, and pull out the hair that is usually the main culprit in the bathroom.
2. For a deeper clean, remove the “trap” under the sink (if accessible) and clean it thoroughly using a paper towel. Yes, it’s kind of gross, but effective! Lay down a towel and have a bucket or large bowl ready to catch the water underneath or you’ll learn that lesson the hard way.
3. Now that most of the gunk and grime is removed, it’s time to disinfect! Mix the baking soda, salt and essential oils, then sprinkle half the powder mixture down the drain and follow with boiling water. The salt and baking soda help scour and break up the buildup, while the essential oils naturally clean and disinfect leaving a fresh citrus scent.
No fumes to run away from! In fact, you may suddenly find yourself locked in with a good book, shouting an occasional “I’m cleaning the bathroom!!” when the kids (or hubs) come a knockin’…
Let it sit for 45 minutes to an hour so it can work it’s magic, then rinse with tap water.
A weekly treatment keep drains clear.
Quick & Easy Toilet Cleaner
My three favorite ingredients:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 20 drops *Purify or Lemon essential oil
- white distilled vinegar
Mix baking soda and essential oils in a glass bowl, then store in a glass mason jar (or cute decorative jar) for multiple use.
Flush toilet to wet the sides, then dust inside of bowl with 2-3 Tablespoons of powder mix and scrub with toilet brush or rag. Add 4 Tablespoons (or more) of white vinegar and scrub again while fizzing. The baking soda acts as a scouring agent, while the essential oils and vinegar act as the cleanser and disinfectant. The foaming action helps loosen dirt and grime.
Do you have a favorite DIY natural cleaner? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a FREE essential oil! Drawing will be on February 29th!
Shannon is an essential oils educator and MOM-trepreneur with a passion for empowering individuals and families with simple ways to take control of their health naturally by means of holistic and purposeful living. I believe that total wellness and being WHOLE is a journey. Finding balance in mind, body and spirit creates passion and a purpose that becomes greater than ourselves.Four years ago, a friend shared essential oils with me and now I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them! With six vibrant children, it’s a blessing to have natural solutions to combat, support, fix or relax a child (or myself) at any given moment. We use them every day. After falling in love with my oils, I wanted to share them with everyone, so I made this passion my business. I love guiding people to natural health!
You can learn more by visiting my website mydoterra.com/
A special thanks to Marian for her fabulous cookbook, her knowledge and expertise. I’ve attended several of her classes and have always gone home with fantastic solutions to better the health of my family. I love that we share the same passion for wellness.
Ready to learn more about essential oils?
Attend a hands-on Essential Oils Intro Class or Oil Support Group.
*All classes are FREE and currently being held in Gilbert & Scottsdale Arizona areas.
Can you think of 2-3 friends who want to learn with you? Bring them to a class, or I can teach a private event for you. I love to travel around the valley!
Shwan Marsh says
August 26, 2017 at 7:37 amThe most worst work is cleaning a toilet to me. I never wanted to be a plumber even for my own house as well. My hubby is too good to fix the small issues like cleaning a clogged toilet or sink. So these tips must be a great opportunity to grow some skills for him, I think. Thanks for sharing…
Victoria says
March 28, 2018 at 10:29 amCleaning toilet is most disgusting and painful job to me. But nothing to do with it. I have to do that on my own. This problem, you mention in your post is really essential. And your post is really help me.
Victoria says
March 28, 2018 at 10:30 amCleaning toilet is most disgusting and painful job to me. But nothing to do with it. I have to do that on my own. This problem, you mention in your post is really essential. And your post is really helping me. Great blog.
AdrianGry says
April 4, 2018 at 7:26 amToilets are the important area of every household that mostly used.Toilet cleaning is such a challenging task to do.The DIY tips you have shared in the article is very helpful.Thanks for sharing this post.
Mani says
May 22, 2018 at 8:40 amThanks for sharing the guide very helpful and it works. 🙂
Marian Mitchell says
May 22, 2018 at 3:43 pmMy pleasure! Thank you for your feedback!
Andrew Powell says
May 28, 2018 at 11:07 amBathroom Cleaning is really painful work. Your tips are very helpful. Thank you for share such a beautiful and helpful toilet cleaning tip.
Caroline Garcia says
June 3, 2018 at 7:19 amI have attempted this recipe a couple of times and have been inspired the outputs. It’s really a cheap and super easy solution for me ever. Grateful to you and thanks for sharing your tips….
Marian Mitchell says
June 7, 2018 at 7:35 pmThank you so much for sharing your experience with the recipe!
Bella Hardy says
July 10, 2018 at 11:27 amThanks in advance and also for sharing DIY clog remover and drain cleaner recipe ;)Can I share this for my Pinterest followers?
Marian Mitchell says
July 10, 2018 at 3:12 pmOf course!
Plumb Melbourne says
July 14, 2018 at 8:04 amThe Baking Soda and Vinegar worked a treat. Thanks for sharing this. I would love to share this to my Pinterest followers. Would that be okay? 🙂
Richard says
August 26, 2018 at 11:38 amMarian, thank you so much for posting such a great article about removing stains from toilet bowl cleaner. I have used many toilet bowl cleaner from market but no one give prefect cleaning, so I am thinking of using home made stain cleaner. In toilet bowl cleaner you used
1 cup baking soda
20 drops *Purify or Lemon essential oil
white distilled vinegar
Can you please tell me where I can find Purify?
Marian Mitchell says
August 27, 2018 at 7:31 pmHi! Yes you can get it from any DoTerra essential oil educator. There is a link in the bio from the person who wrote this aritcle to her website and you can order it from there. I hope that helps!
Robin Hamilton @Wellness Wires says
September 19, 2018 at 7:23 pmThanks for sharing a useful post! I will try that “quick and easy toilet cleaner”:)
DILMAR says
March 21, 2019 at 2:41 pmExcellent tips, will help a lot, thanks for sharing
airbnb property management sydney says
April 2, 2019 at 3:55 amThese tips are awesome and easy to follow thanks for sharing this article.
taylor johnson @tayloright says
May 9, 2019 at 9:15 pmAHH!! Thanks so much for this toilet bowl cleaner DIY combination idea. So inexpensive, non-toxic and simple!