Lemon Verbena Homemade Cleaner

I am obsessed with the smell of lemon verbena. So much so, I grabbed a plant this season. It is such a refreshing and invigorating scent. I’ve made homemade cleaners with vinegar for a few years but, this time I decided to throw in a scent using natural herbs from my garden. This is a quick recipe for you to do it too, and you can select whatever herb scent you like best. You can also add essential oils to your homemade cleaner (think cinnamon during Christmas time) or even steep used lemons and oranges in vinegar. It’s pretty simple.

How to Make it:

Spray bottle

1 part distilled white vinegar

2 parts water

Herbs of choice (lemongrass, thyme, mint, lavender). If you are adding herbs, dry them first. You should steep them in the vinegar for two to three weeks.

Strain the vinegar, put in a spray bottle, add water, shake it up.

Optional ingredients:

Castile soap (you only need a tablespoon or two)

Essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus)

Why Make Your Own Cleaner?

Have you ever read the labels of the cleaners in your home? The chemicals in many household cleaners can irritate your skin, eyes, and lungs, and lead to other more serious health problems. Quiet as its kept, vinegar is a cheap and natural disinfectant. While it can be used to clean everything from kitchen counters to bathtubs and showers to windows, it cannot be used on porous materials like granite or hardwood floors.

You can use undiluted vinegar on mold and mildew. Spray and leave it for an hour. Then add baking soda and scrub. I use a toothbrush for hard to reach crevices.

Happy cleaning!