Homes

How to clean your home naturally

Green Goddess Wendyl Nissen shares her recipe for a multi-purpose anti-bacterial spray and how to unblock a drain without chemicals.

This is perfect for kitchen surfaces, chopping boards and any other areas you want to stay bacteria-free.

  • 1 cup water

  • 20 drops sweet orange essential oil

  • 10 drops lavender essential oil

  • 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

  1. Pour water into a spray bottle.

  2. Blend essential oils in a glass jar. With an eyedropper add 8 drops of this base to the spray bottle.

  3. Spray on surface and let set for at least 15 minutes – no need to rinse.

TIP: Keep the base oil mix in a dark-coloured glass bottle in the cupboard and use to mix up more spray as you need it.

How to unblock a drain, naturally

*Dear Wendyl,

We’re always getting gunk blocking our shower drain. I usually just use the drain cleaner from the supermarket, but as I’m pregnant, I really don’t want to deal with the chemicals. Do you have anything else I can use?

Alice*

Hi Alice,

Congratulations! Commercial drain cleaners, along with oven cleaners, are really toxic, so it’s a good move to steer clear of them.

Try this recipe I use at home: Sprinkle 2/3 cup baking soda down the drain followed by 200ml white vinegar and leave for 10 minutes. It will form a gas that will clear the blockage. Flush with boiling hot water from the kettle.

If there is still a blockage, repeat, but use washing soda instead of baking soda. Keep repeating until the blockage clears.

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