This is not only because herbs have a long-lasting scent but because market research shows that if we smell a strong, aromatic herb in our washing-up liquid or disinfectant we automatically assume that it is going to do a good job. It’s all to do with the associations we have with these smells. For centuries, herbs have been used in the home to ward off insects, keep illness at bay and generally make our living spaces pleasant, perfumed and comfortable places to be. Call it race memory if you like, but I think that we all associate the fragrance of herbs with cleanliness, homeliness and good housekeeping.
The problem with many of the cleaning products on our supermarket shelves is that they combine some rather nasty ingredients with a herbal fragrance. For instance, you may find the chemical NAT, listed as carcinogenic by the US National Cancer Institute, or compounds that can cause respiratory failure such as sodium nitrate; not to mention naphtha, which can seriously upset the central nervous system. I love the smell of herbs in my house but prefer to use products that are as clean as they smell, such as those given below and overleaf. Clean your house with pure herbal products and you will sanctify your home at the same time.
100 g (4 oz) beeswax
300 ml (1 pint) turpentine
Grate the beeswax into the turpentine. The beeswax needs to dissolve into the turpentine and it will do this naturally over a period of several days, but you can shortcut the process by putting the mixture into a double boiler on the stove and gently heating it until the wax melts. (Be very, very careful if you decide to use this method, however, as turpentine can easily catch fire.) Add a few drops of your chosen essential oil and stir into the mixture. My favourite oils for this are pine, lavender, thyme or rosemary. Pour the polish into a tin or jar and allow to set. Apply to furniture with a soft cloth. Let it
Dry and buff gently to create a shine you can see your face in. Your grandmother would be proud of you!
Room spray
600 ml (1 pint) spray bottle essential oil
You can also make the most delicious room sprays using your favourite essential oils and water. Fill a spray bottle with water and 10 drops of your essential oil. Add a couple of drops of washing-up liquid to help the oils mix with the water and shake the bottle well otherwise the oils might clog up the spray. Then spray liberally around your house — it will uplift your spirits as well as make your home smell wonderful.
rich and warm
Using herbal preparations instead of commercially prepared cleaning products will bring your home alive. I travel a great deal and one of the nicest things about coming home is opening the front door to be greeted with the warm smell of furniture polish. I choose beeswax and turpentine as a base for a luxurious furniture polish. It may sound like something your great- grandmother used with gusto to make the floor treacherously shiny, but it makes a luxurious, creamy polish that enriches and protects anything made of wood. Furniture, frames, ornaments – and even leather upholstery – love the stuff and drink it in. To this base I add a few drops of essential oil so that the polish subtly scents wherever it touches.
strong and fresh
These days, advertisers use more and more food-related health scares to play upon our fear of germs and sell us potentially dangerous antibacterial products which pollute the environment and cause allergies in sensitive people. It seems that every kitchen cloth or cleaning product on the supermarket shelves is impregnated with strong disinfectants to make your work surfaces as sterile as a laboratory. Personally, I wouldn’t prepare my food anywhere near them.
Instead, you can make your own kitchen sprays using nothing more than water and essential oils. Rosemary, sage, tea tree, manuka and eucalyptus are all naturally antimicrobial – perfectly capable of dealing with any day-to-day germs that might be hanging around the chopping board or kitchen surfaces. They smell great as well.
natural housekeeping
Delving into old housekeeping books and traditional herbals can be fascinating. Did you know, for instance, that horsetail used to be used as a pot scourer? Women gathered it, tied it into bunches and rubbed them around saucepans to make them gleam. I have learned lots of tricks that make housekeeping itself a loving act.
600 ml (1 pint) spray bottle
600 ml (1 pint) distilled, filtered, or still mineral water
Fill the spray bottle with the distilled, filtered, or still mineral water. Then add 10 drops of an essential oil such as rosemary, sage, tea tree or eucalyptus and put in 2-3 drops of washing-up liquid to help the oils mix with the water and shake well. Spray over your kitchen work surfaces and wipe them with a clean cloth.
Kitchen disinfectant
1tsp isopropyl alcohol
antimicrobial essential oil
washing-up liquid (optional)
For heavier-duty cleaning jobs I use isopropyl alcohol (available from any chemist) mixed with water and essential oils. Mix the isopropyl alcohol into the water and then add 20-30 drops of antimicrobial essential oils such as rosemary, sage, tea tree or eucalyptus. If you find the oils float to the surface, add a couple of drops of washing-up liquid.
