To make a glass spray bottle, look out for nearly-used-up items in your home that you can recycle. I used a glass apple cider vinegar bottle and a sprayer from a BioKleen cleaning solution. I simply removed the label and plastic ring from the bottle, trimmed the spray tube to size, and put them together.

For an all-purpose natural cleaning solution combine the following in your new bottle:

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups filtered water
• 40 drops lavender essential oil (or essential oil of your choice)

Recipe adapted from Homesong.

While it may not be for everyone, I love cleaning with vinegar. I was first introduced to it when I worked as a house cleaner, while attending art school in Baltimore. Once a week, I cleaned a four-level mansion, along with another woman. It was one of my favorite jobs ever, because the home was full of beautiful objects, textiles, and works of art. It was a joy to be around those things. The woman who owned the house did have some confounding habits, such as sprinkling salt and wax in corners of her house to make sure they were cleaned (as far as I know, we passed her tests)! Also, part of my job, cleaning the bathrooms, was to polish the tiny mirrors which she placed on the floor behind the toilets, “for the spirits to bounce around.”

We cleaned primarily with a vinegar and water solution, along with a few other natural cleaning products, such as a natural cream scrub, for the shower, and biodegradable toilet bowl cleaner. I enjoyed using these gentler cleaning products and began using them in my own space as well.

Vinegar solution wipes clean, leaving no filmy residue. The vinegar smell evaporates, leaving behind only the smell of the essential oils. It’s a gentle, non-toxic way to refresh the home.

What about you? Any favorite natural home cleaning solutions you’d like to share?