Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself--The Natural, Chemical-Free Way
    The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself--The Natural, Chemical-Free Way
    The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself--The Natural, Chemical-Free Way
    Ebook259 pages2 hours

    The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself--The Natural, Chemical-Free Way

    By Becky Rapinchuk

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    As seen in Real Simple, Shape Magazine, and on Oprah.com

    Cleaning products that save money--and the planet!

    Forget about chemical cleaners and pricey "green" products--all you need are a few simple kitchen staples to make your whole house sparkle! The Organically Clean Home features 150 easy-to-make recipes for cleaning products filled with all-natural ingredients you can trust (and actually pronounce!). From dishwasher detergent to antibacterial wipes, America's favorite cleaning blogger Becky Rapinchuk guides you through the steps needed to make these everyday necessities--without spending a fortune.

    Complete with simple instructions for packaging and storing your homemade cleaners, you'll enjoy turning each room into a beautiful and toxic-free space with fresh-scented products like:
    • Lemon and clove hardwood floor cleaner
    • No-bleach laundry whitener and brightener
    • Peppermint glass and mirror wipes
    • Lavender and lemon bathroom disinfecting spray
    • Citrus foaming hand soap
    With The Organically Clean Home, you'll save hundreds of dollars every month--and have a clean, healthy home that you and your family can feel good about.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster
    Release dateMar 18, 2014
    ISBN9781440572524
    The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself--The Natural, Chemical-Free Way
    Author

    Becky Rapinchuk

    BECKY RAPINCHUK is the founder of Clean Mama, the most popular cleaning website in with world. The Clean Mama empire spans several highly successful businesses, including a membership-only monthly subscription, an organic cleaning line, a paper goods company, and an online community. Rapinchuk is the homecare expert for Scotch-Brite and has also worked with a variety of brands as an ambassador or brand affiliate, including Dyson, Home Depot, SC Johnson, Martha Stewart, Bissell, Casabella, Murchison-Hume, The Laundress, Aprilaire, and Neato Robotics. Rapinchuk is an online columnist for Better Homes & Gardens, the housekeeping expert on Answers.com, and a regular home expert for Real Simple, the New York Times, Bon Appetit, Better Homes & Gardens, HGTV Magazine, InStyle, Shape, Oprah.com, Houzz, Refinery29, and others. 

    Related to The Organically Clean Home

    Related ebooks

    Home & Garden For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      ORGANISE & CONQUER

      Jun 9, 2019

      When we first launched The Home Edit, our professional decluttering service and consultancy (or THE, as we are often called), we had a very clear objective: to transform the way people think about organisation. When spaces are efficient, user-friendl

      4 min read

    • Article

      ‘Home Is A Full- On COLOUR BOMB!’

      Oct 6, 2021

      My husband Luke already owned the house when I moved in,’ says Naomi. ‘He bought it in 2010 as he was keen to get on the property ladder, and then rented it out for a couple of years. As he is a plumber he’d already updated the bathroom and replaced

      3 min read

    • Article

      Safekeeping Yearbooks

      Apr 21, 2020

      Safekeeping Yearbooks
      2 min read

    • Article

      Clean It Up

      Feb 25, 2019

      Clean It Up
      7 min read

    • Article

      88 For Inspiring Us To Clean House

      May 30, 2018

      Margareta Magnusson Author Death cleaning—known in Sweden, its country of origin, as döstädning—may sound morbid. But it’s really an act of love, says Margareta Magnusson, the 84-year-old first-time author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleanin

      1 min read

    • Article

      Chemical Free Cleaning

      Mar 3, 2021

      Chemical Free Cleaning
      3 min read

    • Article

      Book Reviews

      Mar 13, 2019

      Whistle-blowing on 21st century medical practice Dr Sarah Myhill Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018 Reviewed by Anne Gastinger Sustainable Medicine, by Welsh doctor Sarah Myhill, is a call to arms for us to actively take charge of our health. It describe

      4 min read

    • Article

      Clean, Green And Serene

      Mar 21, 2024

      As any home chef can attest, no space demands more cleaning than the kitchen. Choosing the right appliances will help – a good-quality dishwasher with a hygiene wash function is a given – and if you can stretch to it, a selfcleaning pyrolytic oven. M

      2 min read

    • Article

      For The Love Of Laundry!

      Jul 15, 2021

      For The Love Of Laundry!
      3 min read

    • Article

      Sustainable Spring Cleaning

      Feb 5, 2022

      Sustainable Spring Cleaning
      2 min read

    • Article

      Natural AT HOME

      Mar 25, 2023

      Natural AT HOME
      4 min read

    • Article

      Household HINTS

      Dec 22, 2022

      We all know that batch cooking saves money (and time), but where do you begin? Follow our top tips and you'll soon be chopping, whizzing and freezing your way to batch success… • Identify where the 'gaps' are in your current cooking routine. For exam

      3 min read

    • Article

      Soap Story

      Mar 30, 2020

      Soap Story
      4 min read

    • Article

      Solve It In 7

      Sep 30, 2021

      THIS WEEK Scrub-a-dub-dub How clean is your house? Love it or you hate it, you can’t avoid cleaning! But it’s not all bad – it can be a great way to relieve stress, and it can have a positive impact on your mental health, too. A deep clean can be dau

      2 min read

    • Article

      DIY Bathroom Basics

      Oct 15, 2019

      DIY Bathroom Basics
      3 min read

    • Article

      A GREEN Spring Clean

      Feb 2, 2021

      Was there ever a year to have a good spring clean, this surely has to be that year. Wash, sweep and spritz 2020 out of your home and usher in a brighter, fresher, hopeful start to spring. A thorough spring clean will not only give your home a much-ne

      4 min read

    • Article

      How To Green Your Clean

      May 25, 2022

      How To Green Your Clean
      4 min read

    • Article

      Spring clean without HARMING YOUR HEALTH

      Mar 28, 2023

      A tidy house is said to equal a tidy mind, and the start of spring is the perfect time to give your home a deep clean. But could your cleaning products be causing issues without you even realising? Many contain ingredients which are highly irritant t

      3 min read

    • Article

      Vanity Fair

      Jun 23, 2019

      Vanity Fair
      1 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Organically Clean Home

    3.5/5

    15 ratings1 review

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A very thorough book

      I am reading this under Kindle Prime, but plans on buying it. She gas a recipe for most any item to clean that you can think of. She also provides her cleaning routine and tips.
      I already have everything I need except for the essential oils. I like that she states when the essential oils are optional. Some recipes they are included for their disinfecting properties.
      I haven't tried the dishwashing or laundry cleaners. I'm concerned that they'll clean as well as the chemical store bought ones but I definitely want to try.
      I'm giving a four star only because I need to test these recipes in my own home. I think thiis is definitely a great one to keep in the library for those who are attempting to be more self sufficient and prepared for who knows what.

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    The Organically Clean Home - Becky Rapinchuk

    INTRODUCTION

    Looking for cheaper and much safer alternatives to the store-bought cleaning products you have under your sink? Look no further! In this book, you’ll find 150 recipes for practically any cleaning dilemma, from natural disinfection to safe and effective stain removal. With just a few simple (and pronounceable) ingredients, you will be a cleaning scientist on your way to an organically clean home.

    Why should you clean organically? You’ll be able to clean your entire home, inside and out, with homemade products that are safe to use while your kids and pets are in the same room, and are inexpensive to boot! You’ll learn how to make everyday products like an all-purpose cleaner and laundry detergent, but you’ll also learn the best and safest way to clean things you don’t clean every day, like your carpet and your garage floor. Even better, you can scent your products to your liking with a variety of all-natural essential oils.

    Think that natural cleaners won’t do as good a job as the commercial versions? Wrong! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective natural cleaners are. Homemade cleaners are also easily customizable—I’ll show you how to adjust formulas to create the perfect cleaning products for your home and cleaning preferences. Every home is different, but this guide gives a variety of solutions for a variety of conditions, so you’re sure to find something that works for your home. Now there’s no need to stash and store dozens of bottles of different cleaning products just in case—you have the ultimate guide to making any product yourself when you need it!

    Are you ready to start making your own cleaning products? Grab this book, gather a few of the recommended all-natural ingredients and cleaning tools, and get started. You won’t believe how simple it is to formulate your own cleaning products … and better yet, you won’t believe the amazing results. As a matter of fact, you might even start looking forward to cleaning your house!

    CHAPTER 1

    ORGANIC CLEANING 101

    It doesn’t matter if you’re attempting to clean out an entire room or a single drawer, you need time and a plan. Yet for most people, finding the time and an effective cleaning strategy is difficult. Throw in the toxins from store-bought cleaning products, and the whole situation is downright scary. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, check out the cleaning strategies in this chapter. You’ll find easy-to-implement routines, timesaving ideas, and basic information on natural cleaners. Instead of being a tedious chore, housecleaning will be a breeze!

    CAUTION: These recipes and formulations are organic in nature and nontoxic, but as with any cleaner in your home, keep them out of reach of children and pets. As long as around 1 percent of the cleaner is made up of essential oils (as is true for the recipes in this book), it is generally considered safe for pets, but check with your veterinarian first if you’re concerned. Please use care in mixing and follow the intended uses and directions.

    Why Use Organic Cleaning Products?

    There are many great reasons to switch to organic or natural cleaning products. Maybe you want to …

    ■  Keep toxins out of your home. (Most homemade products are toxin-free!) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accidental household poisonings affect more than 300 children in the United States every day. If you keep the medicine cabinet locked and use cleaning products that are safe, you’re reducing your risk of an accident.

    ■  Save some money. (You certainly will!)

    ■  Cut down on what you’re sending to the landfill. (You can cut back dramatically on plastics by simply using reusable spray bottles and cleaning containers.)

    ■  Use natural products because someone in your home has asthma or allergies. (Organic cleaners are much better to use around those with sensitivities.) Interestingly enough, the stuff that you clean with can actually make you sick, essentially negating the benefits of cleaning itself. According to the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), conventional cleaning products and artificial fragrances can trigger asthma, can include low levels of 1,4-dioxane (a carcinogen), and can even include low levels of formaldehyde (another carcinogen) without disclosure. These ingredients can also lead to birth defects in pregnant women using the cleaners. Although many people don’t have any reactions to the toxins, why take a chance?

    No matter why you’ve decided to use organic cleaning products, you can rest assured that you are cleaning with the safest products and getting the best results at the same time.

    The Safety Factor

    Perhaps the most common reason people choose organic cleaners is that they’re safer to have around the house than the store-bought versions. Sadly, safe cleaning products are not the norm. You’d think that cleaning products would have to be safe to be sold for home use, but that isn’t the always the case. I experienced this firsthand when my oldest child was a toddler and grabbed a safe cleaning product (sold to be used on highchairs and baby products) and sprayed it in her face and consequently her mouth. I grabbed the bottle from her hands and washed her off. After a quick glance of the bottle, I realized that a call to poison control was necessary. This incident ended safely with her drinking a cup or two of milk and taking a long bath, but my journey to finding safe cleaning products was just beginning.

    Take a look at your cleaning product labels and read the warnings and lists of ingredients. You might see warnings like hazardous to humans and animals and causes substantial but temporary eye injury, and unpronounceable ingredients like "ethanolamine or hexoxyethanol. Even the ingredient fragrance" is a concern because it can cause skin irritation, and can trigger asthma and allergies. Scary stuff, right?

    CHECK PRODUCT RATINGS

    A fantastic resource for determining the safety of products in your home is Environmental Working Group, online at www.ewg.org. They rate the safety of just about every over-the-counter brand and product. You’ll see that with the exception of borax, most ingredients in this book are an A on an A to F scale. I love a clean house, and I hold high standards for products that I create and endorse. It has to be safe and it has to work. This might seem like an easy accomplishment, but it’s not.

    Commercial cleaners are composed primarily of water, chemicals, and fragrance. Some of these chemicals can aggravate allergies and skin sensitivities as well as pose poisoning risks to children and pets that may get their hands and paws on them when you aren’t looking. Besides the obvious poison risks, breathing in the fumes of some cleaners can also be a health risk. For example, some cleaners say to use a mask or to ventilate a room while using, but most users probably don’t follow that safety rule. Even if you do, is that really a product you want to be using in your home?

    As someone who is nervous about germs and getting sick (and then having a whole house of sick family members!), I understand the appeal of store-bought products that say they kill 99.9 percent of all bacteria. Killing germs is actually difficult to do, but in a normal household, making sure the surfaces are wiped down daily does get rid of the majority of germs and bacteria. If you want to kill them altogether, there are natural ways to do that with 99.9 percent accuracy, too—you’ll find a variety of disinfecting recipes in this book. When I realized that keeping counters clean and wiped down regularly will accomplish the same goal, I began making my own safe and natural cleaning products.

    The Cost-Savings Factor

    If making your own cleaning products isn’t appealing enough for safety reasons, you’ll actually be able to save money, too! Did you know you can make a bottle of all-purpose cleaner for pennies and you can make a batch of powdered laundry detergent for less than $5? A 16-ounce bottle of homemade granite cleaner costs less than 25 cents, whereas a 16-ounce bottle of granite cleaner at the store is at least $5. That 68-load box of detergent you just heaved into your trunk and paid over $15 for? You can make it for under $5. Actually, with my recipe you’ll get a few more loads out of it so it’ll be an even better savings. If you purchase your ingredients in larger quantities, you’ll be making just about every cleaning product from this book to clean your entire home for mere pennies per use!

    The Benefits of a Cleaning Routine

    Even with organic cleaners, fitting cleaning into a busy schedule isn’t easy. Maybe that’s because most of us would rather be doing anything besides cleaning. Cleaning is what you put off and get to when you can or when you have absolutely nothing else to do. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Finding time each day to squeeze a little cleaning into your schedule is difficult, but for most of us, the benefits far outweigh the alternative—spending an entire day or more cleaning.

    The first step to embracing a cleaning routine is to understand what a clean house really is. Spotless isn’t the goal, but clean is. People you love live in your home and you want them to fully enjoy life in that place. Clean bathrooms rank pretty high on my priority list, but toys strewn from one end of the living room to the next shows that kids are enjoying themselves. Again: Clean is the goal, not spotless.

    It doesn’t matter if you are out of the house for 50 hours a week, or home all day, you can accomplish a successful cleaning routine that works for you and your schedule. The important thing is to start somewhere. If you think you’re too busy to start a cleaning routine, I’d argue that you’re too busy not to start a cleaning routine. You probably spend more time complaining about cleaning or dealing with ongoing messes than you would actually cleaning!

    I like

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1