These three ingredients are the household-cleaner power trinity.
BAKING SODA – WHITE VINEGAR – MELALEUCA OIL (also know as Tea Tree)
Without a doubt, there is no area of your house that you can not clean, deodorize, unclog, anti-fungal, or degrime with these three.
Why? Because baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid and when they come together, they release energy in the form of a bunch of bubbles, foam and gas. (You can read more about it here.) This chemical reaction is a great way to clean otherwise “hard-to-clean” areas because the bubbles and gas can get into the nooks and crannies that other cleaners can miss.
Plus, a few drops of Melaleuca Essential Oil helps deodorize, cleanse and purify. So after the baking soda and vinegar blast away the “gunk”, the melaleuca oil comes in a cleanses and purifies the area. Think of it as a natural form of Lysol disinfectant spray…it kills the last of the “gunkies” so they have a hard time coming back.
I use this powerful trio all over my house. To clean my washing machine (if you are thinking WTH??, go look at your washer, I promise you will go get your baking soda and vinegar immediately), to unclog drains, and to clean toilet bowls.
Basically, if the job is gross, I’m using these three. And the best part, it’s all natural and inexpensive! Goodbye gunkies…hello, super clean.
Item of note:
- I use doTERRA Melaleuca essential oils. I recommend and only use pure therapeutic grade oils. (If you are new to essential oils, here is how I use them in my everyday life.)
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Baking Soda, Vinegar & Tea Tree Oil – Clean Every Gross Job In Your House
These 3 ingredients – baking soda, white vinegar & tea tree oil are the household-cleaner power trinity able to clean every gross job imaginable. Here are some easy ways they degrime, deodorize, clean and unclog the tough jobs in your house.
Ingredients
Baking Soda
White Vinegar
Melaleuca Essential Oil
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1. Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 10 drops of melaleuca oil and 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the bowl (as listed). Scrub after baking soda and vinegar react. Flush.
Drain Unclogger
1. Once drain has no water in it, dump 1/2 cup baking soda into drain, 5 drops of melaleuca oil and 1/4 cup of white vinegar (as listed). Place stopper in drain and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Test drain, if not unclogged. Repeat until water runs easily.
Washing Machine Cleaner
1. Fill washing machine with HOT Water (and no clothes). Add 4 cups of white vinegar and 10 drops of melaleuca oil.
2. Start cycle and let run for 10 minutes.
3. Then add 1/2 cup of baking soda.
4. Let washer run until baking soda is mixed in. Turn off washer and let sit for one hour. Turn washer back on and let it finish its cycle.
Extra points if you want to take a brush and scrub the top of the wash basin and around the fabric softener spout.
5. If needed, run one clothes-free load of HOT WATER ONLY again to flush out any gunkies.
Stainless Steel Sink Cleaner
1. Wet the sink and sprinkle baking soda over the surface and scrub. Rinse.
2. Create a paste with baking soda and water and use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean drain rims and caulk.
3. Line the sink with paper towels that you’ve soaked in white vinegar and 3 drops of melaleuca oil. Remove after 20 minutes.
Use the same method on your oven, only let the baking soda scrub sit overnight before rinsing. And then follow step 2 and 3.
What other ways do you use baking soda, vinegar, and melaleuca oil for cleaning?
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